Biblical Study Tours (BST)
JCF Biblical Study Tours are not your average Holy Land pilgrimage trips—they are an intimate and personal exploration of Israel and its connections to Scripture. We focus on the Land, the Languages, and the ancient Literature which give us insight into the biblical stories from ancient yet fresh perspectives. When JCF Study Tour participants are immersed in this Jewish context, Jesus’ interpretations of Scripture are resurrected from dusty theological assumptions and seen with their original impact and urgency.
JCF guides have been trained in the backgrounds of biblical literature and historical geography of Israel’s landscape. Our study tours follow diverse scriptural themes for all ages and interest groups. These study experiences are designed to bring the biblical world alive through discovering ancient sites and artifacts along with texts that reinforce faith and encourage spiritual growth.
Meet JCF’s Study tour guides
Mickey Nikolaev
has been an official Israeli tour guide for over 30 years and has led JCF tours for two decades. He is fluent in Hebrew, Russian, and English. Mickey was born into a Jewish family from the former Soviet Union in 1971. As a young adult he became a believer in Yeshua and decided to make Aliyah (immigration) to Israel in 1990. He enrolled in the history department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and served 2 years in the Israeli Defense Forces.
Adam Focht
is an official Israeli tour guide who has lived in Israel since 1997. Adam was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and moved to Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 12. After college Adam felt called to Israel and enrolled at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1997 where he completed a Masters in Bible. Adam married an Israeli believer in 2000, and they now have four children.
Adam has served as a youth pastor, taught at a local Bible college, and as educational director of a Messianic elementary and middle school before becoming a licensed tour guide in 2020. Adam completed his doctorate in 2011 and has published several articles in Biblical Studies and Servant Leadership. Adam is a founding board member of JCF.
Ethan knapp
is an official Israeli tour guide who has lived in Israel since 1998. Ethan Knapp was born and raised in Oswego, New York. After college Ethan moved to Israel in 1998 enrolling at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he completed in MA in Religious Studies with a focus on Second Temple Period history. He has worked in a variety of fields including with an Israeli technology start-up, and as the financial coordinator for a Jerusalem-based non-profit ministry.
In 2009 Ethan accepted a position with a U.S. defense contractor in the south of Israel which he did for nearly half a decade before transitioning to the tourism industry, becoming a licensed guide in 2020. He currently resides in Beersheba with his wife and three children.
What people are saying
“There is no substitute for reading and discussing specific biblical texts at the very places that the events happened.”
“With JCF Study Tours we visited sites that we never did on my previous tours. These new sites, like hiking through the Negev Wilderness, sleeping in a Bedouin tent, and visiting biblical Jericho, had a profound impact on my understanding of the scriptures.”
