Testaments of Israel was first conceived in 1982 by John Wagner who shot a portfolio of photographs linked to biblical quotes - three of which appear in the book. As the years passed, even during a successful international business career, the concept remained deep within him, constantly enticing and inspiring.

It was between 1997 and 1999 that the concept was allowed to surface once more. This was the period in which John began a close collaboration with Professor Markham J. Geller of University College, London, whose foreword graces the book. Now that John had found the perfect collaborator, the time was right for him to finally devote the time and resources necessary to bring his unique vision to life.

Together, John Wagner and Professor Geller meticulously and laboriously selected some of the finest work from nearly 40 leading Israeli and international photographers, in order to complement the biblical quotes from the thousands of images researched in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, London and New York. The results speak for themselves.

John Wagner

John Wagner's long personal association with Israel and biblical history began during his first visit in 1955. It even inspired him to live and work in Tel Aviv for a short period. In the late Seventies, and in conjunction with Mark Geller, John produced a series of highly acclaimed audio cassettes and CD's entitled Bible News which depicted biblical events in the format of 15-minute 'news bulletins'. They were broadcast in Britain and the US and published universally.

His particular interest in photography stood him in good stead when he became President of Victor Hasselblad Inc., the US subsidiary of the famous Swedish camera manufacturer. The idea of Testaments of Israel was first conceived during a series of visits to Israel during 1982 when John shot a portfolio of photographs linked to biblical quotes. The development of the book then became a labor of love.

Markham J Geller

Upon completing his degree at Princeton and Brandeis Universities, as well as the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Mark Geller joined the University of London (UCL) in 1973, where he has been lecturing ever since. Today, at UCL, he is a Professor in the Department of Hebrew and Director of the Institute of Jewish Studies.

Mark has also written and edited numerous articles and books on the Ancient Near East and has been an invited Research Fellow at the Universities of Munich, Pennsylvania and Leipzig, as well as the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies. He has lectured on a number of subjects dealing with Jewish Studies and Semitic Languages - in English, Hebrew, German, Dutch and Italian. He has also lectured in Jerusalem at the Hebrew University and the Bible Lands Museum plus many Universities across Europe.