In times of doubt and struggle its affirming to hold on to the fact that the Bible is full of real people and real events that took place at actual locations. They walked on the same Earth we live on today. It of course looks very different, in many cases unrecognizable to biblical times but Jesus, Paul, Moses, David and everyone within the pages of the Bible walked this very Earth at some point, just like you and I do every day.

As much as I know these statements are true—I often forget. As I read the Bible, some stories don't feel real. Many of the stories can be hard to believe and hard to connect to. For many of us when we read the Bible, we're reading of a distant land, both mentally and physically which only compounds and makes it harder to relate to spiritually.

By all means, if you have the chance to tour the Holy Land, I hope you'll take it and get to experience the heart of the Holy land firsthand. I hope to someday. But I also hope that we all choose to believe the power of God's word can reach far beyond the physical locations described within it.

His Word is Already Alive

If you're interested in experiencing the Holy Land at all its easy to yearn after a visit, I know I do. It's easy to believe the Bible will come alive when you physically get to see the places of biblical stories. But Paul H. Wright, author of Heart of the Holy Land, challenges us to rethink this only partially true belief. He points us to Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is alive and powerful.." and reminds us that God's word is already alive.

As Rev. Dr. Wright states, "What happens is that we become more alive to it, more aware of its texture, its color, its feel, and its tug...But, you don't actually have to be in the lands of the Bible to benefit, since each also touches aspects of real life—your life, my life, the lives of people we know—that are common to our experiences wherever we live."

Invaluable Context

Heart of the Holy Land is for those who wish to travel to the Holy Land, but might not make it there, those that will visit or have already visited—it's for anyone who wants to take a deeper dive into biblical stories alongside their geographical, historical, and archaeological context. Author, Dr. Paul H. Wright and his wife Diane have been privileged to live in the Holy Land for 25 years.

In Heart of the Holy Land, he leads the reader through 40 engaging reflections on the places and people of the land. But as you read and reflect, you're doing so alongside pictures of the Judean wilderness, the city of David, streams of the Jordan River, remains of Herod's palace and so much more! Discover pictures of Jerusalem—the wall of the Old City, street merchants, markets and a model of the Jerusalem Temple at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Rev. Dr. Wright invites you to hear the heartbeat of the Holy Land and sense its call to life—no matter how far you may reside from it physically and watch scripture come alive to you in a more meaningful and invaluable way. Reflect on scripture and the lands of the Bible with Heart of the Holy Land.

Admire photos of the Holy Land on almost every page.

About the Author

REV. DR. PAUL H. WRIGHT is president of Jerusalem University College where he has taught biblical geography, on site, to thousands of students. He and his wife Diane have lived in Jerusalem for twenty-five years, long enough to experience the heart of the holy land.