Signups are now open for this summer’s Institute of Biblical Context conference. I’ve been at this conference the last two years, and the response has been extremely positive. 
I don’t know anything else like this where all the sessions are devoted to unpacking the meaning of biblical passages using historical, geographical, literary, and archaeological insights. I plan to be there again this year and I recommend it to all of my readers.
You can read all of the details on the official website, but I’ll quickly note some highlights here. The theme this year is “The
Last Days of Jesus,” and they’ll be looking closely at events from the Passion Week. Scheduled talks include:
- Triumphal Entry
- Cleansing the Temple
- Cursing the Fig Tree
- What’s Up with Judas
- Trials before Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Antipas
- Barabbas
- Flogging and Method of Crucifixion
- Tearing of the Curtain
One thing that people like is that the presentations are shorter, which means that the speaker gets right to the main points, and they can pack more subjects in. Some favorite speakers from the past are returning, and there are several new additions as well. I always find that the speakers are extremely well-prepared, and their presentations are packed with great visuals.
The conference is held in Zeeland in western Michigan, which is beautiful and warm in June. You can download the conference brochure here, and the early bird price is available until April 10. I think the conference is a great investment, and an additional bonus is to meet up with like-minded people who love learning about the Bible and its world.
