iWitness books from Apologia (Review)

One of the things I really enjoy about homeschooling is the opportunity to take time and really dig in deep to our faith. I like to teach my kids to jump in and investigate what it is we believe and why. I enjoy finding resources that lead us to deep conversations about faith and that is why I loved getting to review iWitness Biblical Archaeology ,New Testament iWitness ,and  Old Testament iWitness from Apologia Educational Ministries.

I loved that we got all three to review. They all work together very well. When I first got them we started off reading a few pages from one and then going to another and reading a few pages of that one. This got a little confusing for my son (9 years old- 4th grade) and me. We decided to just  start with the iWitness Biblical Archaeology and complete it before moving on the others. I am glad we did this becasue it let us slow down and really take the time to look through each page. I never want our Bible study time to be rushed or just something to check off for the day. But honestly to do that with my son means I have to get something that really interests him and can hold his attention.  These books did!

They are very cool books and even the covers really tempt you to just open them up and look inside. They dont have the typical Bible study look about them. You can see from the picture below what I mean.

Each one of these books is written in a investigative manner and you feel like you are an archaeologist that is on the hunt for clues. You can see from the picture below how the pages are laid out. I love this becasue it has you slow down and look around at the pages and the pictures. My son is really bad for just rushing through a reading assignment to get it done, so the fact they are written like this has helped slow him down. I noticed that when we have had conversations that he has remembered much more than usual. He has also come and found me throughout the house to show me a cool picture or tell me some interesting fact he just read. When he does this I know he is really getting into what he is reading, which as a mom and teacher I love!

Something else I really liked about these books was that I enjoyed them! I am a person of faith but I have not really studied the Bible like I have always wanted too.  Reading through these books has really opened my eyes to so many facts that show physical proof of things in the Bible. I think that is really neat becasue I am not a person who relies on physical “proof” to believe in God. I feel it in my heart and it just seems to be wrapped in every fiber of my being. But it has been really really neat to see a lot of these pictures and read through the evidence. My son seems to really connect with the physical findings and stories , I am guessing that is becasue he is 9 and has not had the life experiences that I have. What I love though is when he does he will have this extra cushion behind him.Also being that this is my child who likes to argue , I mean discuss. He likes to know the facts, and loves being able to back up what he is standing so firmly on. I think that is why he enjoyed these books.

We are starting on the Old Testament iWitness now and both my son and me are enjoying this one too. I personally am looking forward to going through and learning more about the Old Testament. In this book things like who wrote the books and where did they come from,how were they collected,have they changed, and whats the difference between the Hebrew Bible and The Old Testament? I don’t know all of that and I know my son doesn’t so it is really nice that we can discover that together. I think these times of us spending together and learning together make our bond deeper. It is a unique opportunity to learn more about my sons heart and his views on things.

A funny to me side note. I almost skipped over the Old Testament book and thought we would do the New Testament next. I opened the Old Testament book and this is on the first page. It made sense to me after reading this so I want to share it with you top hopefully encourage you to read all three books. They all work so well layered on top of each other.

I don’t want to leave out the New Testament iWitness in this review becasue I am equally excited to read this one too.

In this book you get to uncover things like who wrote the New Testament,how do we know,how was it handed down,has it changed, were there any books that could have been left out, and so much more.  I really am looking forward to learning this type of stuff  because I don’t know it. I feel it is my responsibility to learn it and teach my kids, especially in this day in age where you and your kids hear so much ignorance from all sides of views.

We have really enjoyed reading these books and both Jayden and I recommend them! These are great books for many different ages, but the reading level is going to be for ages 11 and up.  These books retail for $14 each and can be purchased through Apologia.

As with all of my Review Crew fun reviews you can check out how other families used this resource! I highly recommend reading a couple of the reviews so you can get a well rounded view of all three books! Simply click the link below and it will take you to them!