BiblePlaces Newsletter
 Vol 9, #1 - January 31, 2010


Ten years ago this month we released our first photo CD.  It was not what we aspired to, but it was our first attempt at making digital photos available that were easy to use and easy to afford.  This month we're releasing our 27th CD, not counting some interim editions and special CDs along the way.  Our hope is that the quality only improves and the cost remains affordable.  This month's collection of 450 photographs is only $15.  And the quality - well, they just don't take photos like they used to!  Or, at least, modern conditions are destroying ancient landscapes and remains in such a way that sometimes a black-and-white picture is more useful than a color one.

This month's new CD is Egypt and Sinai, and it includes photographs of places popular with tourists, as well as many off the beaten path.  The more well-known sites include the Giza Pyramids, Cairo, the Luxor temples, Aswan, Jebel Musa, and St. Catherine’s Monastery.  For a complete list of photographs, see this page.

Below we include a portion of a review of the American Colony and Eric Matson Collection that is very encouraging to us.  And we are thankful as well for this recent comment from Rob McRay, Minister at the Donelson Church of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee.  He wrote:

Thank you for an excellent collection of photos of the Bible Lands. I use your photos frequently in my teaching, and find the collection unmatched in both quantity and quality. It is an excellent value, worth far more than the price.

We have big plans this year, and with the Lord's help, we look forward to new and better photo collections.  Along the way, we'll try to keep the blog updated with the latest stories of interest to our readers.  Thank you for your support!

Todd Bolen
Editor, BiblePlaces.com
 

 

Review of The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection

Earlier this month, Bible Software Review published a review of our recent release, giving it a rating of 9.1 (out of 10). With their permission, here is a portion of the review by Rubén Gómez:

As I said in my previous review of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, this series of photographs offers an outstanding quality at a superb value, and they are great for classroom use.

Photographs can be viewed directly in a web browser, or using one of the many image viewers available for the different platforms (Linux, Mac or Windows). But the recommended way, and I agree wholeheartedly, is to make use of the PowerPoint files. These are really excellent, and include extensive notes and quotes that give a much more meaningful context to the pictures....

As I always do in these cases, I also imported all the high-res jpeg images into my iPhoto Library so that I could use them on different projects involving any of the iLife or iWork suites. Macs really excel in this area. So you can pretty much do anything you like with the photos, both for personal enjoyment and as a powerful teaching aid.

One of the nice bonuses of the set is that on the second DVD there are two excellent sections on "Traditional Life" and "People." You may feel tempted to use them as illustrations for your next sermon or class.

Last, but not least, this collection is also very useful for watching or showing pictures of places that cannot be visited today due to political instability in the area. Thus, not being a Muslim I was not able to see the interior of the Dome of the Rock during my visit to the Temple Mount. Never mind, The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection came to the rescue!

Conclusion

I cannot overemphasize what a great deal The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection is. And if you happen to teach the Bible, you will find numerous illustrations that will take your teaching to a new level. The pictures, the people depicted, the atmosphere that surrounds them, the interesting and well-researched notes, all add to a truly valuable learning experience. Get this set and see for yourself what the Land of the Bible looked like. You will not be disappointed.

After having visited Israel just a few months ago (and taken a good number of pictures and personal notes!), this DVD set helped me appreciate even more some of the many details this fascinating land has to offer. 

 

The American Colony and Eric Matson Collection Volume 5:

Egypt and Sinai

In previous newsletters, we recounted some of the American Colony’s history and described how this photo collection came to be. This month’s release is volume 5 of the collection and includes photographs taken by the American Colony Photographic Unit in Egypt and Sinai.

In 1905, Lewis Larsson and (apparently) Furman Baldwin, two of the Colony’s photographers, travelled for six weeks creating about 1,000 glass plate negatives of sites and people all along the Nile River. In 1910, the Colony photographers, headed by Lewis Larsson, made another expedition which took them into Sinai. Lewis Larsson also accompanied the Turkish Red Crescent in Sinai during World War I. The photos in this volume come from these and perhaps other similar expeditions.

 

Interior of Cairo Museum

  

Shepherd near Mt. Sinai

 

News from the BiblePlaces Blog...

Qeiyafa Ostracon Update - A summary of some articles and discussion about this 10th century (?) inscription excavated in the Shephelah of Judah...

360 Degree Views in Jerusalem - A number of panoramic views each for the Dome of the Rock, Western Wall, and Church of the Holy Sepulcher...

Fishing Banned on the Sea of Galilee - If they don't stop fishing now, they say that the lake may run out...

Thieves Loot Theft Exhibit - Antiquities thieves help themselves to artifacts in a display about antiquities thieves...

Baptismal Site to Open on Israeli Side - The spot which has been visited by thousands of pilgrims but limited to only one day a year is now slated to open year-round to tourists...

Camel Caravan - This was one of many posts featuring some of my favorite photos from the Traditional Life and Customs CD...

And more...
 

Featured BiblePlaces Photos:
Aswan, Egypt

One of the more enjoyable vacation spots in Egypt today is the city of Aswan.  Far from the bustle of the city of Cairo, and less visited than the popular tourist destination of Luxor, Aswan provides visitors with interesting antiquities and scenic views of the river. 

Each photo below is linked to a higher-resolution version, but we recommend that you download the Aswan PowerPoint presentation (6.4 MB), which includes an additional 18 photos (25 total) along with fascinating quotations from early explorers.  You are welcome to use these images for personal study and teaching. Commercial use requires separate permission.  These photos are included in the new American Colony volume, Egypt and Sinai. For more high-quality, high-resolution photographs and illustrations of biblical sites, purchase the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands or the Historic Views of the Holy Land collections.

 

Aswan, view from Elephantine Island


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 

Located at the southern border of Egypt in the time of the pharaohs, Aswan was a significant post for trade and defense.  Elephantine Island received its name from the ivory trade coming from Nubia to the south.

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 

Elephantine Island


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 

In ancient times, a bridge connected Elephantine Island to the east bank of the river.  Excavations on the island indicate continuous occupation since the Middle Kingdom.  A colony of Jews lived on the island in the 6th and 5th centuries and a couple of letters found here indicate that a Jewish temple was located on the island.

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 

Nilometer on Elephantine Island


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 

Until the construction of the High Dam in the 1960s, the Nile River flooded annually.  The rise of the water was the chief indicator of the productivity of the coming agricultural season.  The most important Nilometers were located at Elephantine Island.

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 

Aswan dam, view to southwest


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 

The British built the Aswan dam (later called the "old dam") beginning in 1898.  The level of the dam was raised in 1912 and again in 1933.  The dam went out of use with the completion of the High Dam in 1970.

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 

Philae Island


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 
The construction of the Aswan Dam caused the flooding of numerous antiquities to the south, including Philae Island. 

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 

Temple of Isis, Philae Island


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 

During most seasons of the year, the temples on Philae Island could be visited only by boat.

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 

Temple of Isis, Philae Island


Click picture for higher-resolution version.
 

Damage to the temple from the waters of the Nile along with the impending construction of the High Dam led to the dismantling and reconstruction of the temples on the nearby island of Agilkia.

Date of photograph: between 1900 and 1920

 


FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER

Please pass this newsletter link on to others.  They can subscribe to this newsletter here.  It is cost-free and spam-free.  Email addresses will never be used for any purpose other than this newsletter.  If you have questions about the subscription process, see this page.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, click here.

 

All contents (c) 2010 Todd Bolen.  Text and photographs may be used for personal and educational use.  Commercial use requires written permission.