The beloved Pastor David Down, publisher of Archaeological Diggings magazine for some two decades, passed away on Friday, March 16, just three weeks short of his 100th birthday.
A former missionary to India, where he worked for some 20 years, he established the magazine in his retirement, with the first issue (pictured) in 1994. He worked as its publisher-editor until 2007, then as editor-in-chief until October 2013 when the magazine was passed to Adventist Media as publisher.
Pastor Down ran numerous evangelistic programs in his retirement based around the archaeology of the Middle East and Egypt, including one in Sydney’s Opera House. He took many tours to the Middle East, witnessing to readers representing a range of faiths. He was the featured presenter in the Digging up the Past videos and the Digging up the Past Bible studies, both of which are still in use.
Despite his approaching centenary and encroaching blindness, his mind remained sharp till near his end.
A funeral service for Pastor Down will be held at Avondale College Church in Cooranbong (NSW) at 11am on Friday, March 23.
