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Lessons from the Land of the Bible | Free JUC Online Seminar
Join JUC on January 9, 2027, for a free online seminar exploring how geography shapes our understanding of Scripture. Learn from biblical scholar Dr. Jack Beck and five emerging JUC instructors as they bring the biblical world into focus.
Lessons from the Land of the Bible: Join JUC for a Free Online Seminar
How does geography shape our understanding of Scripture? Join Jerusalem University College on Saturday, January 9, 2027, for a free online seminar exploring the places, landscapes, and historical settings that bring the biblical world into focus.
Lessons from the Land of the Bible: How Places Shape Our Understanding of Scripture will bring together veteran biblical scholar Dr. Jack Beck and five emerging JUC instructors for an engaging morning of teaching that explores why geography matters when interpreting the Bible.
The live online seminar will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time and is open to participants around the world.
Places Help Tell the Story
The places of the Bible are more than static backdrops to its stories. Geography shapes journeys, influences events, and helps us understand the world in which Scripture unfolded.
Throughout the seminar, presenters will examine how landscapes, regional boundaries, political relationships, and cultural settings illuminate familiar biblical passages. From the wilderness of Jeremiah to the geography of Galilee, each presentation will demonstrate how understanding place can deepen our reading of Scripture.
Meet the Next Generation of JUC Instructors
This seminar also offers a special opportunity to hear from participants in JUC's Next Gen Instructor Development Program.
Launched in May 2026 with five candidates, the program prepares emerging instructors to continue JUC's tradition of rigorous, engaging field-based biblical education. Participants train under experienced faculty, including Dr. Jack Beck, Dr. Paul Wright, Dr. Elaine Phillips, and others.
Through this initiative, JUC is investing in the next generation of scholars and educators who will carry forward its distinctive approach to teaching the Bible in its geographical, historical, and cultural contexts.
The seminar will feature presentations from all five Next Gen instructors:
- Jack Gilbert — A Threat and a Reminder: The Wilderness in Jeremiah 12
- Explore how the wilderness represents both God's provision and the threat of drought and ecological disaster in Jeremiah's call to repentance.
- Hannah Fox — Boundary or Bridge? The Rift Valley and the Geography of Judah and Edom
Examine how geography shaped the complicated relationship between Judah and Edom, marked by connection, separation, and hostility.
- Gabbi Graber — Why Benjamin? A Geography of Biblical Beginnings
Discover why the territory of Benjamin became the setting for pivotal events in Israel's early history, from the entrance into the land to the rise of the monarchy.
- Kelsey Vine — The Hidden Link: Geography in the Age of Omri and Ahab
Consider how the geopolitical realities of ninth-century Israel help illuminate the growing apostasy described in Scripture.
- Elena Peters — Galilee: The Place Jesus Called Home
Explore the geographical and geopolitical setting of Galilee and how understanding the region enriches our reading of the Gospel narratives.
The seminar will also feature a keynote presentation by Dr. Jack Beck, whose teaching and scholarship emphasize the importance of biblical geography for understanding Scripture.
Join Us Online — Registration Is Free!
Whether you're a pastor, student, ministry leader, or lifelong learner, this seminar offers an opportunity to explore the biblical world through the lens of geography and learn from both established and emerging JUC scholars.
Saturday, January 9, 2027
10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Live Online | Free to Attend
Discover why geography matters and how the places of the Bible can transform the way we read Scripture.