Course Descriptions

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

GEO 6/415 Historical Geography of the Gospels - Credit Hours: 3

Semester normally offered: Spring

Course Description

This course is an exploration of the geographic settings for the ministry of Jesus as recorded in the four canonical Gospels. Special attention will be paid to how understanding the geographic setting for narratives, didactic material, and miracle stories aids our interpretation. Each Gospel’s unique geographic emphases will be highlighted.

Course Equivalencies

  • Geography
  • History
  • Bible

Course Objectives

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

  • explain what it means when we say that the canonical Gospels are “apologetic history;
  • articulate the unique ways in which each of the four canonical Gospels integrate issues of topography and geography into their telling of the story of Jesus;
  • explore key sites in Israel where topography and geography help to inform our interpretation of the accounts in the canonical Gospels;
  • express confidence in the authority of the canonical Gospels as historically reliable sources for the reconstruction of the life and claims of Jesus;
  • reflect on the claims of Jesus Christ on their lives and make application to their present and/or future ministry settings.

Field Study

Two walking field studies to sites in and around Jerusalem, including the Pool of Bethesda, Temple Mount, Kidron Valley, and the Pool of Siloam.