The Virtual Voyage

Miiko Shaffier, an Orthodox Jew living in Be’er Sheva (less than 30 miles from Gaza), joins Abigail to give a detailed account of what it was like in Israel on the morning on October 7. As the mother of an IDF soldier, Miiko also shares her son’s experience of being called up to serve, her level of contact with him during the war, and a heartwarming story involving kneepads for her son’s unit. Don...

Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum joins Abigail to provide an update on the war in Israel, especially with the recent development of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Fleur also discusses the hostage situation, providing an important caveat: this is not a prisoner exchange. There is no equivalence between releasing Palestinian prisoners who have been imprisoned for crim...

As the Hamas-Israel war continues to rage, Rabbi Steven Weil, CEO of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, joins Abigail to provide an update from the front lines, what could happen if Hezbollah enters the war, and how Israel sets the moral standard for war. Rabbi Weil also shares the story of Sgt. Rose Lubin, a courageous American Lone Soldier who served in the IDF and defended Southern Israe...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we head to Huqoq, an archaeological site in the Galilee region. At Huqoq, we’ll meet back up with Dr. Jodi Magness, an archaeologist and director of the Huqoq Excavation Project, who has graciously agreed to give us a tour of the site. Come along on the adventure to learn more about this ancient Jewish village, which Jesus himself may have visited. Plus, you’ll...

Israel is at war. On Saturday, October 7, 2023, the terrorist group Hamas launched a vicious surprise attack on Israel—on a Jewish holiday. It’s disgusting, sickening, and heartbreaking. Hamas is engaged in pure evil, trying to obliterate the nation of Israel, G-d’s nation, from this earth—but they will ultimately fail. G-d will protect his people. As this war happens in Israel, we have a responsi...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we head back to Tel Hazor, the largest biblical-era site in Israel. We’ll again meet up with Dr. Shlomit Bechar, director of the excavations in the lower city of Hazor. Come along on the adventure to learn what it’s like working on an archaeological dig—including what time you have to wake up. Plus, you won’t want to miss hearing about all Shlomit and her team...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we meet Dr. Yosef Garfinkel, an archaeologist who has directed excavations at Tel Lachish—a city you need to know about. Come along on the adventure to hear about Dr. Garfinkel's significant discoveries at this site, including evidence for the kingdom of David. And you won't want to miss Dr. Garfinkel's exciting summary of the Assyrian invasion of Lachish led b...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel for a visit to Tel Megiddo, the site most often associated with Armageddon from the book of Revelation, which describes a final end-of-world confrontation between God and forces of evil. But can we actually call Megiddo the location of the future battle of Armageddon—or is it a different city altogether? Come along on this week's adventure to find out!

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Mt. Tabor, a mountain in Lower Galilee known for an Old Testament battle between the Israelites and Sisera and later the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. But how likely is it that the Transfiguration actually happened here, especially because its location is never directly stated in the New Testament? Abigail will offer her thought...

On this exciting episode of The Virtual Voyage, we'll meet up with one of Israel's most incredible tour guides, Aaron Shaffier, and head to Zorah, the birthplace of Samson. Tour Guide Aaron leads us to an old industrial park—and you won't believe what we'll find. Here's a teaser from Judges 13: "And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar , the angel of the LORD went up in the flame of...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Caesarea Maritima, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea that was made great by King Herod. After learning about Caesarea's complex history, we'll head into the archaeological park to see a Roman aqueduct, an ancient theater that still hosts concerts today, Herod's palace, and, best of all, Caesarea's man-made harbor, constructed using revolutio...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Tel Be’er Sheva, a city in the Negev desert that was considered the southern border of the territories settled by the Israelites when they first came to this land. We’ll also meet a special guest, Dr. Fredric Brandfon. You won't want to miss Dr. Brandfon's tour of the site, along with his fascinating explanations and stories. Learn more about Dr. Brand...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we meet a conservator, Rosa Lowinger, and learn about an important field within archaeology that helps ensure artifacts are properly excavated and preserved— conservation . Rosa explains what conservation is and why it's important in the context of archaeology. She also shows us some recent finds from a local dig, including painted plaster and glass. Learn more...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Capernaum, a city on the Sea of Galilee that was the base for Jesus’s adult ministry in the Galilee. We’ll stop at the reconstructed synagogue while also trying to locate the earlier synagogue Jesus would have taught at. Plus, we’ll visit Peter’s house. You also won’t want to miss the answer to an interesting question: why can’t we tell 1st-century syn...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Capernaum, a city on the Sea of Galilee that was the base for Jesus’s adult ministry in the Galilee. Before arriving at Capernaum, we'll also make a stop at the Jesus Boat, an incredible example of a 1st-century fishing boat that was excavated from the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee. Come along on this week's adventure to learn more about the boat's d...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we visit Tel Hazor. Despite being the largest biblical-era site in Israel, most people don’t know about it. Upon arriving at the site, we’ll meet Dr. Shlomit Bechar, an archaeologist who has even served as co-director of the excavations at Hazor. With Shlomit’s extensive knowledge that helps the site come alive, this is an adventure you won’t want to miss. Lear...

Join tour guide Abigail in Israel as we continue our exciting adventure in Tel Dan. We'll head to the spot where the Tel Dan Stele was found. It's a significant slab of stone with an Aramaic inscription that mentions the "House of David," thus providing the only extra-biblical evidence for King David from the Bible. We'll also make a brief stop at Baniass (or Caesarea Philippi), a nearby site, whe...

Join tour guide Abigail for an exciting adventure in Tel Dan, often considered to be the northern border of Israel. We'll explore the history of Dan, enjoy a beautiful walk through nature, and see the alternate temple Rehoboam erected at Dan in disobedience to God. But the highlight of the tour is a stop at Abraham's gate—a 4000-year-old gate (also containing the oldest arch in the world) that Abr...

Come along on this week’s episode of the Virtual Voyage as we continue to explore the Samaritans, a small people group who are only 800 in number. We’re joined this week by one of the world’s foremost scholars of Samaritanism—Dr. Reinhard Pummer. You won’t want to miss Dr. Pummer’s fantastic tour as he shares information about the Samaritans’ past, Mt. Gerizim, their synagogues, and more!

Join Abigail on this week's adventure in Israel as we head to Mt. Gerizim, the home of the Samaritans. Although the Samaritans are similar to the Jews, they have some unique practices that set them apart, including their Passover celebration which we'll learn about. From 3 million members to 141, the Samaritans have survived against all odds. Come learn more about them and their home!

Join us on The Virtual Voyage for an adventure to a tahini factory in the Samaria region of Israel. While it's a delicious condiment, it really isn't found in the US! What is it? How is it made? What does it taste like when it's fresh and warm? We'll also learn about different types of Hebrew we can study and master an important phrase for maneuvering around the crowded streets of Israel.

Join tour guide Abigail for this week's adventure in Israel as we head to the Basilica of the Annunciation, the spot where the angel Gabriel is believed to have told Mary that she would bear the Christ child. After we analyze the Bible and history, we'll put this site to the test. What does it score on the authenticity meter?

Come along on this week's adventure as we conclude our tour at Nazareth Village, a recreation of Jesus' hometown of Nazareth from the first century. As we enjoy the last few exhibits at Nazareth Village, we'll learn about the unique processes for making olive oil and wine in Jesus' day and also experience a traditional meal. Finally, we'll make our way to the Church of the Annunciation, learning a...

Join Abigail on this week's episode of The Virtual Voyage as we travel to Nazareth Village, a living replica of what Nazareth in the time of Jesus would have been like in the actual area of Nazareth. You'll walk away with a new appreciation for this ancient site where Jesus grew up. Plus, learn how to count to ten in Hebrew as we continue to work on our language skills!

Join the adventure on this week’s episode of The Virtual Voyage as we head to Sepphoris, a city in Israel’s Galilee region just a few miles from Nazareth. We’ll be joined by expert archaeologist Dr. Eric Meyers as we learn about Sepphoris’s history, pottery found there, and also the city’s successful integration of Roman and Greek culture with Judaism. Plus, why did historian Josephus call it “the...