Our Instructors
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.
Chandler Collins
Dr. Carrie Wood serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies for the Regent University School of Divinity, in the New Testament department. She holds a Ph.D. in Theology and a Master’s in Divinity 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 for Biblical Expeditions as an instructor 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-economic aspects of Israel in the Second Temple Period.
Dr. Carrie Wood
Tracy Paino has Fifteen years in pastoral ministry, over twenty years in higher education, 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 archeological realities of the biblical setting.
His educational background includes a B.A. from Evangel University (Springfield, MO) in Biblical Studies, a Masters 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.
Dr. Tracy Paino
Dale Brantner serves as the Chief Catalyst Officer for The Signatry, a global Christian foundation. His goal is to inspire new growth for The Signatry initiatives and inspire radical biblical generosity.
Dale served within the Office of the President at Museum at the Bible, and continues to work closely with MOTB, where he 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 thirty years, Dale has served as a pastor, professor of Hebrew Bible, 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 people in Israel for over thirty-three years.
Dale Brantner
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.
Kaitlyn Hawn
Marc Turnage holds an MA in Ancient Judaism and the Origins of Christianity from Jerusalem University College. He is currently finishing his PhD in the Land of Israel Studies Department at Bar Ilan University located in Ramat Gan, Israel, under the supervision of Professor Esther Eshel. Marc has taught graduate and undergraduate students at several universities in the United States and abroad.
Marc moved to Israel to study because he felt that the issues of spatial, historical, cultural, and spiritual settings played a vital role in how we read the Bible. While studying in Israel, he fell in love with the lands of the Bible. He has been guiding groups through Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy for over twenty years. Marc is a highly sought-after guide and teacher and routinely trains and lectures local tour guides about guiding Christian groups. He is passionate about leading biblical tours that deliver the very finest experience and helping people understand how to read the Bible.
Marc has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows Into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker, and a gifted teacher. He resides in Springfield, MO with his family.
Marc Turnage
R. Steven Notley is Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins on the New York City campus of Nyack College (2001-present) and director of the graduate programs in Ancient Judaism and Christian Origins. He received his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University, where he studied with David Flusser. Dr. Notley lived sixteen years in Jerusalem with his wife and four children, during which time he was the founding chair of the New Testament Studies program at the Jerusalem University College. He has been directing groups of students and laypeople to Israel and the eastern Mediterranean region for 30 years.
He continues collaborative research and publication with Israeli scholars in the fields of historical geography, ancient Judaism and Christian origins.
Since 2016 he has served as the Academic Director of the El Araj Excavation Project in its search for first-century Bethsaida-Julias, the lost city of the Apostles.
Dr. R. Steven Notley
Dr. Archie Wright is the Executive Director of the Catholic Biblical Association of America. He is a Visiting Lecturer at Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and the London School of Theology in London, UK. His Doctorate is in Second Temple Judaism and biblical interpretation in early Judaism and Christianity. He earned his Ph.D. at Durham University in England under the supervision of Professors Loren T. Stuckenbruck and C.T. Robert Hayward.
Dr. Wright’s research focuses on the relationship between 2nd Temple Period Jewish Literature and the New Testament, in particular the understanding of the New Testament in its 1st century Jewish context. His publications include the Origin of Evil Spirits, Satan and the Problem of Evil, Early Jewish Literature: An Anthology, An Introduction to Ancient Ethiopic Grammar, and The Spirit Says: Inspiration and Interpretation in Ancient Jewish and Early Christian Texts along with other essays and journal articles. He is a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha and serves as co-editor of Enoch Literature for the Textual History of the Bible, and as the General Editor for the forthcoming monograph series with Cascade Academic, The NT in its Second Temple Jewish Context. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Enoch Seminar.
Dr. Archie Wright
Chris McKinny has a PhD from Bar Ilan University in Israel. His dissertation focused on the historical geography and archaeology of the town lists of Judah and Benjamin in the book of Joshua. Chris currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, The Master’s University (IBEX), and William Jessup University. Outside the classroom, Chris is a senior staff member of the Tel Burna Archaeological Project (Biblical Libnah), and he has contributed a wide-range of peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, and popular essays. Chris is currently engaged in several other writing and research projects, including writing numerous articles in the Lexham Geographic Commentary Series, preparing content for the Old Testament Books of the Photo Companion to the Bible, and writing extensive study notes for The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel - 1-2 Samuel.
Chris has also authored, co-authored, and co-edited several books including: My People as Your People: A Textual and Archaeological Analysis of the Reign of Jehoshaphat, and more.
Chris has led numerous study trips to Israel and Jordan for both students and non-students alike.