Archaeology & the Bible: Visual Guides to Paul and Jesus (deSilva Review)
DiscipleDojo
teaching
September 23, 2025
Discover how real places illuminate real faith. In this episode, we walk through two gorgeous visual guides by Dr. David deSilva—Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul and Archaeology and the World of Jesus—and explore how inscriptions, city layouts, and everyday artifacts deepen our Bible study. We connect sites like Ephesus, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colossae, Qumran, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Masada, and Emmaus to the world of Scripture so we can read Paul’s letters and the Gospels with sharper historical and cultural context.
We also point you to study Bible resources that pair well with biblical archaeology: Crossway’s ESV Archaeology Study Bible, the (sadly out-of-print) NIV Archaeological Study Bible by Zondervan, and the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Zondervan). Whether you’re new to Christian discipleship or seasoned in biblical interpretation, this walkthrough will help you connect archaeology, ancient context, and Christian formation in practical ways for teaching, preaching, and small-group Bible study.
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Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul - https://www.amazon.com/Archaeology-Ministry-Paul-Visual-Testament/dp/1540960951/
Archaeology and the World of Jesus - https://www.amazon.com/Archaeology-World-Jesus-Gospels-Testament/dp/154096096X
Related videos:
* Inside the Temple of Apollo at Didyma - https://youtu.be/5GYhNeMMk6A
* Walking around Ephesus - https://youtu.be/bEAuat7Dx40
* A Virtual Tour of the 7 Churches of Revelation with Dr. David DeSilva - https://youtu.be/3xDIAlJAYqA
* Crossway Archaeology Study Bible review - https://youtu.be/JZ_MM4KFpls
* Zondervan Archaeological Study Bible review - https://youtu.be/0AEWTmXWua4
* Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible review - https://youtu.be/0dNTdceIYvc
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Topics
bookbook reviewbook reviewerarchaeologyarcheologybiblical archaeologybible backgroundsnew testamentisraeljudea





















