As a young student of the ancient Near East, he lived in Israel, on Jerusalem s Mt. Zion, and studied Hebrew in a program for immigrants to the modern Jewish state. He then earned a master's degree in international/inter-cultural communication, and subsequently worked for a television news gathering operation in southern Lebanon. Living in the politically volatile region of northern Galilee (subject to regular rocket attacks), he daily commuted over a hostile border where, in addition to his broadcasting duties, he served as the company liaison with the Israeli Army. He went on to earn a doctorate in Hebrew Language and Literature from the University of Texas at Austin. His multiple books and his appearances on syndicated radio and national television (The History Channel), have brought ancient insight into everyone's world.