We know about her siblings, and where she lived. We can even see what she might have looked like, as imagined by Jan Vermeer in 1655 (above), but Mary of Bethany is one of the least-known women of the New Testament. She first appears in Luke 10:38-42, when Jesus visited for dinner, and her sister Martha was annoyed because Mary sat adoringly at Jesus’ feet rather … [Read more...] about Who was Mary of Bethany?
spiritual travel
Holy Land Tour For Women Only
Last week I got a call about next February’s Holy Land Tour. The woman on the phone wanted to know some airfare details. Then she asked me if I would be going on the tour. "No," I replied. "It's for women only." Which got me to thinking... If the tour is only for women, maybe it shouldn’t be me writing about it. So I won't. Instead, I'll share what the women who … [Read more...] about Holy Land Tour For Women Only
He Could Read The Writing On The Wall
In 1799, when Napoleon was in Egypt fighting the Ottomans, his army took shelter in a dilapidated fort in Rashid on the west bank of the Nile. When one of Napoleon's aides, Lieutenant Pierre-François Bouchard, was inspecting the defensive walls, he made a discovery that changed history. One of the stones had lettering carved into it. The words were written in Greek, but there … [Read more...] about He Could Read The Writing On The Wall
The Mystery of the Giant Olmec Heads
Enormous carved stone heads have been puzzling experts since 1871. There are 17 of them, attributed to Mexico's mysterious Olmec culture, which thrived in Mesoamerica from as early as 1500 BCE to about 400 BCE. The largest head weighs more than 50 tons, and they were quarried nearly 100 miles away. How could such a feat have been accomplished more than 2,800 years … [Read more...] about The Mystery of the Giant Olmec Heads
Legend of the Balinese Giant
Long ago in Bali there lived a man named Arya Karang Buncing, whose marriage for years was not blessed with a child. So he went to the Bedugal Gaduh temple and asked the gods for their blessing. It worked. His wife became pregnant and gave birth to a boy. But he was not like other children. He ate lots and lots and grew bigger and bigger. When he was a teenager, he was so huge … [Read more...] about Legend of the Balinese Giant