Palestine of Jesus is a 14-day study pilgrimage focusing on the Scriptures, sites, and landscapes associated with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Emphasizing the lived experience of pilgrimage as Christian formation, the course encounters the land of Jesus’ ministry, engaging the biblical narratives in their physical, historical, and archaeological contexts. The course roughly follows a chronological arc of Jesus’ life. Some attention is given to the Old Testament and Intertestamental periods as background context for Jesus’ life and ministry, as well as to the commemorations of Acts and the early development of the Church. Palestine of Jesus has an appreciation for pilgrim traditions over the centuries. The course also engages the Living Stones of Israel and Palestine.

The course includes a 3-day, 2-night excursion to the Galilee and typically has two free afternoons in Jerusalem. Alongside teachings and reflections in the field, occasional mini-lectures prepare course participants for site visits.

While Palestine of Jesus has the same aims and objectives as the 10-day Footsteps of Jesus course, the four additional days of Palestine of Jesus provide a more immersive experience with respect to the sites and Scriptures of the life of Jesus as well as the present-day realities of the Land of the Holy One, including its contemporary identities, narratives, hopes, and challenges.

The aims of Palestine of Jesus

• To study the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, including the historical contexts and cultures of the land of Jesus’ ministry;
• To explore the Holy Land as Christian pilgrims by integrating biblical and contextual studies with spiritual reflection;
• To encounter the roots and traditions of the Christian faith as they were formed in the Holy Land;
• To engage local Christian communities, Jewish and Muslim perspectives, and contemporary issues in Israel and Palestine, including its problems, struggles, hopes, and promises, and to share these experiences with people back home;
• To return home renewed in faith.

Content of the Course

While iterations of the course vary depending upon local circumstances, local holidays, and the season and days of the week as well as some intentional variations of the program, Palestine of Jesus draws upon the following places, narratives, and landscapes:

• Jesus’ childhood home and the site of the annunciation;
• the place of Jesus’ birth;
• (Banias), where Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”;
• (the Western Hill) containing the commemorations of the Last Supper, the trail of Jesus, and Pentecost.

Contemporary Context (generally includes)

Resources and Readings

While no readings are required for the course, a recommended text for framing the experience is Jerusalem Bound: How to be a Pilgrim in the Holy Land (Cascade, 2020). For questions about the course, feel free to contact course director, Rodney Aist (coursedirector@sgcjerusalem.org).