The Virtual Voyage

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Caesarea Maritima, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea that was made great by King Herod. After learning about Caesarea's complex history, we'll head into the archaeological park to see a Roman aqueduct, an ancient theater that still hosts concerts today, Herod's palace, and, best of all, Caesarea's man-made harbor, constructed using revolutionary technology.

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Tel Be’er Sheva, a city in the Negev desert that was considered the southern border of the territories settled by the Israelites when they first came to this land.

We’ll also meet a special guest, Dr. Fredric Brandfon. You won't want to miss Dr. Brandfon's tour of the site, along with his fascinating explanations and stories.

Learn more about Dr. Brandfon and his upcoming book, Intimate Strangers: A History of Jews and Catholics in the City of Rome, here.

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we meet a conservator, Rosa Lowinger, and learn about an important field within archaeology that helps ensure artifacts are properly excavated and preserved—conservation.

Rosa explains what conservation is and why it's important in the context of archaeology. She also shows us some recent finds from a local dig, including painted plaster and glass.

Learn more about Rosa’s projects as an art conservator here. 

Purchase Rosa’s book, Tropicana Nights, here, and be on the lookout for her new book, Dwell Time: A Memoir of Art, Exile, and Repair, which will be published in October 2023.

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Capernaum, a city on the Sea of Galilee that was the base for Jesus’s adult ministry in the Galilee. We’ll stop at the reconstructed synagogue while also trying to locate the earlier synagogue Jesus would have taught at. Plus, we’ll visit Peter’s house.

You also won’t want to miss the answer to an interesting question: why can’t we tell 1st-century synagogue remains apart from the remains of any other building?

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Capernaum, a city on the Sea of Galilee that was the base for Jesus’s adult ministry in the Galilee. Before arriving at Capernaum, we'll also make a stop at the Jesus Boat, an incredible example of a 1st-century fishing boat that was excavated from the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. Come along on this week's adventure to learn more about the boat's discovery, conservation, and if Jesus Himself may have been on that very boat!

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Tel Hazor. Despite being the largest biblical-era site in Israel, most people don’t know about it.

Upon arriving at the site, we’ll meet Dr. Shlomit Bechar, an archaeologist who has even served as co-director of the excavations at Hazor. With Shlomit’s extensive knowledge that helps the site come alive, this is an adventure you won’t want to miss.

Learn more about Shlomit’s upcoming archaeological dig in Hazor’s lower city and how you can get involved at this website: https://telhazor.haifa.ac.il.

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we continue our exciting adventure in Tel Dan. We'll head to the spot where the Tel Dan Stele was found. It's a significant slab of stone with an Aramaic inscription that mentions the "House of David," thus providing the only extra-biblical evidence for King David from the Bible. We'll also make a brief stop at Baniass (or Caesarea Philippi), a nearby site, where a cult worshiping the god Pan developed. We'll note the significance of Jesus bringing His disciples to this spot to discuss the "gates of hell." A close investigation will prove that there's more there than meets the eye.

Make sure to tune back in next time as we head to Tel Hazor and meet a special guest.

Join tour guide Abigail for an exciting adventure in Tel Dan, often considered to be the northern border of Israel. We'll explore the history of Dan, enjoy a beautiful walk through nature, and see the alternate temple Rehoboam erected at Dan in disobedience to God. But the highlight of the tour is a stop at Abraham's gate—a 4000-year-old gate (also containing the oldest arch in the world) that Abraham himself would have gone through when trying to rescue Lot. You won't want to miss it!

And make sure to come back next time where we'll see the Tel Dan Stele, which is perhaps the only extra-biblical archeological reference to King David from the Bible.