Biblical Geography
Studying the geography of the Bible in the Land of Israel may sound like an impossible dream, but now you can delve into the subject right where you are, even if you live on a different continent!
The video lectures for this course were filmed at various locations all over Israel, taking you into the Bible’s own environment and helping you better understand the worldview of the people of ancient Israel that was impacted by a unique climate, geography, and physical topography of the Land.
Course at a Glance
90 hours of study in total
3-5 hours of study per week
Language: English
About the Course
This course will present the basic topography and major geographic regions of the Land of Israel, give an overview of important sites mentioned in the Bible, from the time of the Patriarchs until the time of the Gospels, and teach principles of identifying the location of key Biblical sites.
Many biblical stories are related to distinctive geographical surroundings.
The daily life of Israelites in the fertile Galilee region was quite different from those settled in the arid Negev desert, or up in the mountains of Jerusalem. If we are to understand the mindset of the people of the Bible, we must become conversant with their geography.
Enlightening Bible study
Equipped with a geographical knowledge of the Bible one is better able to properly interpret and apply the Scripture, and engage in the most rewarding and enlightening Bible study!
Course Objectives
The student will:
▷ learn the major geographic regions and features of the Land of Israel.
▷ be able to place historical and biblical events in geographic context.
▷ become familiar with the topography and the archaeological remains of key sites mentioned in the Bible.
강의계획서 (Course Syllabus):
▣ Lesson 1 – Introduction
▣ Lesson 2 – Geography of the Patriarchs
▣ Lesson 3 – Geography of the Exodus
▣ Lesson 4 – Geography of the Conquest
▣ Lesson 5 – Geography of Israelite Settlement in the Land
▣ Lesson 6 – Geography of the Judges
▣ Lesson 7 – Geography of the United Kingdom: Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon
▣ Lesson 8 – Divided Monarchy : The Northern Kingdom up until the Assyrian captivity
▣ Lesson 9 – Divided Monarchy : The Southern Kingdom up until the Assyrian captivity
▣ Lesson 10 – Judah from the fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Babylonian Conquest
▣ Lesson 11 – The Return to Zion: Persian and Hellenistic Periods
▣ Lesson 12 – The Geography of the Hasmoneans and the Herodians
▣ Lesson 13 – The Geography of the Gospels
▣ Lesson 14 – The Geography of Yeshua in Jerusalem
Free Sample Lecture
Required Textbooks
▷ Required: Beitzel, Barry J. The New Moody Atlas of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 2009.
▷ Recommended: O’Connor, Jerome Murphy. The Holy Land, 5th Ed. New York, Oxford Press, 2008.
Additional Readings will be available on itslearning, in PDF format.
Recommended Background: No prerequisites required
Course Format
For Personal Enrichment
The student is guided through the teaching videos and reading material, and encouraged to take the short quiz at the end of each section in order to reinforce the information. The reading assignments are optional. Students are welcome to complete additional written assignments, but they will not be graded on them.
For Academic Credit
This course is eligible for 3 academic credits. In order to pass the course successfully, the student is required to submit all coursework within six months from the day of registration, and obtain a final grade not lower than 60. Course grades are based on quizzes, a mid-term exam, and the final paper.
The course consists of 14 lessons that contain lecture videos and homework reading assignments.
This is a Self-Paced Online Course. The student is required to complete the course within six months from the day of registration, but is free to do so at his/her own pace and may review video lectures at any time during the course.
At the end of each lesson there is a short multiple-choice quiz to help reinforce the material studied.
Course Fees
For Personal Enrichment – $249 USD
For Academic Credit at a B.A. Level – $900 USD
For Academic Credit at a M.A. Level – $1,090 USD
Course Fees Notes
*These fees do not include required textbooks
**Payment is non-refundable
Instructors
Dr. Sheila Gyllenberg
Sheila Gyllenberg was born in Canada and has lived in Israel since 1983. She holds a master’s degree in Jewish History from Israel’s Bar Ilan University. In addition to her work as a tour guide, Sheila serves on the faculty of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel.
