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Course Descriptions

Semester Course Schedule Long-Term Program Dates Short-Term Program Dates Entrance Requirements Course Descriptions

BIBST 5/397 Jesus and His Times - Credit Hours: 2

Semester normally offered: Two week program in July

Course Description

An intensive two-week academic program integrated with field study trips designed to introduce students to the historical, cultural, and religious setting of the life and teachings of Jesus. Students will experience the land of Israel through fieldwork that will provide a familiarity with the geographical and archaeological background of the Gospel portrayals of Jesus’ life and times. Historical records from the Jewish historian Josephus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and early rabbinic literature will also be explored for fresh insights into the original life setting of the Gospels.

Course Equivalencies

This course fills equivalencies in the following areas:  

  • Bible
  • Geography
  • Second Temple History
  • Archaeology
  • Bible Backgrounds

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, the student should be able to:

  • understand how extra-biblical Jewish and non-Jewish sources from the second century BC through the second century AD can provide understanding and insights into the Gospel story;
  • exhibit a basic knowledge of the geographical and archaeological background of the Gospels;
  • better appreciate the geographical, cultural, and historical perspective from which the Gospel authors wrote, and in doing so, to better understand the message of God’s Word and gain spiritual insights for our lives and His service; and
  • experience, enjoy, and develop a love for the land of the Gospels.

Field Study

Ten days of interactive field studies focusing on the Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Dead Sea regions.