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Explore 2,000-year-old tombs much like the one that held Jesus and experience the vibrant history and culture of Israel. Teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan reveals the fascinating truths surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus in this v...
Tiny Bethlehem lay in the shadow of the Herodian, the magnificent home of Herod the Great. In this remarkable program, Ray Vander Laan leads a tour through the palace ruins, the modest dwellings of Bethlehem, and other historical sites in Israel. ...
Travel to Israel and radically change your understanding of the Scriptures. Wet your feet in the Jordan River and impact the culture with life-giving water. Show your trust in the Lord's provision by offering up first fruits at Jericho. And cleans...
Filmed on location in Israel, Faith Lessons is a unique video series that brings God's Word to life with astounding relevance. By weaving together the Bible's fascinating historical, cultural, religious, and geographical contexts, teacher and hist...
Pack your bags. We're going on a journey. A quest to uncover Scripture and its meaning across history. Filmed on location in Israel and throughout the Middle East, the Faith Lessons DVD series is an adventure in biblical learning. You will discove...
Pack your bags. We're going on a journey. A quest to uncover Scripture and its meaning across history. Filmed on location in Israel and throughout the Middle East, the Faith Lessons DVD series is an adventure in biblical learning. You will discove...
Experience the Bible for yourself! This in-depth video Bible study-shot on location and featuring teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan-will help you understand the New Testament better by giving you abetter understanding of the Old Testament.
During his ministry in Israel, Jesus called and trained disciples, His "talmidim." Their job would eventually be to bring His message of redemption to all the nations, Jew and Gentile. What would happen when they began to make disciples ...
Becoming a disciple of Jesus demands more than merely a deep commitment to the text and complete devotion to Christian community. The Messiah is king, and believers are called to pick up their crosses in daily pursuit after becoming like Him. Come...
This five-session small group Bible study, God Heard Their Cry, by noted teacher and historian, Ray Vander Laan, is volume eight of the 12-part Faith Lessons series. In this volume, Vander Laan illustrates how God answered the cry of the Israelite...
When the Israelites left Egypt, they were finally free. Free from persecution, free from oppression, and free to worship their own God. But with that freedom comes a new challenge - learning how to live together the way God intends. In this ninth ...
Ray Vander Laan takes us on a journey through Sinai and Israel, a region that is still largely desert but at times filled with lush, bountiful places. We will discover how Jesus called people to live in the Promised land. What can we learn during ...
God's story culminates with the intense devotion of his people in this 11th volume of the Faith Lessons series. Discover how their passionate faith prepares the way for Jesus and his ultimate act of obedience and sacrifice at the cross. Then, be c...
Throughout the Bible, the desert functions as an image of discord, of loss of control, and of separation from the safety of society. Barren and deadly, the wasteland places of the text meant certain death without access to resources. Many times Go...
As they stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, the Israelites not only agreed to partner with God by worshipping Him as king, they also took on a mission: become a kingdom of priests in a prodigal world. This had been God's plan for His people from the...
It’s easy to think of the Bible as a collection of short stories, but each one makes up a greater story – one story of a God who created the universe and entrusted it to His human partners to care for it. They were unfai...
Like the Roman Empire, today’s governments or organizations can become centered on power and believe their messages are the “good news.” As Christians, we’re called to proclaim God’s name in all the earth (1 Chronicle...
How do you live in a culture where the worldview conflicts with Christianity? Learn from Paul as he presents his beliefs to the most powerful court in Athens and settles among the Greco-Romans of Corinth, who valued wealth and class, worship of mu...
For a first century Jew, to follow a rabbi meant to "be covered with the dust of his feet." When Jesus called His disciples, it was implied that they would begin this process of becoming like Him by following closely in His footsteps. Tr...
A ritual bath containing living water. Observant Jews would wash head, heart, hands, and feet as a symbol of purity before God.
Belvoir's FortressBuilt by French Crusaders with a moat, outer walls, and an inner building, Belvoir looks like a European fortress transplanted onto Israel's soilBuilt by a group of French Crusaders, the Belvoir fortress stands in an area of nort...
Modern-day FishingToday fishermen catch the same fish and use the same nets as the disciples did. The Sea of Galilee is near the hills of today's Golan Heights and the Decapolis of Jesus' day. The cool wind blowing off the hills sinks rapidly onto...
In a mansion near the burnt house, the opulence of the people of this part of the city (many were Sadducees) is revealed. The beautiful mosaic in the floor, made from thousands of tiny bits of stone of various colors, displays the typical geometri...
The mosaic floor pictured here is from the private bathhouse in the Western Palace. The multicolored geometric designs are typical of Herod's construction. Some scholars think he chose not to use figures of animals, people, or gods, out of respect...
Mountain ridge 1,000 feet above the Sea of Galilee. Site of a brutal battle in 38 BC between Galilean Jews and Herod the Great for control of Galilee.
Mount Carmel, which literally means "God's vineyard," is a mountain range running about thirteen miles southeast in the western Jezreel Valley. This part of Israel receives thirty inches of rain each year and is the most heavily forested...
Mountain ridge in Israel that divides the Valley of Jezreel from the coastal plain. Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal here.
Mountain near the city of Shechem where an altar to God was built. Joshua gave the curses of the covenant on this mountain (the blessings of Mount Gerizim) when he renewed the covenant after entering the Promised Land, as Moses had commanded him.
Mountain near the city of Shechem where Joshua pronounced the covenant blessings (the curses on Mount Ebal) when he renewed the covenant after entering the Promised Land, as Moses had commanded him.
Mountain on the southern edge of the Valley of Jezreel. Saul and Jonathan died here.
This high mountain range reaches more than 9,000 feet above sea level, is 28 miles in length, and is more than 10 miles wide. It is covered with snow more than eight months a year. Water from melting snow is the main source of water for the Jordan...
Mountain on the northern border of Israel. More than 9,000 feet above sea level, it is often covered with snow. Water from this mountain forms the Jordan River.
Today the top of Mount Moriah lies somewhere beneath the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. Throughout the Bible, this special place played a significant role in many people's lives:Abraham In Gen. 22:1-14, God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac...
Tradition holds that this is the place where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). There is no concrete evidence to support this belief because the exact location is not specified in the Scriptures. However, this slope is in the righ...
This mountain, standing about 2,641 feet above sea level, stands east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It is approximately 325 feet higher than the Temple area and the highest peak in the area. Jesus entered Jerusalem, gave his final teachin...
This five-mile-long block of salt rises out of the ground at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. The barren conditions of the area are a stark reminder of the consequences of Lot's choice and his wife's disobedience. Some scholars believe that Sodom...
This mountain ridge at the southern end of the Dead Sea is composed of salt. It retains the name of the city of Sodom, which was probably nearby.
Mountain where God met Moses to establish his covenant with the Israelites. Here God gave the Ten Commandments and the instructions for the building of the tabernacle. Many scholars believe Sinai refers to Jebel Musa, a peak in the Sinai Peninsula...
Mountain at the northeast edge of the Valley of Jezreel. Site of the battle between Deborah and Barak and Jabin, king of Hazor.
Four views of JudaismIn Jesus' day, there were varying philosophies within the Jewish faith. While some Jews embraced the Roman rulers, others resisted with violence. And whereas some Jewish believers lived a simple, isolated lifestyle...
Shellfish found along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel, where the Phoenicians lived. Purple dye was produced from these shellfish.