In doing a series of lessons a few years ago on the city of Jerusalem as it appears through the Bible, I cast a wide net to find resources of a historical, geographical, and archaeological nature concerning this great city of the Old and New Testament period. One very valuable resource was a free (for download in PDF format) 250 page book written by Galyn Wiemers at www.generationword.com. It may also be read online at his website.

Entitled, “Jerusalem: History, Archaeologyand Apologetic Proof of Scripture,” it contains over 500 photos, maps and charts along with much explanatory text. Most or all the photos seem to have been taken by Mr. Wiemers during visits to Jerusalem. The book is divided into seven sections:

  • An introduction to Jerusalem
  • The topography of Jerusalem
  • Jerusalem in the Old Testament
  • Jerusalem during the days of the Maccabees and the Hasmoneans
  • Jerusalem in the New Testament
  • Jerusaelm under the control of the Gentiles: Romans, Crusaders and Muslims
  • Some special archaeological treasures
  • The future of Jerusalem.

In addition to the free book, he has made available most/all the photos for download in color from his website as well. He also has provided over 270 Old Testament maps for free download. He has granted permission for the use of this material when used in Bible teaching. Here are the links to get these useful resources:

Jerusalem book and photos link

270+ maps for Old Testament

Be sure to look around his website for several additional free books plus Bible study materials, hundreds of audio lessons, and more. Mr. Wiemers is a public school teacher and as well a minister in the Evangelical Free Church. He will no doubt differ from me in his understanding of some points of Scripture. However, overall I am very impressed with him and his materials. And after my tour of the Israel and Jerusalem in 2016, I appreciate this book even more!