Expert Instruction Where it Matters Most 
We provide expertly trained instructors for every faculty-led study tour, whether you’re exploring the Holy Land, walking through ancient Jordan, discovering Egypt’s biblical connections, following Paul’s footsteps in Türkiye and Greece, or venturing into expanded programs throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond.

Our instructors don’t just know the material—they know the land. They bring years of academic training combined with intimate knowledge of the places where biblical history unfolded, creating learning experiences that textbooks simply cannot provide.

Academic Excellence Meets Real-World Experience
Each JCBS instructor combines rigorous academic training with intimate knowledge of biblical geography, culture, history, and archaeology. They understand how the land itself illuminates Scripture in ways that transform understanding.

For University and Seminary Programs: Our instructors hold earned doctoral degrees and bring extensive experience teaching on-site in the lands of the Bible. They meet the highest academic standards while making ancient texts come alive in their original settings.

For Church Study Tours: Our instructors possess master’s degrees along with proven experience guiding groups through biblical lands. They excel at making complex biblical concepts accessible to church members while maintaining scholarly depth.

Expert Instructors Who Bring the Bible to Life
Our instructors don’t just teach about the Bible—they teach in the Bible lands, bringing decades of academic excellence and hands-on field experience to every program.

Whether you’re a seminary student writing a thesis or a church member deepening your faith, our instructors know how to meet you where you are and take your biblical understanding to new levels.

Dr. Joel Allen

Instructor

Joel Allen is the Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Dakota Wesleyan
 University in Mitchell SD. Before coming to DWU, Joel was an Assistant
 Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Lambuth University and Minister of
 Discipleship at First United Methodist Church in Jackson TN. He is an elder in 
the Dakotas Conference of the United Methodist Church and a graduate of Asbury 
Theological Seminary (1995). Joel has taught at Asbury Theological Seminary,
 Union College, and Moscow Evangelical Theological Seminary. Joel completed a 
Ph.D. at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, 
where he studied Hebrew Bible, Rabbinic Literature, and Judaism of the 
Greco-Roman World. Along with several articles, he is author of two books: The
 Despoliation of Egypt: in Pre-Rabbinic, Rabbinic and Patristic Traditions (Brill,
2008) and Jewish Biblical 
Legends: Rabbinic Wisdom for Christian Readers (Cascade Books, 
2013). Joel has been married to Kitty for 28 years, and they have 
two children (Johanna, 21, and Emma,17). They reside in Mitchell, South Dakota.
 His podcast, “Biblical Conversations,” looks at difficult aspects of the Bible, particularly where the Bible seems to speak with differing voices. You can listen at https://anchor.fm/joel-allen5. Joel Allen, Ph.D.
 Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy 
1200 W. University Ave. / Mitchell, SD / 57301
605-995-2632 / www.dwu.edu