Course Description:
Biblical Lands and Culture—Old and New—Jesus and Paul—Timothy and Luke explores the cultural landscape of Israel, Jordan, and Turkey from its biblical, ancient past to its modern present. We will traverse biblical archaeological sites in Israel, Jordan, and western Turkey to learn about the influence of the Greco-Roman culture on the early Christian movement. We will see amazing sites from both the Old Testament and the New Testament eras as we explore areas where the ancient Hittites lived and the earliest Christians carved out secluded churches from the rocks. We will walk in the footsteps of Jesus, Paul, and the disciples, seeing what they saw, even sailing on the Sea of Galilee where Peter walked on water with Jesus. We will visit Petra in Jordan, one of the most famous and historical sites in the world. Students will visit quaint agricultural villages, bazaars, and modern cities. They will truly be immersed in Turkish culture by participating in a home stay in modern Izmir (ancient Smyrna).
Estimated Course Fee: $6,200
Faculty Biographies:
Dr. Sharon Putt received her undergraduate degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, her M.A.T.H. from Texas Christian University and her Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University. She has significant experience traveling abroad and taking students on cross-cultural trips. She has traveled with youth groups and took 22 Messiah students to Ghana, Africa in 2009. Their stay in mud huts with thatched roofs, lack of hot water for three weeks, and hours of rough travel on dirt roads have prepared her for future travel under very diverse circumstances. She and her husband took 30 students to Greece in May 2017, 30 students to Italy in May 2018, and 30 more students to Greece in 2019. She took 33 students to Turkey and Greece in 2022. She has traveled many times to Europe and the middle east. Her discipline is world religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christian theology which have prepared her to teach students to value views other than their own and to provide the guidance necessary for a cross-cultural trip.
Dr. B. Keith Putt is Professor of Philosophy at Samford University in Birmingham, AL and Sharon’s husband. He has a Ph.D. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philosophy of Religion and a Ph. D. from Rice University in Philosophical Theology. He has traveled extensively in the United States, the UK, Italy, France, Greece, and the middle east. He took 30 students to Greece in May 2017, to Italy in May 2018, again to Greece in 2019, and 33 students to Turkey and Greece in 2022. He also teaches the core Cultural Perspectives courses at Samford that enable him to teach students how to appreciate those who think and live differently.
Professor Dan Schmidt received his MA at Trinity International University and an MDiv at Princeton Theological Seminary in Hebrew Bible and New Testament. He serves as an adjunct instructor in Bible and Theology at Messiah University and as the senior pastor at St. Thomas UCC church in Harrisburg, PA. He has extensive international travel experience in Europe, South America, Greece, and the middle east. He traveled with Messiah students for a three-week cross-cultural trip to Greece in 2019 and another to Turkey and Greece in 2022. Prof. Schmidt also served for years as a pastor in various Costa Rica.
Other information:
Things to know before you go.pdf
Israel Jordan Turkiye Brochure 2024.pdf
