The Near East School of Theology (NEST), located in Beirut, Lebanon, is an interdenominational Reformed Protestant theological seminary serving Christian churches of the Middle East and North Africa, and also educates international students who have a special interest in Biblical and Islamic studies in a Middle Eastern context or those especially interested in the Ancient churches.

William Thompson, later the author of The Land and the Book, founded in Beirut the first Protestant Seminary in the area.

In 1843 the Seminary moved to Abey, in the mountain not far south of Beirut, under the leadership of Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck, translator of the Bible into Arabic.

Cyrus Hamlin, of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, in Bebek and later in Marzifoon, Marash and Harput.

However, because of the events which befell the Armenian population in the Ottoman Empire during World War I, these seminaries were closed and consolidated in the establishment of the School of Religion in Istanbul, with the Rev.

After the catastrophe of İzmir in 1922, the Armenian and Greek students of the School, together with Professor Loutfi Levonian, moved to Athens.

The first sign of this renewal is perhaps the revised curriculum for all degree programs which is included in this catalog, and was implemented as of October, 1991.

The new curriculum is an attempt at updating the course offerings and the requirements in the various degree programs so as to meet the changes in the situation of the churches in this region, as well as to keep in line with the ecumenical renewal in theological education worldwide.