Photography

The Temple and Temple Mount—the sacred precinct surrounding it, known in Greek as the temenos—were dramatically expanded and rebuilt under Herod the Great, beginning around 20/19 BCE. The project was both a monumental architectural achievement and the religious center of Jewish life in the first century.

Just four miles north of Nazareth stood one of the most important cities in Galilee: Sepphoris (Hebrew Tzippori). Although the city is never mentioned in the Gospels, its proximity to Nazareth makes it an important part of the world in which Jesus grew up. It was close enough to reach in roughly an hour's walk.

In September 2009, while construction was underway for a new pilgrimage center, archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery: a first-century synagogue in the ancient village of Magdala.

Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee from the Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias. December 30, 2016.

In Hebrew, the name Gethsemane is Gat-Shemanim. A gat is a “press,” while shemanim means “oils.” Put together, Gat-Shemanim refers to a press for oils—an olive press.

Gamla, home of the Zealots. In Jesus' day, the Zealot movement had been growing since Israel's occupation by the Roman Empire (63 BCE). The Zealots were fiercely nationalistic and thought that only God had the right to rule over the land of Israel.

Photos of Capernaum, Israel

​Beit She'an - also known as Scythopolis - was a prosperous Roman city during the first-century ministry of Jesus.

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write" – Rev. 3:1

These photos were captured in 2003 amidst the historic ruins of Babylon during my deployment for the Iraq War. Iraqi officials reached out to the Marines for assistance in safeguarding this invaluable archaeological site from potential looters. As a result, the 1st Marine Division established its headquarters unit on the premises. I was part of HMM-165, famously known as the "White Knights," and we operated the CH-46E "Sea Knight" aircraft during this mission. These images te