Intensive Explorations in the Holy Land
Program Features
Individuals of all ages are offered a 3-week educational and intensive travel study adventure that is not a typical tour to the Holy Land but an educational indepth exploration of the land, its people and its cultures. International and local expert faculty conduct extensive field studies and lecture discussions. Three university-level certified units in Near Eastern Studies and Comparative Religious Studies are available to qualifying participants. Each program is designed with special topics per faculty expertise. Includes activities for families, biblical lifestyles, Old and New Testament studies, and much more!
Last year one participant wrote:
“Great inspiration for someone such as I who knew very little about the Holy Land ... So much more than I ever expected.” – Paul, 2017 Program
This intensive 21-day experience is packed with unique and exciting activities, visits to sacred sites, ancient cities and archaeological ruins, “locals-only" cultural experiences, on-site guest lecturers and expert faculty. In addition to more frequently visited sites, your experience includes the following destinations as circumstances allow:
• Hebron, location of the Tomb of the Patriarchs
• Shiloh, where the boy prophet Samuel & the Tabernacle of Moses resided until the days of Eli.
• Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene & a beautiful shrine dedicated to the women in Christ's ministry.
• Mt. Gerazim, place of the Samaritan Temple and annual sacrifices during Passover.
• Nablus and Jacob's Well, where the Samaritan woman spoke with Jesus.
• Sebastia, capital of the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel, archaeological ruins of the palace of Herod Antipas where some believe John the Baptist was beheaded.
• Beer Sheba, Well of Abraham, home of Isaac and Jacob, Bedouin cultures at the kibbutz Lahav.
• Numerous locations in Jerusalem, the Negev, and the Western Coastal Plain not seen on normal tourist excursions & much more!
Program activities include:
• Simulated first century A.D. meal in the recreated Nazareth Village.
• Guest lecturers from the various religious groups, including the Jewish. Islamic, Samaritan, Druze. Baha'i, Eastern and Western Christian communities.
• Site lectures and discussions from scholars on archaeology, history, contemporary affairs, cultural life styles, biblical plants and animals, the Palestinians, Bedouins and Israelis, etc.
• Swimming in the Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Mediterranean Sea, and other locations.
• Time to quietly meditate at sacred sites, Shop In the open-air markets (suk), and mix with the locals, etc.
• Academic certified units are available for those who desire, as the materials presented before and during the program are Online and equivalent to university studies.
• Camel rides, working on a potter’s wheel in Hebron, visit museums seldom seen on usual tours with powerful lecture-discussions from experts, and much more!
Participant learns about weaving in the 1st Century AD Nazareth Village
International Travel Studies Institute Faculty
Dann W and Shirley S. Hone, 2018 October Intensive Explorations Faculty
Dann W Hone, with nearly 46 years of travel and living in the Near East, is one of the founding members of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies and served in numerous positions at the Center, including Academic Coordinator where he was responsible for training and teaching all Jerusalem Center faculty in history, archaeology, geography, and scriptures. His studies include numerous modern and ancient languages and scripts. Dann lived in Israel for many years and received his graduate degree in Biblical History from the Jerusalem University College. A published author, Dann has written study guides and books on the Near East and recently finished volume one of a seven volume “Scriptural Reference and Exploration Series”. Dann is emeritus administrator/faculty of Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies and the Department of Ancient Scripture at BYU. After thirty years at BYU, he entered back into teaching as adjunct faculty in the Department of History and Political Science at Utah Valley University. He currently serves as the Managing Director and faculty member for the International Travel Studies Institute. Shirley and Dann have been married 45 years and are the parents of 4 sons, 2 daughters and 17 grandchildren. The family resided in Jerusalem for 7 years.
Haws Marble, Intensive Explorations Faculty/Director
Haws Marble began his association with the Holy land in 1974 as a teacher of Old Testament on the Semester Abroad in Jerusalem. From 1980-85 Haws lived in Jerusalem and assisted with tours and the BYU student programs. This led to his 20-year employment at BYU Travel Study specifically working on tours and study programs to the Holy Land. He has made a total of 40 different trips to the Holy Land and he loves almost everything that he learns and experiences with that part of the world. Prior to this he spent 16 years teaching in the Seminary and Institute programs and in the BYU Religion Department.
