SOAP LAKE — Archaeological discoveries in the Holy Land and the stories they tell will be the subject of a free lecture at 6 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Soap Lake, 322 Division St. S.

Tom Meyer will talk about “The Archaeology and Geography of the Holy Land,” including many of its best-known archaeological artifacts and the lessons learned from them. He will discuss his participation on a research project analyzing dirt from the Temple Mount, and what he learned from his research. His goal is to bring the experience of the Holy Land to local churches, he said.

Meyer is a professor at Shasta Bible College in Redding, California.

Meyer said he visited the Holy Land for two weeks as an undergraduate, and became fascinated with its history and geography. He was interested in what its residents would’ve seen and experienced, and how the geography fit into the Biblical accounts.

“What does the Mount of Olives really look like?” he said. “How long does it take to walk from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee?”

Meyer said he earned two master’s degrees during his studies and participated in a project to look for artifacts in dirt removed from the Temple Mount, traditionally considered to be the site of the temple built by Solomon.

The archaeological finds confirm that many of the people mentioned in the Bible did exist, Meyer said.

For more information on the event, call 509-246-1931.