The Holy Land Revealed -- Adult Sunday school class for Winter 2013

Lecture 13 -- The Land of Canaan (Dec. 8, 2013)

What do we mean by “holy land”? What is the difference between archaeology and history? How reliable is the Hebrew Bible as a window into life in ancient Israel? Discover answers to these and other questions in this introductory lecture, and take a peek at the region's earliest recorded inhabitants, the Canaanites.
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 13

Lecture 14 -- Discovery and Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls 

(Dec. 15, 2013)

Travel to Qumran, the archaeological site located adjacent to the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered in the late 1940s. As you tour the caves and the site itself (including an ancient scriptorium and dining room), you'll learn what scholars know about the mysterious community that once lived there.
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 14

No Class -- (Dec. 29, 2013)

Lecture 15 -- The Sectarian Settlement at Qumran 

(Dec. 22, 2013) (Jan. 5, 2014)

Continue touring the site at Qumran, with a focus on three distinctive features of the settlement. These are animal bones found in pots; an elaborate water system that channeled flash floods into pools used for ritual bathing; and a vast cemetery containing more than 1,000 graves.
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 15

No Class -- (Dec. 29, 2013)

Lecture 16 -- The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essenes 

(Jan. 5, 2014) (Jan. 12, 2014)

Scholars believe the Qumran community, commonly identified with the Essenes, was a sect that lived in anticipation of the End of Days. What was it like to be a member of this ascetic community? What strict codes of purity did it live by? What is Jesus's relationship to this apocalyptic group?
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 16

Lecture 17 -- The Life of the Essenes 

(Jan. 12, 2014) (Jan. 19, 2014)

In this final lecture on the Qumran sect, investigate the ancient latrines and hygienic practices of the community. Your three sources for insights into this little-explored aspect of everyday life: passages from the Dead Sea Scrolls, observations by the historian Josephus, and remains unearthed from the archaeological site itself.
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 17

Lecture 18 -- From Roman Annexation to Herod the Great 
(Jan. 19, 2014) (Jan. 26, 2014)
Witness the rise of Herod the Great—the ruthless king who governed Judea between 40 and 4 B.C.E. and who is most infamous for ordering the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem. It's an engrossing tale filled with court intrigue, jealousy, warfare, betrayal, and murder.
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 18

Lecture 19 -- Herod as Builder -- Jerusalem's Temple Mount
(February 2, 2014)
In the first of several lectures on Herod's great buildings, many of which served as the backdrop to Jesus's life and ministry, walk through the reconstructed Second Temple and Temple Mount. You'll visit the remains of magnificent structures, including Solomon's Stables, Robinson's Arch, the Western Wall, and the Hulda Gates.
LINK to Transcript of Lecture 19

Lecture 20 -- Caesarea Maritima -- Harbor and Showcase City

(February 9, 2014)

During his reign, Herod also built Greco-Roman style cities in his non-Jewish territories. Here, Professor Magness guides you through the most famous of these: the port city of Caesarea Maritima (where Paul was imprisoned, according to Acts 23–24). Comb through the ruins of the city's harbor, hippodrome, aqueducts, and more.

Lecture 21 -- From Herod's Last Years to Pontius Pilate

(February 16, 2014)

Visit Herod's winter palace at Jericho, where he spent his final years, and his fortified palace at Herodium, where—in 2007—archaeologists discovered his tomb. Then, explore the divided kingdom he left to his three sons, with a special focus on the rule of Herod Antipas (who would play a critical role in Jesus's story).

Lecture 22 -- Setting of Jesus's Life and Ministry

(February 23, 2014)

Tour the remains of Galilean towns and villages that date back to the time of Jesus, including Sepphoris (with its theater) and Capernaum (with its neighborhood of private houses). Then, conclude with a look at the recent discovery of a house at Nazareth that may shed light on Jesus's boyhood.