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Searching for People and Places of the Bible

Summer, 2025

Classroom and Zoom Video

Jean-Pierre Isbouts, DLitt Faculty Emeritus, Fielding Graduate University

The Judeo-Christian Bible is, above all, a collection of stories about people: patriarchs and prophets, rulers and kings, mothers and fathers. What makes these stories so interesting is that they take place in different locations in the Near East. They take us from the very north of Israel to the very south, in the Negev; from the most fertile region in Egypt—the land of Goshen in the Nile Delta—too deep in Asia Minor, today’s Turkey; and to Greece. Searching for People and Places of the Bible is a unique course that seeks to retrace the footsteps of the most prominent people in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament across the Near East.

As such, the course unfolds over a large territory, filmed on location in some of the region’s most remote places rarely visited by tourists or pilgrims: Tanis and Tell el-Dab‘a in the upper Nile Delta; Uyun Musa, Wadi Gharandel, and Wadi Feiran in the Sinai; and scores of archaeological sites in Israel, Turkey, and Greece. The result is a deeply immersive journey through the lands of the Bible. Each episode features presentations at the very location where biblical figures lived, vividly attested by the beauty of the area or archaeological excavations and further enhanced with dramatic 3D animation. From Abraham and David to Jesus and Paul, and from the book of Genesis to the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, Searching for People and Places of the Bible is a unique way to experience the beauty of the Bible.

Jean-Pierre Isbouts is a historian, biblical scholar, and best-selling National Geographic author. After earning his DLitt at Leiden University, he served as a member of the doctoral faculty at Fielding Graduate University for more than 15 years and now holds the title of Faculty Emeritus. He gained worldwide renown with his National Geographic book The Biblical World and also wrote Archaeology of the Bible, In the Footsteps of Jesus, and The Dead Sea Scrolls, which has sold more than 2 million copies. His other Great Courses include Searching for the Historical Jesus and The History and Archaeology of the Bible.

May 11: The World of Abraham – Reflect on the book of Genesis, as it portrays the origin of the world and the history of Israel’s founding fathers. Trace the geography of Genesis, in the locations of Eden and Ur, the birthplace of Abraham. Follow the journey of Abraham to Canaan, the future Israel, from the Fertile Crescent through Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt. Take note of God’s covenant with Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael.

May 18: From Isaac to Jacob – Track the story of Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebekah, and its theme of deceit. Find the location of Beersheba, where Isaac settled, and of Bethel, where the dream of Jacob’s Ladder took place. Follow the lives of Jacob, his wife Rachel, and their son Joseph, marking the site of Rachel’s tomb (Bethlehem) and of Joseph’s abduction and sale into slavery, now Tel Dotan on the West Bank. 2 

May 25: The Story of Joseph – Chart the caravan route of Joseph’s journey into Egypt, to the 15th-dynasty city of Avaris. Witness Joseph’s rise from slavery to become Vizier to the pharaoh, during a time when Hyksos immigrants ruled Lower Egypt, and find the location of their capital. Hear the moving coda to Joseph’s story, the reconciliation with the brothers who betrayed him, and his family’s move to Goshen in the Nile Delta.

June 1: Moses in the Midian – Examine the political factors within Egypt that led to the forced labor of Israelites in the Nile Delta, and the massacre of Hebrew male infants. Learn how Moses escaped this and was raised as an Egyptian prince. Grasp why Moses fled Egypt, and traveled to the Midian, in the Sinai desert, where he married. Follow Moses’s route in the Sinai and uncover the location of the biblical Burning Bush.

June 8: In the Footsteps of the Exodus – Reconstruct the path of the Exodus, as the Israelites leave Egypt, beginning with the probable site of the confrontation between Pharaoh and Moses. Find many key points along the route, such as the likely place of the parting of the waters (not the Red Sea!); the great oasis of Rephidim (today’s Wadi Feiran); and follow the Israelites to Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Torah from God.

June 15: Joshua’s Conquest of Canaan – Relive the Israelites’ journey into the promised land of Canaan, under the leadership of military commander Joshua. Visit important sites in the region related to the conquest, such as Jericho and Hazor, and compare archeological evidence of destruction with the biblical account. Learn about the areas within Canaan where the 12 tribes of Israel settled, and how they fared in their new home.

June 22: From Saul to Solomon – Explore the military threats to the Israelites in Canaan that required a unified command and the anointing of Israelite kings. Visit Mt. Gilboa, site of King Saul’s defeat by the Philistines. Then, find archaeological evidence of the reign of King David, who took Jerusalem as the Israelite capital, and, at the fortress of Megiddo, of King Solomon, who built the legendary First Temple.

June 29: Kings of Israel – After Solomon’s reign, learn how the Hebrew realm divided into Israel (the North), and Judea (the South), each of which anointed kings. Follow the exploits of Israel’s King Jeroboam and King Omri, and visit the remains of Samaria, built as a Northern capital to rival Jerusalem. Observe how King Ahab angered God, whose wrath sent the invading Assyrians who crushed and deported the northern Israelites.

July 6: No Class, Albuquerque Concert Band at 10:00 am

July 13: Kings of Judah – Mark the ways in which the kings of Judah violated Jewish law, invoking God’s retribution by means of invaders from the east. Trace the succession of Judean kings who grappled with the threat of the Assyrians and Babylonians, leading to the conquest of Judah and the Babylonian exile of its people. Witness the liberation of the Jews by the Persian king Cyrus, and their return to Jerusalem. 3

July 20: From Alexander the Great to King Herod – In the wake of Alexander’s conquests, observe how the powerful influence of Greek culture took root in Judea, later enforced during the Seleucid occupation. Visit sites related to the Maccabean Revolt, which restored the Jewish kingdom, only to be deposed by Roman rule. Trace the ascension of the despised Herod as ruler of Judea and explore Herod’s great palace complex at Masada.

July 27: Women of the Bible – The Bible reveals a spectrum of powerful and resourceful women. Begin with a look at the roles and rights of women in the ancient world. Then study the stories of Sarah and Rebekah, who strongly influenced leadership within their families; the prophetess and political activist Deborah; and Judean queen Bathsheba. Also, discover heroines Judith and Esther within the apocryphal scriptures.

August 3: No Class, One Service Only at 10:00 am

August 10: Young Jesus of Nazareth – Visualize the town of Nazareth, the birthplace of Mary and site of the Annunciation. Compare the Gospels’ accounts of the birth and childhood of Jesus with historical evidence and visit the grotto in Bethlehem believed to be his birthplace. Assess the contrast between the Luke and Matthew gospels on the events following Jesus’s birth and examine a key episode in Jesus’s early life.

August 17: The Lost Years of Jesus – Jesus’s “lost” years have mystified Christians throughout history. Review recent archaeological findings in Magdala and Sepphoris that may explain these years, and how Jesus came to have a deep knowledge of the Torah. Then encounter the charismatic figure of John the Baptist in Bethany-on-the-Jordan. Grasp how John served as a role model, foreshadowing Jesus’s role as the Messiah.

August 24: The Ministry of Jesus in Galilee – Jesus’s ministry began in the Galilean town of Capernaum. Stop at the likely sites of where he first taught and lived in the town, and learn about his “Kingdom of God” teaching. Witness the unfolding of his ministry across Galilee and Phoenicia, the key role of his healing miracles and his interaction with disciples and followers at places such as Bethsaida and the site of the Sermon of the Mount

August 31: From the Resurrection to Paul – Conclude by studying the events and locations surrounding Jesus’s resurrection, his appearance to Mary Magdalene and other disciples, and the birth and challenges of the Apostolic movement that followed. Learn how early Christianity grew, and trace the remarkable life of Paul, from his conversion to his missionary work, and his role in building Christian communities from Asia Minor to Rome.