MA in Bible Studies
Ramat Gan, Israel
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
ILS 17,000 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* annual tuition for international masters degree students who are not Israeli citizens is approximately NIS 14,000 plus an additional 25% above the base payment
Key Summary
About: The MA in Bible Studies at Bar‑Ilan University is a two-year programme in Israel that gives research tools for scientific study of the Hebrew Bible. Taught entirely in English by leading experts, it covers biblical studies, exegesis, textual criticism, theology and ancient Near Eastern context. Students join international peers and study at Bar‑Ilan, a research university founded in 1955, grown from 70 to 21,000 students with eight faculties.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue teaching, academic research or doctoral study; other paths include museums, archives, heritage, cultural tourism, publishing, translation, education and NGO roles related to religion and cultural studies.
This two-year M.A. program will grant you the basic tools for the scientific study of the Hebrew Bible. The program will be taught entirely in English by leading experts.
We invite you to join students from all over the world who are studying this timeless text with globally-renowned lecturers and researchers, in the land where it all happened. Here, you will enjoy the unique experience of highest-level academic rigor in an atmosphere of respect and appreciation for the Bible and what it has contributed to humanity.
The Bar-Ilan University Bible Studies Department is dedicated to the teaching and critical study of the Hebrew Bible according to its original meaning. The department also specializes in the study of traditional biblical interpretation, including the ancient translations, Second Temple literature, rabbinic sources, and medieval and early modern Jewish commentators. A study in the department imparts tools for linguistic, historical, archaeological, literary, and theological approaches to the text.
Sample Course List
- Second Temple Literature – Prof. James Kugel
- Inscriptions from the Biblical Period – Prof. Esther Eshel
- The Dead Sea Scrolls – Prof. Eyal Regev
- The Biblical Story – Prof. Isaac Gottlieb
- The Bible in Light of the Ancient Near East – Dr. Nili Samet
- Biblical Hebrew – Dr. Jeremy Bajema
- Computer Applications in Biblical Research – Dr. Leeor Gottlieb
- The Ark of the Covenant – Dr. Raanan Eichler
- Ethics in the Bible and the Ancient Near East – Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
- War and Peace in the Hebrew Bible – Dr. Shira Golani
- The Book of Genesis – Dr. Zvi Shimon
- The Book of Samuel – Dr. Shira Golani
- The Book of Kings – Dr. Raanan Eichler
- The Book of Jeremiah – Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
- Wisdom Literature – Dr. Nili Samet
- Ruth and Esther – Prof. Isaac Gottlieb
- Studies in the Septuagint – Dr. Leeor Gottlieb
- Jewish Biblical Commentaries – Prof. Eric Lawee
Online Courses
The Bible and the Ancient Near East
Biblical Archaeology
Field Trips
Interested students can participate in field trips organized by our sister department, Land of Israel Studies, and Archaeology. These are not mandatory, but participation in them will be recognized by the Bible Department as fulfilling academic requirements. These trips are a wonderful opportunity to learn about the Land of the Bible by walking through its amazing landscape.