Jesus' response to faith is to release the power of his grace. (20 minute multimedia presentation)
Lydia
through Lydia we learn that mature faith accepts God's crossing up of conventions--I first heard that taught in a BSF class, years ago, and I was struck with the simple wisdom in that statement.
Babylonian Stew
And now for something completely different. What's for dinner? A nearly four thousand year old recipe from ancient Babylon!
Shabbat
Every Friday evening, we make a special point of dressing nicely, and arriving to dinner in time for the kiddush. It's important to be punctual, since the candles are to be lit at least 18 minutes before sunset.
Astragali
As I carefully brushed around what seemed like a floor formation of pottery sherds and cobblestones, almost by accident, I unearthed what looked like a knuckleboneโactually a bone in the ankle.
The Forensics of Archaeology
Some people dig for gold, others for artifacts. But the true archaeologist digs for knowledge.
Ashtoreth
Working in the Pottery Lab complex is one of several unexpected pleasures I've been experiencing on this excavation. As a microcosm of Israel itself, our Lab is international.
Al Jazaar Mosque
Even as I sit here and type these words, I can hear the muezzin singing out the Adhan from the minaret of Al Jazaar mosque, the final of five calls to prayer throughout the day.
We Went To Prison Today
The Akko prison intersects the Crusaders with the Ottoman empire, the British Mandate, and the Jewish resistance movements throughout Palestine. Today, the 12th century Crusader Hospitaller Center bears evidence of the 18th century Muslim fortress with military barracks and palaces, and the 19th century British prison. During the British Mandate, there were three major prisons: Jerusalem (Russian Compound and Kishle); Akko; and Bethlehem (womenโs prison).
Jerusalem
Part of the Tel Akko Excavationโs Total Archaeology approach is to take in the larger context of the digโthe present day city and its history, the surrounding landscape, the people groups and cultures, the land of Israel and its history. Today, to get a better understanding of the unique challenges Israel faces, we visited the capitol city, Jerusalem, another of the six โMixed Citiesโ and filled with spiritual pilgrims from three of the major religions in the world: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

