Course Descriptions
GEO 617 Regional Explorations in the Historical Geography of the Land of the Bible - Credit Hours: 3
Semester normally offered: Fall
Course Description
An investigation of select regions of the land of ancient Israel based upon geographical, historical and archaeological research. The course is conducted as a seminar with significant student input.
Course Equivalencies
This course fills equivalencies in the following areas:
- Historical Geography
- History
- Bible
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, the student should be able to:
- describe the work and contribution of significant scholars involved in the exploration and research of nineteenth and early twentieth century Palestine;
- describe the nature of an ancient source in its historical and geographical context(s);
- explain the methodology of regional exploration in the land of ancient Israel, including factors that define the nature and borders of a region and the interaction of one region with another;
- synthesize textual, geographical, historical, archaeological and cultural data in order to develop a working understanding of any given region in the land of ancient Israel during the biblical period.
Field Study
Three days of interactive field studies to a region emphasized in the course (e.g. the Shephelah or the Jezreel Valley). Each site visited is handled by the student, seminar-fashion.