Dr. Newton Traveling In Greece, Israel, and Rome
Join Dr. Newton as he introduces you to dozens of
historic Biblical sites with direct connections to events from both the Old Testament and New Testament.
New videos will be added every few days. Click here to visit his YouTube channel for all videos.
Enjoy the journey and his Biblical commentaries.
Click on the location names below to see videos from each region:
Jerusalem
A first look at the Western Wall - all that remains of the Second Temple area. Solomon’s First Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar at the onset of the Babylonian captivity-exile. What stands today is this western walled section that had been rebuilt by Zerubbabel by decree from Cyrus. That 2nd Temple was greatly enhanced and expanded by Herod the Great heading into the 1st Century AD time of Jesus - but was destroyed in 70AD by the Roman siege of Titus Vespasian.
The wall rebuilt by Zerubbabel is massive in scale with huge stones salvaged from the ruins of the first Temple stones cut by Solomon’s builders. Today people wedge prayers written on paper into the joints between the stones.
Literally thousands of small pieces of paper with prayers-requests of God are inserted into the joints between the stones because it is believed this is the place where God’s presence abides.
First look at fortifications around Old City.
Magnitude of the stones in Jerusalem’s outer walls provides perspective on the siege in 70AD by Titus Vespasian.
The older and more crude walls in the foreground remain from Solomon’s era 1,000 years before the higher walls from the rebuilt Jerusalem from 70 AD.
Coming around the southern perimeter of Jerusalem is a first look down into the deep Kidron or Valley of Jehoshaphat. It is mentioned in both the Old and New Testament - with the Mount of Olives rising up from the valley floor high above Jerusalem.
Down into the Kidron far below Jerusalem’s eastern walls stands the Pillar of Absalom, noting how King David’s son led a rebellion against his father’s rule and was later killed by Joab who used 3 spears thrust into his heart (2nd Samuel 18).
Coming up out of the Kidron Valley onto the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem’s East Gate is visible in the center of the wall - still sealed shut (as Ezekiel 44:1 said) until Messiah returns and enters thru it to rule on David’s throne for 10 centuries (Zechariah 14:4).
Coming up out of the Kidron Valley deep below the East Gate and ascending the opposite Mount of Olives - the longtime traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane is just up the initial slope of the mount. This is where Jesus and His disciples would have come after eating the opening meal of Passover - unleavened bread with wine - at the start of Passover after sunset Wednesday April 9th in 32 AD - the 10th of Nisan on the Jewish calendar. Around midnight, the Temple guard would have come with Judas to arrest Jesus here.
Quite a view front the top of the Mount (we climbed 496 stone steps from Garden of Gethsemane) - looking directly at the Old City and the sealed East Gate, thru which Jesus will again enter Jerusalem at His Second Coming with His church.
Right nearby King David’s burial place is the traditional location of the place where Jesus ate the opening meal of Passover - unleavened bread with wine - with His disciples. While there remains continued debate about this location, it provides a reminder of how Jesus set the precedent that “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, do so in remembrance of Me”.
Incredible historic recreation of 1st Century AD Jerusalem showing City of David and Pool of Siloam to the South - the magnificent scale of the Second Temple with the Antonia Fortress in NW corner, and the East Gate facing the Kidron Valley up to the Mount of Olives.
Quick flyover view of 1st Century AD Jerusalem (model) at the Israel Museum. Herod’s Temple and Antonia Fortress (built for Roman cohort to keep watch over Temple) and named for Herod’s friend Marc Antony.
A quick view of size/scale of the Temple that dominated the Jerusalem skyline at the time of Jesus.
Megiddo
Tel Megiddo sits on a strategic high point along the ancient trade route between Egypt and the Nile delta up to Assyria at the Tigris and Euphrates.
Dating back to the time of the 15th Century BC as the Israelites entered the land 40 years after the Exodus from Egyptian slavery.
There are some 25-30 layers of different cities-peoples-kingdoms stacked on each other at Megiddo
Archaeologists have found large stables that could house some 4-5 dozen horses for Cavalry stationed at Megiddo as the time of Solomon gives way to the conquest of Assyria.
1st King’s 9:18 specifically records how Solomon had multiple building projects including: The Temple, the Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Gezer, and Megiddo. This is now circa 1,000 BC - over 400 years after the fall of the Canaanites’ less sophisticated construction.
View overlooking Valley of Jezreel - location for final battle (Revelation 16:16) of evil vs. Jesus the Messiah at the end of His Millennial reign.
Multiple layers of religious temples and ritual altars with bones of animal sacrifices.
Large deep silo with spiral stairs on both sides to store and retrieve grain.
Pharaoh killed King Josiah within the Assyrian-built (700s BC) palace.
Stalls and feeding/watering troughs at horse stables that support Solomon’s - and later Assyrian - cavalries.
200+ stairs down into the bedrock to tunnels that carried Megiddo’s water from outside hidden spring into the city.
Bottom of the cavern stairs looking into the 100-yard tunnel that carried fresh water from outside springs under the city.
After a long 100-yard walk thru the bedrock limestone we arrive at the fresh water spring - and another 175 stairs up thru the caverns to the secret entrance about 50 yards outside the city walls.
More videos coming soon...