Context studies
From sacred text to map
Guided journeys that distinguish what Scripture affirms, what ancient context contributes and what remains interpretation.
- The four rivers of Eden: from sacred text to mapA guided journey through Genesis 2 that distinguishes the sacred text from geographical reconstructions of the four rivers of Eden.Open the study
- The Flood: Noah and the Mesopotamian accountsA guided journey through Genesis 6–9 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Mesopotamian flood accounts, the flood layers and the proposals about the ark.Open the study
- Babel: city, tower and scatteringA guided journey through Genesis 11 that distinguishes the sacred text from the historical context of Babylon and ziggurats.Open the study
- Abraham: from Ur to CanaanA guided journey through Genesis 11:27–12:9 and 15:1–6 that distinguishes the sacred text from the context of Ur, Haran and the road to Canaan.Open the study
- Joseph in Egypt: from the pit to the palaceA guided journey through Genesis 37 and 39–41 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Egypt of the time, the Asiatics of the Delta and the customs the account reflects.Open the study
- The Exodus: from the sea to Mount SinaiA guided journey through Exodus 13–14 and 19 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Egyptian context, the route, the sea and the mountain.Open the study
- The tabernacle in the wilderness: God dwells among his peopleA guided journey through Exodus 25:1–9 and 40:34–38 that distinguishes the sacred text from the tents and chests of the ancient world, the materials and modern reconstructions.Open the study
- Jericho: the account and the archaeologyA guided journey through Joshua 2 and 6 that distinguishes the sacred text from the site of Tell es-Sultan and the debate about its dates.Open the study
- Shiloh and the ark in the days of the judgesA guided journey through 1 Samuel 1–4 that distinguishes the sacred text from the site of Tel Shiloh and the proposals about where the Tabernacle stood.Open the study
- The City of David: Zion and the king’s hillA guided journey through 2 Samuel 5:6–12 that distinguishes the sacred text from Jerusalem’s southeastern hill, the Tel Dan Stele and the debate about the tenth century BC.Open the study
- Solomon’s temple: a house for the name of GodA guided journey through 1 Kings 6:1–14 and 8:1–13, 27–30 that distinguishes the sacred text from excavated neighbouring temples, from today’s Temple Mount and from the chronological debate.Open the study
- Hezekiah and the Siloam TunnelA guided journey through 2 Kings 18–20 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Siloam Tunnel, the finds from Hezekiah’s Jerusalem and the Assyrian campaign of 701 BC.Open the study
- The fall of Jerusalem and the exileA guided journey through 2 Kings 25 that distinguishes the sacred text from the traces of Jerusalem’s destruction, the documents from Babylon and what is still debated.Open the study
- Daniel at the court of BabylonA guided journey through Daniel 1 and 5 that distinguishes the sacred text from Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, the Belshazzar of the inscriptions and the debates about the date of the book.Open the study
- Cyrus and the return: Ezra and NehemiahA guided journey through Ezra 1 and Nehemiah 2 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Cyrus Cylinder, the Persian province of Yehud and the debate about Nehemiah’s wall.Open the study
- Esther in Susa: for such a time as thisA guided journey through Esther 1 and 4 that distinguishes the sacred text from Persian Susa, the court of Xerxes and what remains open about its characters.Open the study
- Bethlehem and the birth of JesusA guided journey through Luke 2 and Matthew 2 that distinguishes the sacred text from what history and archaeology contribute about Bethlehem.Open the study
- Galilee: Capernaum and the seaA guided journey through Mark 1:14–39 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Capernaum and Sea of Galilee known to archaeology.Open the study
- Jerusalem in the time of Jesus: the temple and the final weekA guided journey through Matthew 21 and the Passion accounts that distinguishes the sacred text from the Jerusalem known to archaeology.Open the study
- Pentecost and the church in JerusalemA guided journey through Acts 2:1–47 that distinguishes the sacred text from the Jerusalem of pilgrims and the early church known to history and archaeology.Open the study
- Paul’s journeys: routes, cities and lettersA guided journey through Acts 13–14 and Paul’s travels that distinguishes the sacred text from the routes, cities and chronology studied by history.Open the study
- Paul in Athens: the AreopagusA guided journey through Acts 17:16–34 that distinguishes the sacred text from Roman Athens, its philosophers and the debate about the Areopagus.Open the study
- The seven churches of RevelationA guided journey through Revelation 1:9–20 and 2–3 that distinguishes the sacred text from the cities of Asia, the island of Patmos and the local details proposed by commentators.Open the study