An exciting time for Biblical tours and the history of Biblical Israel

The goal of Biblical tours of the Holy Land is to help travelers engage in the history of scripture while connecting with fellow believers and strengthening their walk with God. Christian pastors, teachers, and experts often lead groups of believers through the sites of Biblical Israel in the footsteps of Jesus and the apostles. But recent discoveries in the field of Israeli archaeology are changing the way Biblical tours work. While local tradition used to be the basis of belief for where certain events of the Bible took place, archaeological evidence and study are taking the accuracy of Scripture to a new level. Experts like archaeologist Eli Shukron (who discovered the Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the blind man), Dr. Adolfo Roitman (the Curator of the Dead Sea Scrolls), and Christian theological Professor Dr. Craig Evans, are exploring the ways in which history corresponds to Christian and Jewish texts.

"The House of God is just the stone." Eli Shukron explained, while taking a group of travelers to visit one of the most astonishing finds in Jerusalem archaeology: The Standing Stone of Melchizedek, which, according to Scripture, served as one of the very earliest places of worship and the spot where Abraham brought the first tithe. "...What is the importance, where all that started?" Shukron continued. "Where we are."

Very few Biblical tours go inside the place of the Melchizedek Standing Stone, which Shukron refers to as "Temple Zero". An equally breathtaking sight is the great Isaiah Scroll. Inside the Shrine of the Book, Dr. Adolfo Roitman refers to the Isaiah Scroll as "Our Mona Lisa".

"The most important cultural treasure of the Jewish nation is the great Isaiah Scroll." Says Dr. Roitman. "The second largest scroll discovered in Qumran caves - containing all the sixty-six chapters of the prophet Isaiah you have in your Bibles." 

As the modern picture we draw of Biblical Israel becomes clearer, the evidence to support the factual accuracy of the Bible becomes progressively more astonishing. That is why we feel that Christian travelers should have the opportunity to enjoy Biblical tours that bring them face-to-face with the experts and artifacts. In 2019, Dr. Craig Evan, Dr. Adolfo Roitman, and archaeologist Eli Shukron will all be featured on several of our Christian cruise and Biblical Israel tours!

Archaeologist Eli Shukron

Dr. Craig A Evans

Dr. Adolfo Roitman

The post An exciting time for Biblical tours and the history of Biblical Israel appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/08/biblical-tours-israel/

Frank Turek: The Bible doesn’t cover everything

See the Frank Turek YouTube video below for his take on this topic. 

From the surface view, the Bible appears to have some pretty major gaps. What about all of the other people groups in the world, such as the Chinese or Indians and the multitude of story lines that played out in other countries? Why doesn’t the Bible explain dinosaurs? Where were the Vikings or the Native Americans over the centuries?

The Bible’s central story

If you read closely, there is actually a lot you can parse out about creation. But the account of creation sets the stage for the Bible’s main focus: One bloodline. The entire arch of the Bible centers around a single story: the story of Christ.

As the Frank Turek YouTube video below explains, “The purpose of the Bible is not to tell you everything about everything. It’s not to tell you about every animal or every civilization. It’s to tell you about how to get saved and sanctified.”

“That’s the reason the Bible is written. It’s not written to tell you everything about everything, just the most important thing.”

The Bible is not an encyclopedia or an exhaustive explanation of geology or history. In fact, God often seems to prefer to leave some things a mystery. But it covers the most important thing. It tells the story of the bloodline of Christ, the prophesies surrounding Him, His coming to earth, His dying and Him rising again. It then shifts to prophesying when He will come again. These threads course through Scripture all the wall from the beginning to end.

Frank Turek YouTube video

Check out the below video as Frank Turek discusses this topic on a YouTube video during a Living Passages tour.

What is the Bible really about?

Just as Jesus is to be the center of our lives, He is the center of the biblical account. The Bible tells the greatest story ever told. The most important story every told. Because without Christ, the Bible’s story line would not end with the hope and promise we have today because of His death and Resurrection. Our salvation dictates our eternity, so doesn’t it make sense that the Bible would focus on how to get saved? The timeline of this earth is relatively short compared to eternity. It makes sense that God would focus on the big picture in His words to us.

Teachings by Frank Turek

We’ve been fortunate to hear this and many other teachings by speaker and author Frank Turek of Cross Examined. He has traveled with many of our Christian tour groups and tends to draw many repeat customers. In April of 2019, he will again join us on a cruise from Rome to Athens.

This time, Frank will focus in on the life of the Apostle Paul and the Early Church. We’d love to have you join us on this exciting Christian Cruise! But don’t wait too long. Our tours with Frank tend to book out fast.

The post Frank Turek: The Bible doesn’t cover everything appeared first on Living Passages.

source https://livingpassages.com/2018/08/frank-turek-youtube-the-bible/