"The Setting of God's Story: Region of Galilee"
Join us for a daylong seminar exploring the world of Jesus through the geography, history, and culture of the Galilee.
Discover how understanding the setting of Scripture brings Jesus’ life and teachings into clearer focus and deepens your understanding of the Bible.
Event Date
October 24, 2026
Event Location
Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church
149 W Brush Hill Rd, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Event Cost
The cost per guest is $49. This includes event costs, lecture materials, and lunch.
Event Schedule
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 am | Doors Open |
| 9:00 am | Welcome |
| 9:15 am | Session 1: “Corridors and Crossroads” – Dr. Oliver Hersey |
| 10:05 am | Coffee & Snack Break |
| 10:30 am | Session 2: “The Nazareth Factor: Landscapes that Shaped Jesus’ Life” – Dr. Paul Wright |
| 11:20 am | Q&A |
| 11:45 am–12:30 pm | Lunch (included with registration) |
| 12:35 pm | Session 3: “Keys to the Kingdom and Way of the Cross” – Dr. John Monson |
| 1:25 pm | Q&A |
| 1:40 pm | Coffee & Snack Break |
| 2:05 pm | Session 4: “From Sea to Sea: How the Galilee launched the Gospel” – Dr. Aubrey McClain |
Seminar Sessions
Explore the geography, history, and cultural world of Galilee through four sessions led by JUC faculty and scholars.
SESSION 1
“Corridors and Crossroads”
Have you ever wondered why Jesus launched his ministry in Galilee? Far from being a backwater territory on the edge of the Roman Empire, Galilee was a fascinating crossroads—between coast and interior, Egypt and Syria, Jew and Gentile, village and city, and local traditions and the wider Roman world. In this session, we’ll explore the geographic, cultural, political, and economic dynamics that shaped first-century Galilee and consider why this remarkable region became the setting from which Jesus’ good news began to spread.
Dr. Oliver Hersey
President, Jerusalem University College
B.A., Calvin College; M.A., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Began teaching at JUC in 2021.
SESSION 2
“The Nazareth Factor: Landscapes that Shaped Jesus’ Life”
For nearly thirty years, Jesus lived in Nazareth—a period about which the Gospels tell us almost nothing. Yet the landscapes of Nazareth and the nearby Jezreel Valley provide important clues to the world that shaped his early life. Through geography, archaeology, and ancient sources, we will explore the places, people, and cultural influences that shaped Jesus’ life before his public ministry began.
Dr. Paul Wright
President Emeritus, Jerusalem University College
B.A., Bethel University; M.A., Institute of Holy Land Studies / Jerusalem University College; M.A., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; M.Phil., Ph.D., Hebrew Union College. Excavations at Ramat Rachel, Giloh, and Tel Rehov. Recipient of the President’s Medallion, Hebrew Union College. Published author. Began teaching at JUC in 1996.
SESSION 3
“Keys to the Kingdom and Way of the Cross: Northern Approaches to the Land Between”
The “Land Between” connected the great civilizations of the biblical world. For thousands of years, empires entered and exited the land of the Bible through the northern approaches to Galilee. After a brief introduction to this region, we will review its layers of history and then go on a brief “virtual JUC field trip.” The presentation will conclude with “lessons of the land,” with emphasis upon Jesus’ teachings in the region.
Dr. John Monson
President, Biblical Backgrounds, Inc.
Dr. John Monson spent much of his youth in Jerusalem and at JUC, where his love for Hebrew, biblical studies, and the land of the Bible first took root. For more than 30 years, he taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wheaton College. His work has taken him throughout the Near East and to staff positions at numerous excavations in Israel. Now, as president of Biblical Backgrounds, Inc., he produces teaching materials that equip the church with a land-and-context perspective on the message of the Bible.
SESSION 4
“From Sea to Sea: How the Galilee launched the Gospel”
The small fishing villages surrounding the Sea of Galilee may seem an unlikely home base for a movement destined to reach the ends of the earth. Yet Jesus’ decision to center his ministry here was far from incidental. The history, land, and communities surrounding the Sea of Galilee provide important clues to how Jesus understood his own calling and mission. Together, we will explore what this remarkable region reveals about Jesus’ interpretation of his Jewish heritage—and why the Sea of Galilee proved to be an ideal launching pad for a gospel mission that would ultimately extend from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth.
Dr. Aubrey Taylor McClain
Shapiro Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies, Greenville University
Dr. Aubrey Taylor McClain is the Shapiro Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology, and Humanities Division Chair at Greenville University in Illinois. She received her Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel, and her M.A. in Biblical History and Geography from Jerusalem University College, where she has also served on the faculty since 2010. She is passionate about bringing the Hebrew Bible to life through historical, geographical, and cultural context, storytelling, and adventurous exploration.