OUR INSTRUCTORS
Scholars and pastor-scholars who walk with your group.
Christian biblical scholars, historians and archaeologists accompany every expedition. Each instructor is different; the method is the same. Instructors are distinct from the licensed local guides who travel with your group, and we match an instructor to your group subject to availability.
Dr. Marc Turnage
Founder & CEO
CREDENTIALS
PhD, Land of Israel Studies, Bar-Ilan University; MA, Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins, Jerusalem University College
FIELDWORK
Began the excavations at el-Araj, the leading candidate for Bethsaida
Dr. Marc Turnage is the founder of Biblical Expeditions, co-founder of BibleX.AI, and founder of the Ezra Leadership Institute. All three rest on one conviction from Ezra 7:10: study the Word, do it, and teach it to others. Biblical Expeditions takes people into the world of the Bible; BibleX.AI’s study companion, AskEzra, carries that study into daily life; the Ezra Leadership Institute forms Christian executives as disciple-leaders. Marc holds a PhD from the Land of Israel Studies department at Bar-Ilan University and an MA in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins from Jerusalem University College. He began the excavations at el-Araj, the leading candidate for Bethsaida, the city of the apostles. For nearly thirty years he has taught at universities around the world and led thousands through the lands of the Bible. He has published widely for academic and popular audiences; Windows Into the Bible was named by Outreach Magazine one of its top 100 Christian living resources in 2017.
Kaitlyn Hawn
Adjunct Professor, Jerusalem University College
CREDENTIALS
Ph.D. candidate, University of Oxford; M.Phil., University of Oxford; two M.A. degrees, Jerusalem University College; B.A., Gordon College
FIELDWORK
el-Araj; Hippos-Sussita
Kaitlyn Hawn has been living and/or teaching in the lands of the Bible for over seven years. She is an adjunct professor at Jerusalem University College and a current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Oxford, where she is supervised by Martin Goodman and Markus Bockmuehl. She holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies and History from Gordon College, two M.A. degrees in Historical Geography and the Hebraic Roots of Christianity from Jerusalem University College, and a M.Phil. in Judaism and Christianity in the Greco-Roman World from the University of Oxford. She has also participated in excavations at el-Araj and Hippos-Sussita. Her research interests include historical geography, New Testament and early Christian studies, and ancient Judaism. Above all, she is passionate about helping others gain a deeper understanding of the contexts of Scripture and of the Word Himself. In her free time, Kaitlyn enjoys traveling to new places, hiking, playing sports, and spending time with her family, including her three nephews.
Dr. Tracy Paino
Doctor of Ministry
CREDENTIALS
Doctor of Ministry, Bethel University; Master of Divinity, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary; B.A. in Biblical Studies, Evangel University
Tracy Paino has fifteen years in pastoral ministry, over twenty years in higher education, and a two-year stint as a national ministry representative for a missions organization that helps meet the physical and spiritual needs of children in poverty-stricken areas of the world. One of his many passions is to challenge people to go deeper in their faith, to make the Bible come alive, and to serve as a teaching guide for trips to the land of the Bible. He enjoys opening up new paths of insight into the Bible and the Christian faith using the context of biblical history, language, culture, and spirituality. High school students, college students, pastors, church leaders, and people from all walks of life benefit from his unique style of combining these elements with a pastoral approach while using the geographical and archaeological realities of the biblical setting. His educational background includes a B.A. from Evangel University (Springfield, MO) in Biblical Studies, a Master of Divinity from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Bethel University (St. Paul, MN), and post-doctoral work in Biblical Languages, Biblical Geography, and Ancient Judaism.
Dale Brantner
Chief Catalyst
CREDENTIALS
Master’s degree, Evangelical Theological Seminary; bachelor’s degree, Messiah College; Ph.D. work, University of Pretoria
Dale Brantner serves as the Chief Catalyst for Biblical Expeditions. Dale has served in multiple leadership roles with Museum of the Bible, Inspire and The Signatry. Dale brings a rich set of skills and leadership experience, gained from a diverse career path both in the United States and internationally. Dale and his family have followed God’s calling to serve in numerous roles across three continents. Over the last forty years, Dale has served as a pastor, professor of Hebrew Bible, CEO of CURE International, President of the Theological College of Zimbabwe and even as a shepherd of the largest flock of sheep in northern Israel. Dale has a master’s degree from Evangelical Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Messiah College. He has done both undergraduate and graduate work in Israel, as well as Ph.D. work at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He has been leading biblical experiences in Israel, the Eastern Mediterranean as well as safaris in Southern Africa for over thirty-five years.
Dr. Carrie Wood
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and Director of Master of Divinity Programs, Regent University School of Divinity
CREDENTIALS
Ph.D. in Theology and Master of Divinity, Regent University; Bachelor of Theology, The King’s University
FIELDWORK
el-Araj
Dr. Carrie Wood serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies for Regent University School of Divinity and as the Director for their Master of Divinity Programs. She holds a Ph.D. in Theology and an M.Div. from Regent University, each with a concentration in Biblical Studies. She earned her Bachelor of Theology in Messianic Jewish Studies from The King’s University. Carrie fulfilled her Continuing Professional Education (CPE) and served as a hospice chaplain before pursuing her Ph.D. Dr. Wood has taught on multiple continents, in both civilian and military settings, and as an instructor for Biblical Expeditions in the lands of the Bible. Her love of the Land and studying the spatial and temporal context of Scripture has led her to research and write about the geography, archaeology, and socio-historical aspects of Israel in the Second Temple Period. When she is not working on campus, Carrie has enjoyed six seasons on the archaeological dig at el-Araj/Bethsaida.
Chandler Collins
Former Dean, Jerusalem University College
CREDENTIALS
Ph.D. student, Bar-Ilan University; M.A. degrees in Near Eastern archaeology, Old Testament and Semitic languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
FIELDWORK
Khirbet Qeiyafa; Abel Beth Ma’acah
Chandler Collins lived in Jerusalem for five years and is the former Dean at Jerusalem University College. He is a Ph.D. student at Bar Ilan University and holds M.A. degrees in Near Eastern archaeology, Old Testament, and Semitic languages from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Chandler has taught historical geography courses to students throughout Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan. He has also excavated at Khirbet Qeiyafa and Abel Beth Ma’acah. Chandler loves to introduce people to the physical world of the Bible and to explore the rich connections between land, text, and life. His research interests include historic Jerusalem with a focus on the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the 19th century Ottoman city.
Dr. Tim Wardle
Professor of New Testament, Furman University
CREDENTIALS
Ph.D. in New Testament Studies, Duke University; M.A. in Religious Studies, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; B.A. in History and Biblical Studies, Wheaton College
Tim Wardle is Professor of New Testament at Furman University in Greenville, SC. He received his Ph.D. in New Testament studies from Duke University, M.A. in Religious Studies from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and B.A. in History and Biblical Studies from Wheaton College in Illinois. At Furman, Tim’s courses primarily focus on understanding the New Testament texts in their first century context, Judaism of the late Second Temple Period, and the political and religious history of the city of Jerusalem. Living and studying in Jerusalem for two years opened his eyes to the historical, geographical, and cultural contexts of the biblical texts, and it is these contexts that have guided his teaching and research interests ever since. For the past 15 years Tim has led study trips to a variety of countries, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, and the UK.