Classroom

While most of the buildings on the moshav are used by various groups for several different purposes, the IBEX staff created the classroom especially for teaching. The split-level design easily seats forty students, and features two huge maps of Israel and a topographical map of Jerusalem, showing a special emphasis on the Holy Land.                                           

A glance outside the windows reveals a beautiful view of the Judean hill country, while inside, the room has air-conditioning and heating for comfort. The classroom is equipped with an ultra-bright data/video projector and a high-tech surround sound system that allows professors to supplement their lectures with PowerPoint and videos.

The library is a very important place on the IBEX campus, containing many valuable resources to help students in their studies of the land of Israel. There are nearly 4,500 books with subjects ranging from Biblical times to the modern state of Israel. The library subscribes to two different newspapers (The Jerusalem Post and International Herald Tribune), as well as various magazines, which are valuable tools for students looking for information on the country's modern-day conditions. There is also a VCR and a selection of informational videos for student use. 

Four computers are available to the students for research and word processing. Computer programs are accessible to tutor those wanting to learn Hebrew or Aramaic. A color printer, scanner and photocopier are also available.

The greatest benefit of studying in IBEX is the central location of the campus in the Holy Land. To take every advantage of this asset, the IBEX students participate in many scheduled field trips, as well as additional travels. Studying a site in the classroom and then seeing it on the field proves to be an invaluable way to truly learn about the land of Israel.

By being in the land, the students don't just learn by reading and listening to lectures, but by actually experiencing the land and culture around them. It's this atmosphere, IBEX alumni would say, that makes the Bible come alive. While these trips give students a chance to grow academically, they do far more than that. They create an experience that forever impacts their lives.

The dorms on the IBEX campus were built in 1976 by Finnish owners developing a tourist resort. Now, each semester, they are home to the IBEX students. The dorms consist of three buildings, separated by small courtyards, which overlook IBEX park. Two wings compose each housing complex with ten people comfortably living in each wing. Laundry facilities are conveniently located beneath the dorms.

Originally discovered by the IBEX students of Fall 1996, what is today IBEX Park started out as a thicket of undergrowth, boulders, weeds, and trees. That group began the process of clearing the brush to make use of the area. Since then, students have put in hours of hard work every semester trimming the plants, building terraces, planting grass, installing irrigation systems, and generally improving the park.

Today, IBEX Park offers a serene place to study, relax and play. It's filled with diverse plant life, including oak, pine, fig, and palm trees, as well as a variety of flowers. The swing and the hammock offer great places to relax, the benches are in shady places fit for reading or chatting, and the campfire ring provides a place to enjoy the fellowship of other students.

The computer lab is located in between the classroom and the library on the north side of the IBEX campus. The lab contains five computers, all of which are connected to DSL internet. From there the students can keep up on the daily news, write emails home and surf the internet.

The computer lab is the center for student life and information. With the mailboxes and a large bulletin board, students can keep up to date with friends back home and activities on the campus. 

One of the most unique features of the IBEX campus is the Biblical Gardens. Started in 1999 to introduce visitors to important features of biblical life, the replicas have been painstakingly modeled after ancient archaeological and historical evidence. The buildings are constructed from ancient stones that Israel's Antiquities Authority has graciously provided for public display. Even the plants represent those that people of Bible times would have grown and harvested. 

Visitors can walk through an Old Testament winepress, explore a replica of an ancient tomb, see the workings of an olive press or actually try a threshing floor. The watchtower lends an excellent view of the Judean hills and sunsets over the distant Mediterranean Sea. One of the most unique features of the gardens is the New Testament synagogue, reassembled from original basalt blocks brought from its excavation site in Galilee.

Three meals are served daily in the spacious dining room. Here the students eat lots of vegetables and get to sample many aspects of the Israeli diet, such as hummus, falafel, and pita. The cafeteria serves a kosher diet, milk products being served only at breakfast, and meat products being served at lunch and dinner.

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