This paper examines the pedagogical framework of Jerusalem University College (JUC) for biblical field studies in the Holy Land. JUC’s program revolves around three pedagogical pillars, “Read the Land. See the Text. Live the Book,” centered on geographical comprehension, biblical texts, and practiced Christianity. This mixed methods analysis concludes that experiential learning in the Holy Land through field studies is an effective and transformative tool of biblical education. Further, the necessary move to online education during the COVID-19 global pandemic has demonstrated that the JUC model can be effectively adapted by utilizing visual and technological resources.
This article explores the ruach in the postexilic books of 1–2 Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Esther. First, it examines the six clear (and one ambiguous) references to the Holy Spirit in these texts. It notes the consistent use of earlier ruach traditions that have been adapted by the biblical writers in the Second Temple period to emphasize the continued presence of God’s Spirit with his covenant people. Second, it considers more ambiguous allusions to the Holy Spirit, including the involvement of the divine ruach in the creation and re-creation of the temple and orchestrating human events to accomplish God’s purposes. This study demonstrates that the retrieval of previous ruach traditions were not just adopted but adapted by the biblical writers in this new postexilic context.
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