The University of Navarra launches a focused online course on the Bible and the Holy Land
The program, which will start on September 29, is taught in Spanish or English and offers an academic tour of the geography, history and archaeology of the biblical sites.
02 | 09 | 2025
What was the Holy Land like in the time of Jesus? How do the archaeological remains relate to the biblical accounts? These are some of the questions that will be addressed in the new new course promoted by the School of Theologywhich seeks to bring participants closer to the origins of Christianity through history, geography and archaeology.
The program, fruit of the research of the department programs of study Biblical and Church History programs of study is offered in partnership with Cretio Foundation (USA) and Saxum Visitor Center (Israel).is offered in partnership with Cretio Foundation (USA) and Saxum Visitor Center (Israel). It will be taught entirely online, in Spanish or English, starting on September 29th. With a duration of ten weeks and an academic load of 2 ECTS credit, it will allow each student to progress at his or her own pace and with full flexibility.
Diego Pérez Gondar, professor at the School of Theology and academic director of the course, explains the importance of this training subject : "If you don't know who you are and where you come from, you are bound to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. If only to understand the problems of today's world, I think it is essential to have a minimum knowledge of the origin of civilization and the contributions of Judeo-Christian monotheism, Greek thought and Roman Law.
The course also highlights the role of biblical archaeology as a core topic for reading ancient texts. "Faith is not pure fideism or fundamentalism; faith needs a logic. A good part of that history has left its remains, which are studied by archaeology, and which help to understand how the texts that arose in that ancient context are read," says Pérez Gondar. In his opinion, these questions are of interest to believers and non-believers alike, because "what human beings really need is to resolve the meaning of existence".
The proposal is designed as an "academic pilgrimage" to the Holy Land, with lessons that will cover its geography, history and the main biblical texts, especially from the New Testament. "We would like it to be the first of other similar courses, since there is a lot of material to transmit," says the academic director .
The program is aimed at anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of the Bible and the culture of the Middle East. enrollment is open and the price is 490 euros. University employees receive a 75% discount and alumni a 12% discount.
