Gegraptai

The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth

Megiddo

This is the tunnel down into ancient Megiddo’s water system. These water systems are really pretty amazing.

A model of the ancient city at Megiddo. I forget which period this is.

Here are the remains of the stables at Megiddo. These stone feeding troughs, or mangers, are probably like what Jesus would have been laid in.

The Arbel Cliffs

This is the ancient village of Magdal, the home of Mary Magdalene, viewed from the top of the Arbel Cliffs.

Galilee

Me standing on top of the cliffs above Galilee. The view is unspeakably beautiful.

We have also visited Dan, Hazor, Arad, Lachish, Tel el Hesi, Avdat, Makhtesh Ramon, Jerusalem, and hiked the Zihn Wilderness. Too bad I broke my camera, though, so I won’t have any pictures until after I get back into the US and exchange pictures with my colleagues. Perhaps I’ll post some of them in a couple of weeks after I get them, but this is all for now.

I’m thrilled that the Wesleyan Church has just elected our first female General Superintendent. I’m even more thrilled that it is Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, founder of World Hope International. If ever there was a woman anointed by God as a leader for our denomination, it is she. I look forward to being a part of the changes that, by God’s grace, will come about in the Wesleyan Church and in our world through her saintly leadership.

Here is the full story.

In case anyone has been wondering where I’ve been, since the semester has ended I’ve been cramming for the GRE, working on preliminary reading and a site report for the Tel Rehov dig (I’m leaving in a few weeks!), reviewing a bit of Hebrew, and working on a book with a colleague and a professor. I won’t be blogging at least until I’ve taken the GRE on June 21, and probably not until after I get into Israel after June 27.

So don’t worry, I’m not dead. I just have higher priorities at the moment.

Three words: What the [insert your favorite expletive here]?

My housemates and I went to the midnight release last night because we’ve been waiting like kids at Christmas since we heard about it. We were disappointed—and from the jeers and boos that echoed as soon as the credits began rolling, I’d say everyone else in the theater was too.

Too bad. I love the Indiana Jones trilogy. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s still a trilogy.

My good friend Jack has seen the light and switched to WordPress. Now, read his blog if you don’t already.

This is just too funny not to pass on.

Thanks to Ben Witherington for finding it first.

Anybody out there have any experience with GRE test-prep materials? Which ones are best? Or are they even worth it?

I just came across this article at the blog of Nijay Gupta, a PhD student at Durham University. It’s subjective, as is any advice concerning getting into PhD programs, but it is the most helpful, informative, and thorough bit of information on the subject that I’ve come across. Check it out!

Here are a few things I’ve come across recently that may be of interest to someone else, in no particular order or organization:

• A fine article by Bishop Wright in Christianity Today, “Heaven Is Not Our Home.” It is, more or less, a summary of the his latest book (which I’m currently reading), Surprised By Hope, which, I might note, is so far the best book I’ve read in a while.
• I just came across the Pandora Radio the other day. Enter an artist or song you like, and it will play music that sounds similar. I heard about this thing a few years ago, and forgot about it. Now that I’ve found it again, I’m hooked!
• Anybody seen Perseus 4.0 yet? I like it! Now, if they can just somehow make the site faster…
• An interesting post by Randall Buth at Evangelical Textual Criticism on TC in synoptic studies and the case of ευθυς.
• Eric at Archaic Christianity has found out that the University of Wales Lampeter offers a distance education graduate program in Classics. Very useful information. I wonder if I could take a course or two in Latin as a non degree-seeker…
• Chris Tilling has just posted a list of academic lectures dealing with biblical studies which are available (for free, I take it) on iTunes.
  
• Frankly, I’m beginning to get tired of hearing about the Presidential candidates all day, day in and day out, in every branch of the media. But this article from the Onion really cracked me up.
  
• The latest Biblical Studies Carnival is here.

I’ve been really busy for the past few weeks, which is why my blog has been neglected. But, my big project for Archaeology class, which is what I’ve been spending every minute of my time working on lately, is now finally finished. Also, it’s Reading Week.

So, I am bound and determined to post a few things this week now that I have a bit of free time, including continuing my reading of Ignatius’ Epistle to the Romans. Keep an eye out this week.