Online Course
The Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith
This course will consider the importance of Jesus’ Jewish identity, and examine the New Testament in light of the Old Testament background.
We will look into the Jewish world of Jesus and His followers, and the subsequent development of Christianity.
About the Course
The aim of this course is to enable the student to better understand Jesus’ life in its Jewish context, and to correct some of the misunderstandings about him and his world in order to have an accurate basis for our theology and understanding of history.
This course will introduce participants to the Jewish background of the New Testament: the geography of Israel, the Jewish customs and feasts, the people groups, cultures, literature and institutions at the time of Jesus and His followers. We will also focus on God’s plan for atonement, His covenants with Israel, Messianic Prophecy, and the historical and theological origins of the split between Judaism and Christianity. At the end of the course we will examine what the New Testament says about God’s promises to the Jewish people and land of Israel.
Free Sample Lecture
Course Syllabus:
- Lesson 1 – God’s Plan for the Jewish People
- Lesson 2 – God’s Plan for the Nations
- Lesson 3 – Messianic Prophecy
- Lesson 4 – The Feasts of Israel
- Lesson 5 – Tabernacle and Temple
- Lesson 6 – The Jewish World of Jesus
- Lesson 7 – The Jewish Life of Jesus
- Lesson 8 – The Jewish Land of Jesus
- Lesson 9 – The Jewish Teachings of Jesus
- Lesson 10 – The Jewish Disciples
- Lesson 11 – The Jewish Paul
- Lesson 12 – The Jewish New Testament
- Lesson 13 – The Jewish Message of the New Testament: Resurrection
- Lesson 14 – The Parting of the Ways
Instructor: Dr. David Mishkin
Dr. David Mishkin has a PhD in Biblical and Religious Studies, with a focus on Jewish Christian Relations. David serves on the faculty of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel, and has published several scholarly articles and books, including “The Wisdom of Alfred Edersheim”and “Rabbi and Redeemer: Discovering Yeshua in the Gospel of John.”
Course at a Glance
- 90 hours of study in total
- 3-5 hours of study per week
- Language: English
Course Format
For Personal Enrichment
The student is guided through the teaching videos and reading material, and encouraged to take the short quiz at the end of each section to reinforce the information. The reading assignments are optional. Students are welcome to complete additional written assignments, but they will not be graded on them.
For Academic Credit
This course is eligible for 3 academic credits. In order to pass the course successfully, the student is required to submit all coursework within six months from the day of registration, and obtain a final grade not lower than 60. Course grades are based on quizzes, a mid-term exam, and the final paper.
- The course consists of 14 lessons that contain lecture videos and homework reading assignments.
- This is a Self-Paced Online Course. The student is required to complete the course within six months from the day of registration, but is free to do so at his/her own pace and may review video lectures at any time during the course.
- At the end of each lesson there is a short multiple-choice quiz to help reinforce the material studied.
Required Textbooks
Participants need to purchase:
- A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, co-edited with Craig A. Evans, Peabody: Hendrickson, 2019
- Michael L. Brown, The Real Kosher Jesus , Frontline, 2012.
Aside from the two books above, all additional reading material will be available free online.
No prerequisites required – all are welcome!
Course Fees
- For Personal Enrichment – $249 USD
- For Academic Credit at a B.A. Level – $900 USD
- For Academic Credit at a M.A. Level – $1,090 USD
*These fees do not include required textbooks
**Payment is non-refundable