About Us

Who is Doug Bookman?
Get to know Doug and his team

Dr. Doug Bookman is a leading scholar on the life of Christ and, as his son states, a “walking encyclopedia of Biblical knowledge.” He took his first trip to Israel over thirty years ago. Since that time, Doug and his wife Diane have organized and led multiple study trips to the Holy Land. While teaching at The Master’s University in Los Angeles, Doug conceived, designed, and implemented the IBEX program, a semester-abroad program in Israel still used by Master’s college and seminary students.

Doug and Diane organize and lead study trips not as a formal business but simply because they love to teach the Bible, and there is no teaching venue more delightful and effective than the land of Israel.

Recently Doug’s son Jonah, a history teacher at Grace Christian School in Cary, NC, has come on board to lead additional Israel trips. Jonah’s co-worker Nathan Dewey, a Bible teacher at Grace Christian School, is also joining the team. Jonah and Nathan hope to inspire more high school and college age students and their families to travel to the Holy Land. Jonah recommends that every believer who has the resources visit the Holy Land at least once in his or her lifetime. “You’ll never read your Bible the same way again,” he says.

“You’ll never read your Bible the same way again.”

-Jonah Bookman

Meet our team
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Doug Bookman
Founder

Thirty-six years ago, Dr. Doug Bookman took his first trip to Israel and over the years has returned to the Holy Land numerous times. While teaching at The Master’s University in Los Angeles, he conceived, designed and implemented the IBEX program, a semester-abroad program in Israel still used by Master’s college and seminary students. Dr. Bookman is a leading scholar on the life of Christ, and his 42-year career includes experience teaching in colleges, seminaries and the pulpit. Doug Bookman is the professor of New Testament Exposition at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary, NC. You will find, Doug has an infectious enthusiasm God’s Word, Israel, and the Life of Christ. Doug and his wife Diane have three children and ten grandchildren.

Jonah
Jonah Bookman
Trip leader

Jonah Bookman, a self-proclaimed “quintessential California skateboarder/surfer,” was born in Minnesota but moved to California when he was six. After living in California and pursuing many different career paths, Jonah earned a teaching degree and moved to North Carolina to teach history at GRACE Christian School. After moving to NC, he met and married his wife, and the couple had a son. Jonah’s mentor is his father Doug. He says that he has always wanted to be just like his dad, a walking encyclopedia of Biblical knowledge. Jonah is passionate about helping his father lead trips to Israel and loves learning about the Holy Land and its connection to the Bible.

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Nathan Dewey
Trip leader

Nathan is a 15-year veteran of teaching the Bible to high schoolers in Christian school settings. An avid traveler who has a Master’s Degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, Nathan is passionate about equipping others to understand and defend their faith. Nathan moved to North Carolina with his family in 2013 and connected with Jonah a year later. Since then, they have worked together to teach high schoolers the Bible and eventually gained a shared vision to have students and families have their faith strengthened by experiencing first hand the land where God’s plan in Scripture unfolded. When not pursuing one of his teaching adventures, Nate is busy coaching basketball and doing life with his wife, Emily, and their four children.

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