Additional Resources

The icons next to each resource show which bridge(s) it covers, ordered by which is more dominant:
( = Cultural, = Geographical, = Historical, = Linguistic)

Websites

• Aleph with Beth (Hebrew) and Alpha with Angela (Greek) – Free self-paced language study
• Bible Places – high-quality photo packages for purchase (plus a few free) plus a blog on what’s happening related to archaeology, Israel, and more
• Bible Project – Great resources to learn about the Bible with free resources including videos, podcasts, study notes, seminary-level classes, and more. We’ve learned a lot from their weekly podcast and classes.
• Bible Walks – Maps, photos, and information about hundreds of sites around Israel. We’ve used this to locate and learn about sites around Israel when traveling on our own.
• En-Gedi Resource Center – Articles and books about the world of the Bible
• Ferrell’s Travel Blog – A retired professor and long-time traveler to the Biblical lands shares pictures and tales from his travels. Brian and Marcia went on a tour with him.
• Holy Land Photos – free photos. Has a few tours each year to different countries (we’ve been on one of them). Also blogs regularly about different locations.
• Jerusalem Seminary – Online classes and articles incorporating the land of the Bible
• Our Rabbi Jesus – Insights on the Bible
• Scripture Study App – Free, online interlinear Bible with multiple English versions to compare against the original languages
• Sefaria – Free collection of ancient Jewish texts. Includes ancient Jewish commentaries for any given passage. Much is only in Hebrew. Android and iOS apps also available with offline viewing.
• Walking the Text – Includes a bi-weekly video series (or listenable as a podcast) about the context of the Bible. Has regular tours to Bible lands.
• Wayne Stiles Blog – Great devotionals related to Bible lands with nice photos and sometimes videos or Google Street views of sites

Books

These are some of the books which we have found the most helpful.

• A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey – Clyde E. Fant & Mitchell G. Reddish
  Descriptions of Biblical sites in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus; a helpful travel resource
• A Reader’s Hebrew Bible
  A Hebrew Bible with short definitions for words occurring fewer than 100 times. We prefer digital editions, but this is Brian’s favorite print edition he’s found
• A Visual Guide to Bible Events – James Martin, John Beck, David Hansen
• A Visual Guide to Gospel Events – James Martin, John Beck, David Hansen
• Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible – John H. Walton
• Bearing God’s Name — Why Sinai Still Matters – Carmen Imes
  Describes how bearing God’s name is a theme woven throughout Scripture
• Biblical Turkey – Mark Wilson
  Descriptions of Biblical sites in modern day Turkey; a helpful travel resource (we also went on a study tour led by the author)
• Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament – G. K. Beale & D. A. Carson (editors)
• Desert and Shepherd in Our Biblical Heritage – Nogah Hareuveni
• Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot – And Cold – Climate Cultures – Sarah Lanier
• Holman Illustrated Guide to the Biblical Geography – Paul Wright
  Written by the president of Jerusalem University College whom Brian studied under; great resource for understanding the geography of the land of the Bible
• Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels – Kenneth E. Bailey
• Listening to the Language of the Bible – Lois Tverberg & Bruce Okkema
  A guide for discovering the richness of the Scriptures in their Hebraic setting.
• Misreading Scripture with Individualist Eyes: Patronage, Honor, and Shame in the Biblical World – E. Randolf Richards & Richard James
• Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible – E. Randolph Richards & Brandon J. O’Brien
• Nature in Our Biblical Heritage – Nogah Hareuveni
• New Light on the Difficult Words of Jesus — Insights from His Jewish Context– David Bivin Understanding Jesus in his first-century Jewish culture
• New Testament History – Ben Witherington III
• Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith – Marvin R. Wilson
  An introduction to the Hebraic roots of the Bible
• Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes – Kenneth E. Bailey
• Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus: How a Jewish Perspective Can Transform Your Understanding – Lois Tverberg
• Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith – Ann Spangler & Lois Tverberg
• Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus – Klyne R. Snodgrass
  Great exhaustive commentary on Jesus’ parables, pulling parallel teachings elsewhere
• Supernatural – Michael Heiser
• The Baker Illustrated Guide to Everyday Life in Bible Times – John Beck
• The Bible in World History – Stephen Leston
• The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament – Sandra L. Richter
  This book will organize your understanding of the Hebrew Bible and renew your enthusiasm for studying the Bible as a whole
• The Gospel According to Moses: What my Jewish Friends taught me about Jesus – Athol Dickson
• The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide – Jerome Murphy-O’Conner
  Lists details about all the prominent sites to visit in Israel, especially valuable when traveling there
• Tree and Shrub in Our Biblical Heritage – Nogah Hareuveni
• Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewish Words of Jesus Can Change Your Life – Lois Tverberg
• Windows into the Bible: Cultural and Historical Insights from the Bible for Modern Readers – Marc Turnage
• Windows on the World of Jesus – Bruce Malina
  Short stories of modern Americans living in first century Judea trying to understand the culture with explanations for each story about a cultural concept
• Zondervan Atlas of the Bible – Carl Rasmussen
  Great atlas, the author also runs Holy Land Photos (see above)

Software

• Accordance – Similar to Logos with greater emphasis on the languages and less on large libraries of books. Free lite version available. Works with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
• Logos – Contains a wide variety of books that can be purchased individually or in bundles. The base program is free, but building up a large library can be costly. We use their interlinear Bible to help read the original languages. Works with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.
• Interlinear Scripture Analyzer– Free Windows program for reading the Bible in the original languages.

Other

• Biblical Backgrounds – Highly detailed study maps for purchase with downloadable marking guides. Even if you can’t visit Israel, going through their materials gives an excellent understanding of the land.
• Biblical Language Center – Courses and resources for learning Biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek. Courses are in-person (in Israel) or online (self-paced or live).
• Jerusalem University College (JUC) – Located in Jerusalem, they provide great programs for learning about the Bible where it happened. They offer online classes, short-term trips for a couple weeks or long term from a semester to a 2-year MA degree. We’ve studied here. You’ll see it mentioned throughout the blog.