by Dr. John DeLancey | Dec 26, 2015 | Historical Geography
The Bible is filled with stories. They are narratives that don’t take place in a vacuum. For each story of the Bible, there is a cultural context in which it takes place. Many Bible commentators consider the cultural contexts of these stories in order to...
by Dr. John DeLancey | Dec 20, 2015 | Archaeology
About a week ago in Manger Square in Bethlehem, Israel, the Christmas tree was lit. Located right outside the Church of Nativity (a church that dates back to the 4th century AD), the gathering among local Palestinian Christians and tourists representing numerous...
by Dr. John DeLancey | Dec 19, 2015 | Archaeology
The observation of the Jewish festival called Hanukkah includes the lighting of candles for 8 consecutive days. It’s a time of celebrating the miracle of the Temple oil lasting 8 days during a time of crisis in the 2nd century BC. The story is preserved in the...
by Dr. John DeLancey | Dec 16, 2015 | General
The singing and playing of carols are an integral part of the Christmas celebration of Christ’s birth. Every time I lead Israel tours, singing carols in the Shepherds’ Fields is always a wonderful opportunity to consider the perfect timing of God’s...
by Dr. John DeLancey | Dec 15, 2015 | General
We (my wife and I) have been in South Korea for a few days now visiting our son Joel. He has been teaching English here since April. He lives in Incheon, a newer “suburb” west of Seoul, the capital. It’s been a great trip so far. Arriving last...
