Purpose:

Biblical Knowledge, Faith Enhancement and Ministry Enrichment

The Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies is an academic nonprofit organization dedicated to deepening biblical understanding through immersive travel and study programs in the Holy Land.

Our goal is to help the participants develop a fresh appreciation for:

• The land itself and how it brings the Scriptures to life.

• The Jewish heritage of Jesus.

• Jewish customs and traditions that illuminate biblical text.

• The study of archaeology and its contributions to biblical study.

• The complex realities of life in the Holy Land today.

History

The Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies began in 1980 with a simple but powerful vision. Dr. Jim Ridgway, founder and president of Educational Opportunities, Inc., a nonprofit Christian travel ministry in Lakeland, Florida, saw how transformative it could be for pastors to walk where Jesus walked.

His original goal was to offer pastors immersive travel and study programs to the Holy Land, Jordan, Egypt, Türkiye, Greece, and Rome—places that would breathe new life into their preaching and teaching. These weren’t typical tours but serious academic experiences that combined geography, culture, archaeology, and biblical study in ways that changed how participants understood Scripture.

Word spread quickly about these life-changing experiences. Soon, the Center expanded its programs to welcome church members and the broader academic community, including colleges, universities, seminaries, and graduate schools. Today, academic leaders from around the world partner with JCBS to give their students educational experiences that simply can’t be replicated in a classroom.

For over four decades, we’ve been helping people discover that when you study the Bible in the land where it happened, everything changes.

Learn More About the Jerusalem Center

• Accreditation
• CEU's
• Where JCBS Students Come From
• Who Teaches at JCBS
• How JCBS Can Work with You and Your Institution
• Why You Should Select JCBS