What is it?
The Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels is a new resource available in L7 Silver base packages and up. This volume explores well-known passages and events recorded in the Gospels from the often overlooked but illuminating angle of geography.
Dr. Barry Beitzel (Professor Emeritus at TEDS) brings his 40+ years of experience to the commentary as the General Editor. His hand-picked team of scholars use their expertise and years of on-the-ground teaching experience in Israel to expose the geographical significance of key events recorded in the Gospels.
Many will never have the opportunity to explore the land of Israel, but the Geographic Commentary regularly plants you in the disciples' footsteps and helps you see the ancient world through their eyes. Did you know, for instance, that when Jesus told the disciples they could uproot a mountain a cast it into the sea with a little faith that he was referring to a specific mountain? The disciples did—and knowing which one makes this teaching moment all the more powerful.
Note: this is an early release of 27 articles; the full resource of 50+ articles will be completed in October.
What's different about it?
In addition to the distinctive bent towards the geographical impact of a story, the Geographic Commentary is unlike every other commentary in Logos. Instead of leaving the content in its original form, we have conducted a custom enrichment process for each article in which the original content is connected to other resources, tools, and features in your Logos library. The result is a commentary that is more than a digital island of knowledge, it is a powerhouse of information that is augmented by an array of complementary content.
This enrichment process blurs the line between the Geographic Commentary and Logos Bible Software, taking advantage of how the two might interact and enhance the other. In this way, the commentary seeks to "show" just as much as it "tells."
How does it work?
Finding the right article
The different articles of the commentary can be accessed through 1) the table of contents, 2) Passage Guide, or 3) Link Sets. While the former assumes you want to read the Geographic Commentary, the second and third options help you get here even if you're not looking for it.
- Passage Guide: Just type in a passage you want to study in the Passage Guide, and if an article in the Geographic Commentary covers that pericope, you'll find a link under the commentaries section that will take you directly to the relevant article. (Note: you should prioritize this commentary so that it appears closer to the top of the list, removing the need to scan or the chance of overlooking it.)
- Link Sets: If you're casually reading the Gospels you'll definitely want to find any portions of the text that are covered in the commentary. Link Set is a feature that makes that happen. With just a few clicks to set up you'll find yourself scrolling through the Gospels with relevant articles from the Geographic Commentary keeping up with you.
Digging into the commentary
Once you're reading an article, you'll discover portions of the text that are linked to features and tools in Logos, giving you the option to go deeper or get a quick refresher (e.g., Factbook entries, Bible Word Studies, Topic Guides).
In addition to portions of text that link out, you'll come across different media thumbnails that supplement your reading experience through the visual medium. But these are only teasers: click on the thumbnail to be taken to the full-size image or video, or fully-functioning interactive or Atlas map.
There's also a key points section at the beginning of every article to give you the highlights before you dive into the details.
Fun fact: You can get a preview of the commentary here! So why wait? Start reading now! 
