Archive for Category: "Faculty – Gordon Matties"
Announcing the 2014 Tour! April 28 to May 19.
The itinerary for the 2014 tour is almost ready to be posted. We’ll be visiting more sites in the West Bank/Palestine, including biblical Shechem (modern Nablus), Sebaste (capital city of ancient kings Omri and Ahab), Jacob’s well, among others. Click on the link on the right side of the page to go to the tour
Announcing Next Tour April 30-May 21, 2012
I am beginning to plan the itinerary for my seventh study tour. I love leading these tours and experiencing the delight of tour participants as they encounter the people and places of Israel and Palestine, and immerse themselves at the same time in biblical texts and ancient sites. I do my best to plan a
Announcing Next Tour April 26-May 17, 2012
I am beginning to plan the itinerary for my seventh study tour. I love leading these tours and experiencing the delight of tour participants as they encounter the people and places of Israel and Palestine, and immerse themselves at the same time in biblical texts and ancient sites. I do my best to plan a
Biblical Archaeology Review
In 1978 I participated in an archaeological dig at Lachish. The site is mentioned in only 22 verses in the Bible. Yet it is one of the most important archaeological sites for understanding ancient Israelite history in relation to the imperial powers seeking to dominate the region at the time. For me, archaeological sites are
City of David: Archaeology is Political
The tires were slashed and windows smashed in the small Suzuki four wheel drive vehicle we were driving. I was with an Italian friend of mine. It was his car. It had blue West Bank license plates, so we thought we would be fine. But we looked like strangers, and therefore suspicious. Silwan was still
Church of the Nativity
What I like most about visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is not seeing “the star” in the floor of the grotto that supposedly “marks the spot” where Jesus was born. It’s being in a place where followers of Jesus have worshiped and commemorated the nativity since the second century. The pillars in
NOVA: The Bible’s Buried Secrets
Every tour group to the Holy Land, unless it is a short ten day tour, runs the risk of experiencing archaeological site fatigue. My guide, Khalil, happens to love ancient water systems. After the sixth or so water system some of us began to tease Khalil. Over the days, however, we discovered, in spite of
Annunciation Goes Global in Nazareth
I’ve always marveled at the mosaics in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. They tell us in visual language the biblical story of the angel Gabriel’s announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary Luke 1:26-38. Hearing the gospel reading in worship this morning reminded me of my many visits to that amazing church, the largest
When Was Jesus Born?
Photo Tamer Shabaneh. The other day I was listening to the The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas CD (Go Tell it On the Mountain). The song “When Was Jesus Born” struck me as worth commenting on during Advent (please do read to the end to watch the video). The fact is, shepherds were not tending
King Herod in Bethlehem and Beyond
Thinking about Bethlehem during Advent reminds us of King Herod, whose tomb was discovered in 2007 just outside the city at the fortress called Herodium. I was pleased to be able to see it for the first time when I led the Ancient Stones, Living Stones tour in the spring of 2008. Of course Herod
