While I work on the weekend roundup, with dozens of stories from the last few weeks while I was traveling, I wanted to give special notice to the upcoming free seminar offered by Jerusalem University College. I graduated from JUC in 1994 with an M.A. in Biblical History, and I’ve long recommended the school for advanced and graduate studies in the land of Israel. This free online seminar entitled “Explore the Gap: Stories in Context” will give you a taste of their unique opportunities.

Seven presentations will be given on the evening of Friday, February 3 (7-10pm EST) and the morning of Saturday, February 4 (9-1:30 EST). You can hop on and off as your interests and time allow. Here is the schedule:

Friday:

• “Is Samaria/Sebaste Too Sin-Ruined to Save?,” by Jack Beck
• “Micah the Morashti: Prophet ‘Outside the Beltway,’” by Elaine Phillips
• “Biblical Influences on the Modern Jewish Settlement of the Holy Land,” by Jon Kaplan

Saturday:

• “How the ANE Cultural Context Contributes to OT Interpretation: The Tower of Babel,” by John Walton
• “A Tale of Two Swords,” by Chris McKinny
• “Why Jesus Was Baptized Though He Had No Sin,” by Brad Gray
• “From Edom to Jericho,” by Hélène Dallaire

I know most of the presenters, and they are at the top of their fields. I expect their presentations will be engaging and thought-provoking. Advance registration is required, and you can do that in about one minute with this link.