The Accordance Timeline contains more than a thousand historical periods, rulers, individuals, prophets, writings, and events. Click on any one of those items and you’ll see its name, any alternate names, its dates, and any relevant Scripture references.
But what if you want more? After all, there may be a few of us who can’t quite remember what happened during the reign of Amenophis II or what is written in the Enuma Elish.
You can, of course, link the Timeline to your favorite Accordance Bible dictionary. That will enable you to hover over most of the biblically significant Timeline items and get more information about them in the Instant Details box. However, even the most thorough Bible dictionary is unlikely to have articles about every Timeline item. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a resource that was custom written to work with the Timeline? You know, the same way the Bible Lands PhotoGuide was custom-written to work with the Accordance Atlas.
Actually, there is such a resource. The Accordance Bible Times PhotoMuseum is a resource designed to illustrate and explain the biblical world, and part of that includes the goal of offering an explanatory article (illustrated where possible) for every item on the Accordance Timeline. We’ve been working toward that goal for several years now, and the recently released PhotoMuseum 2 is a massive upgrade which now covers most of the major items on the Timeline. Here are three reasons I think the PhotoMuseum 2 is now a must-have companion to the Timeline.
1. PhotoMuseum 2 Now Covers Major Historical Periods and Rulers: Most of the major historical periods and rulers in Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Rome, and Israel are now explained and illustrated in PhotoMuseum 2.
Curious to know about the pharaoh of the Exodus? Whether you’re looking at the Conservative or Critical chronology, you can find the pharaoh whose dates correspond to the Exodus and then double-click to read more about Amenophis II (Conservative) or Rameses II (Critical)
2. PhotoMuseum 2 Links You to Important Source Material: PhotoMuseum 2 is designed to be a launching pad to other helpful resources. Eugene Merrill’s Kingdom of Priests was our primary source for the Timeline’s Conservative dates in the B.C./B.C.E. period, so the PhotoMuseum links to its discussion of events in the lives of biblical figures like Joseph or Moses.
PhotoMuseum 2 also includes lots of articles about important ancient writings, and where transcriptions and translations of those writings are available, you’ll find links to them. For example, the articles on the Siloam Inscription and Lachish Letters include links to the inscriptions in Hebrew and English, as well as to the relevant articles in Context of Scripture (COS) and Echoes from the Past. Assyrian and Babylonian inscriptions are linked to COS and Raging Torrent.
3. PhotoMuseum 2 Links You to the Bible: As I’ve been writing the PhotoMuseum, I’ve been amazed at how much understanding the biblical world helps to shed light on the text of the Bible. In most articles, you will therefore find numerous Scripture hyperlinks. Take the time to follow those links, and you’ll find yourself reading those passages with new understanding.
For example, Daniel 5:29 tells us that the Babylonian ruler Belshazzar rewarded Daniel by appointing him to the third highest position in the kingdom. Why not second highest? Because Belshazzar was the crown prince ruling in the absence of his father Nabonidus. The PhotoMuseum articles on Nabonidus and Belshazzar both shed light on Daniel 5.
In addition to describing people mentioned in the Bible, the PhotoMuseum also describes the various objects and artifacts which were used by those people. The PhotoMuseum article on seals, for example, explains how seals were a mark of ownership used to prevent letters and other items from being opened by unauthorized persons. It contains links to biblical passages which mention the use of seals and signet rings, as well as metaphorical references to seals, such as New Testament references to Christians being “sealed with the Holy Spirit.” Modern readers tend to think of sealing as closing something up tightly, but when you understand that to be sealed meant to be marked with a stamp of ownership, the meaning of this metaphor becomes much clearer.
Ultimately, the PhotoMuseum is designed to be a teaching tool which opens new avenues of discovery. Link to it from the Timeline to better understand the people and events of the ancient world, then follow its links to source material and Scripture to gain an even deeper understanding.
If you don’t already have the PhotoMuseum, you can get PhotoMuseum 2 on sale today for under $60. If you already own the original PhotoMuseum, you can upgrade to PhotoMuseum 2 for less than $15.
Bible Times PhotoMuseum 2
Included in English Discoverer (and up)
Regular Price $79.90
Bible Times PhotoMuseum 2 Upgrade
Included in English Discoverer (and up)
Regular Price $20