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Tuesday, September 25, 2007 (St. Paul, MN) How do you hold a
child's attention and interest them in the Bible in the age of iPods and
Xbox? Dr. Pamela Gaber, author of the children's book Daily Life in Bible
Times: What Archaeology Tells Us, found the answer by combining her
careers as an archaeologist and a religious educator. "When I told my
students about Solomon building a temple their eyes glazed over" says Dr.
Gaber. "What they really wanted to know was what the ancients had for
lunch." It is the lives of everyday people that engage the natural
curiosity of children and draw them into the world of the Bible.
The recent discovery of a tunnel in Jerusalem, once part of the Roman
water system, made headlines across the world when it was found that it
was used as an escape route by those fleeing the destruction of the
Second Temple. The news drew people into learning more about the events
and places surrounding the conquest of Jerusalem. In her years of
teaching Dr. Gaber saw how children didn't need major events to get them
excited to learn about the world of the Bible. They wanted to know what
their lives would be like if they had lived in ancient times.
From archaeology we learn that in an Israelite house the oven was on the
outside, the livestock came inside and the roof was a living space.
Children worked from dawn until dusk with their parents and the only
light at night was from fires or small oil lamps. Tradition and religion
was passed on from parent to child and neighbors and families count on
each other in times of need and celebrated together in times of joy.
Learning about these ancient lives serves as a gateway to further
exploration of the Bible. Not only for children but adults as well.
Making archaeological discoveries accessible to children and non
archaeologists was Dr. Gaber's goal in writing Daily Life in Bible Times.
To do this she collaborated with archaeologist and artist, Valerie
Woelfel, who created original illustrations for the book. Photographs are
also used to describe, not only daily life in Bible times, but also to
show how archaeologists discover and excavate their sites.
In addition to her role as religious educator, Dr. Gaber directs the
archeological site of Idalion on Cyprus. Her work has been published in
numerous academic books and journals and she is a frequent speaker at
universities and conferences. Dr. Gaber is based out of Bedford Hills,
New York. Ms. Woelfel works as an archaeological illustrator on sites in
a dozen different countries, including Dr. Gaber's site of Idalion. She
also does illustration work out of her studio in St. Paul, Minnesota.
CONTACT:
Valerie Woelfel
St Paul, MN 55104
1178 Thomas Ave
651 649-1506
http://www.bibletimesbook.com
archaeobook@hotmail.com
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