| Pathways
Through Jerusalem is generally acclaimed as one of the best religious
software programs ever produced.
 Produced
in Israel, it's a HUGE piece of software with a tremendous wealth of
material -some of it buried like hidden treasure.
Simply put, it's so good and deep that
one needs a guide for it if you're going to be teaching
with it. I need my OWN guide whenever I teach with it! And I've been
teaching with Pathways on and off for many years.
The
Pathways Teacher's Guide is the only
guide we've ever charged for. It's $14, and when you see it you'll
definitely see its worth. I've produced dozens of guides for our
other software and given them away for free (www.sundaysoftware.com/tips).
But my Pathways Guide is easily 4 times the size of any of our free
guides and it comes spiral bound so you can lay it flat on a
copier and copy out pages to give to students and teachers.
Almost
everyone who's ever bought Pathways to teach with has come back and also
purchased our guide. One look at this program's deep content,
and they know why we have this huge guide and have to charge for it. Even adults purchasing the guide
for their own study have commented on how much they enjoy how I connect
Pathways' archaeological content with life-application questions.
 The Guide's
primary purpose is to help connect the historical information to
questions of life application for students and teachers. To this end
I have provided questions and devotional content in the Guide, even
lesson suggestions and worksheets.
The Guide is also an extremely detailed list
of everything in the program, including "Don't Miss Highlights." I've
RATED many of the features and side
trips and make suggestions for items you may want to skip if you're
short on time or using it with particular age groups.
Pathways was produced in Israel by a team of Israeli software developers for a New York based
company named Future Vision. Future Vision was then bought by
a large software multi-national named Softkey International who
was in the middle of a merger. Pathways got lost in the shuffle
of merger and acquisition. But we kept our eye on the ball, formed a
relationship with the program's owner, and have been the only distributor of
Pathways for many years.
A Preview of the Pathways
Teacher and Tourist's Guide
and exclusive resource for the Pathways program
written by (The Rev.) Neil MacQueen
~EXCERPTS for example purposes~
|
On the left hand side of the Pathways Teacher's Guide
is a OUTLINE of EVERY part of all nine tours. I also include
the Guide's "Tour at a Glance," and rate each sidetrip (button)
found along the pathways. |
On the right hand side of the Pathways Teacher's Guide
are my Comments and Teaching Suggestions for each part of every
pathway. |
|
King David's Tour
...
Solomon's Temple Tour
Opening: David
discusses the Temple and Solomon.
Option to hear the Story of Bathsheba — Click "Yes"
if you have the time. It's very witty.
Source Button:
Bible Verses about Bathsheba story. Nicely presented.
Illustrations and animation about the Temple:
Simply the best tour section in David's Tour. Shows you the layout and
objects in Solomon's Temple.
Hint: After the tour David will invite you to click on sections
for a second look.
After his Temple tour
the following onscreen buttons appear:
Source Button:
I Chronicles 22:7
Why David couldn't build the Temple. Great discussion
potential here.
Discovery Button:
The only known Temple artifact. Leaves one to ask "where did it all go?"
Legend & Traditions Button:
A wonderful retelling of the story of why the Temple came to be built on
the location of Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac. A brief animation of this story
that's well
worth the sidetrip.
Morph Button:
It is recommended that you stay on the path but come back to
this morph for a later lesson about what the other guides say
about the Temple Mount. If you do Morph at this point, go to
Herod's Tour of the Temple. It's fascinating.
...
|
 Comments/Suggestions on
King David's Temple Tour
Take your time. Consider stopping after Solomon's
Temple to discuss the Temple thoroughly. Relate the similarities
and difference between Temple Worship and our worship today.
Consult the timeline first to give students
sense of the historical context of this pathway.
Discuss Saul, the first king of Israel.
Locate the David stories in the Bible. (I Samuel 16)
PAUSE at the story of the two brothers and
discuss its meaning. Replay it for effect. What a great legend!
Why might God have chosen this site for the Temple based on what
the two brothers did for each other?
David, the heroic figure of Judaism and Christianity,
had his flaws and weaknesses. Discuss why the Bible writers might
have decided to keep this story about their hero.
Discuss the sacrificial cult of the Old Testament
— its practice and meaning to the people. See supplemental
notes in this guide.
Discuss the story of Abraham's near-sacrifice
of Isaac. (Gen. 22) How did Abraham feel? Isaac? God? How hard
is it to obey or understand God's will sometimes?
Discuss how Jesus' death was seen by Christians
as the last sacrifice.
Discuss how Communion replaces the Temple
cult of sacrifice.
PAUSE and read Isaiah 58:1-11
— God's criticism of those who worship but do not do good
to others.
It is recommended here that you check the
Timeline to understand the occurrences being discussed.
This section
of the guide also contains a devotional with questions on the
issue of "building a legacy" and "what kind of
house does God want?"
(study based on the scripture verse) |
The $14 Pathways Teacher and Tourist Guide
is 40 pages and spiral bound for easy classroom use. In addition
to a complete outline of all 9 pathways, the Guide contains
commentary,
devotions, questions,
articles, worksheets and example
lesson ideas
for teaching with Pathways Through Jerusalem.
 Look for the Pathways Guide just below the Pathways CDs entry on our
online form.
Back to the Pathways
CDs Description Page
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