Course Descriptions

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

ONLINE HIST 5/323 The World of Jesus and His Disciples - Credit Hours: 3

Semester normally offered:

Course Description

The course is an introduction to the historical, geographical, and social settings of the age into which Jesus was born. Lectures will focus on the history of the Second Temple Period and the years after the destruction of the Second Temple (586 BCE-120 CE), a time of crucial formation for both Judaism and Christianity. This course will thoughtfully consider the cultural background of the society into which Jesus was born and raised and provide the student with a method to enhance biblical study and foundational hermeneutic through archaeology, geography, and textual sources.

Course Equivalencies

  • Bible
  • Biblical Archaeology
  • History and Culture of New Testament

Course Objectives

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

  • describe a timeline of the significant events of Second Temple History;
  • outline the major sects, conflicts, and political realities of the period;
  • recognize the geographic, historical, and social realities from which New Testament writers wrote; and
  • competently engage with the textual, geographic and archaeological sources to better enhance their Bible reading and application.

Field Study