JUC Online Semester Learning
Fall 2025 Courses Now Open for Registration!
Register to join us for the Fall semester, 1 September - 5 December 2025.
Semester Learning Online Courses
JUC Online Semester Learning includes a unique set of course offerings during the Spring and Fall semesters, following our traditional M.A. course schedule. Study live online under the teaching of our expert faculty, who are deeply familiar with the history, lands, cultures, and languages of the Bible.
Up to 12 credits from JUC Online courses may be applied toward a Master of Arts program or a Graduate Certificate program at JUC.
JUC’s online and hybrid courses offer a unique opportunity for audit students to learn from and engage with expert faculty. To make the most of this experience, audit students are expected to attend class regularly, participate in discussions, and complete assigned readings in accordance with JUC policy. Please note that some instructors may choose to share class recordings only with students who have preapproved absences; this decision is at the discretion of each instructor.
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Ancient Egypt and the Bible |
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A survey of the history and culture of Egypt from the Predynastic Period (4th millennium BCE) through the Ptolemaic Period (30 BC). Emphasis is placed on the ancient Egypt’s connection to people and events of the Bible and the land of Canaan and Israel. This course will be hybrid. Online students will join the instructor and in-residence students for live class sessions. This course has a field study component. |
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Instructor: Dr. Paul Wright3 Credit Hours |
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Archaeology of Israelite Religion |
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| This course will focus on the archaeology of Israelite Religion from the Iron Age I through the Roman period. Challenges with identifying religious sites, structures, and objects are considered in light of the biblical texts’ claims about religious practices and beliefs. Also, specific archaeological features and sites that are identified as cultic and which played a role in Israel’s religious history are discussed. This course highlights the complexity of Israel’s cultic expression both synchronically and diachronically. Of significance for understanding the material expression of Israel’s religion are the major political epochs Israel experienced, from pre-monarchic, to monarchic, to post-monarchic times. Further, the evolution from Yahwism (or Yahwisms) to Judaism, along with the concomitant change in material culture, is charted over the course of the semester. | ||
Instructors: Dr. Kyle Keimer and Dr. Chris McKinny3 Credit Hours |
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Biblical Archaeology I |
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| This course will focus upon an integration of archaeological, literary, and historical data from the Early Bronze Age to the Babylonian Period (ca. 3300 – 539 BC) in Israel with the goal of evaluating this evidence and its relevance for understanding socioeconomic and political development, the biblical texts, and the religion of ancient Israel. The course will survey the main characteristics of each archaeological period, including architecture, pottery, and settlement patterns, and will including discussion of the influence of Israel’s neighbors on its history, thought, and literature. | ||
Instructor: Dr. Kyle Keimer3 Credit Hours |
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Biblical Hebrew I |
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| This course aims to introduce students to the vocabulary, morphology, grammar, and syntax of biblical Hebrew, starting from no prior knowledge of the language. In the first semester (Hebrew I), students will focus on gaining facility in the alphabet and Masoretic pointing system, nouns and pronouns, all verbal stems for strong verbs, and a basic understanding of narrative sentence construction. Regular vocabulary building, targeting high-frequency words, is also essential for establishing competency in the language. Students wishing to develop their translation capacities from Hebrew to English are encouraged to continue past Hebrew I into Hebrew II. | ||
Instructor: Dr. Ellie Paley4 Credit Hours |
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Biblical Jerusalem and Its Explorations |
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| This class is an introduction to Jerusalem during key periods in its ancient history, including the eras of the Canaanite city, David and Solomon, Hezekiah and Manasseh, Jeremiah, Ezra and Nehemiah, the Hasmoneans, Herod the Great and Jesus, the Apostles, and the Jewish War against the Romans. Jerusalem’s geography and rich archaeological history, as well as maps, photos, and accounts of travelers and local Jerusalemites will aid our study of the city. This course will also explore the history of modern scholarship on ancient Jerusalem, along with the contexts and assumptions in which it developed.
Previously offered as Contexts of the Holy City. |
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Instructor: Chandler Collins3 Credit Hours |
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Hebrew Readings in the Writings (Daniel) |
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| During this course, students will read selections from the Writings together to increase fluency and understanding. This course is designed for students who have previously studied Biblical Hebrew and desire to refresh and deepen their knowledge. Special emphasis will be placed on Hebrew grammar (including the verbal system), syntax, and vocabulary. Prerequisite: 1 year of Biblical Hebrew. | ||
Instructor: Dr. Eldon Clem2 Credit Hours |
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Iconographic Art in Judaism and Early Christianity |
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| A study of the art of Judaism and early Christianity in the centuries following the Second Temple Period that expresses biblical and theological themes. This course will be hybrid. Online students will join the instructor and in-residence students for live class sessions. | ||
Instructor: Dr. Shulamit Laderman3 Credit Hours |
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Palestinian Society and Politics |
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| A study of the socio-economic, organizational and political components of Palestinian society, with a focus on pertinent current developments. This course will be hybrid. Online students will join the instructor and in-residence students for live class sessions. | ||
Instructor: Dr. Bernard Sabella3 Credit Hours |
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Text Studies in Midrash, Mishnah, and Gemara |
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| A comparative study of the Mishnah and Taanaitic literature in Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity, with an emphasis on formative thought in both peoples of the Book. This course will be hybrid. Online students will join the instructor and in-residence students for live class sessions. | ||
Instructor: Rabbi Moshe Silberschein3 Credit Hours |
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The Life and Times of Paul |
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| This course is a narrative study of the life of Paul in Acts in light of historical, cultural, and geographical backgrounds with application to Christian faith, practice, and witness. This course will be hybrid. Online students will join the instructor and in-residence students for live class sessions. This course has a field study component. | ||
Instructor: Dr. Chris Vlachos3 Credit Hours |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can take as many courses or studies as you would like.
Yes, we offer technical assistance through our North American office that operates from 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern Time. You are welcome to contact our team at support@juc.edu with your questions.
Scholarships may be available for JUC Online Semester Learning courses and are listed here on our website. Additionally, students are able to enroll in JUC Online Semester Learning courses for audit at a reduced rate.
Yes. If JUC M.A. students take all the required in-residence courses for their program (48 credits for M.A., 24 credits for Graduate Certificate, and 12 credits for Semester Abroad) they can take as many additional JUC Online courses as they would like. If a student does not take more than 16 credit hours in each semester, they will not be charged extra for JUC Online courses.
Yes, up to 12 credits from JUC Online courses may be applied toward any of the four JUC Master of Arts programs or a Graduate Certificate program.
Lecture recordings may be provided at the discretion of each course instructor. In the case that recordings are provided for later viewing, please be aware that JUC Online students are required to attend lectures online in live time.
Apply and Register
New Online Students:
The JUC Online application is open.
Returning Online Students:
Re-application is not required. Course registration information will be provided via email and in your JUC Portal.
Semester Learning Overview
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WHO: Open to All
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WHEN: 01 Sept. - 05 Dec 2025
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PRICE: Audit from $360; Credit from $1390
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COURSE CREDIT: Audit & Credit
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DEADLINE TO APPLY: 24 Aug. 2025
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DEADLINE TO REGISTER: 26 Aug. 2025