Abstract
The Benefits of Understanding and Experiencing
The Historical Geography of Israel
by D. Wayne Stiles II
Readers: Charles H. Dyer, David B. Wyrtzen
The thesis of this dissertation is that believers who understand and experience the historical geography of Israel enjoy a clearer comprehension of the Bible, clearer direction to its application, and more effective communication of the text. In the realm of the spiritual life, historical geography provides a greater confidence in the Bible as God's Word and instills a greater love for God and the Bible. Those who study historical geography, coupled with a study-trip to Israel, experience even greater benefits than those who study in the classroom alone.
The state of geographic apathy in the American church and seminary simply reflects the geographic illiteracy of its culture. Out of ten leading evangelical seminaries, seven offer only occasional elective courses on historical geography (some have not taught it for years), and not one seminary requires the subject. In addition, historical geography has not played a major role in our popular Bible study methods even though it offers a sizeable contribution to biblical understanding.
Interpreting a passage in context remains a basic rule of Bible study for evangelicals, but Scripture's geographical context remains largely underrated. For evangelicals who believe in interpreting the Bible in context, historical geography must be considered basic to that context. The research in this dissertation has demonstrated that historical geography is indispensable to biblical interpretation and to a comprehensive understanding of biblical history.
