Shalom and welcome to Israel! Upon arrival, you will be met at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and assisted through immigration. You will be transferred to Galilee, check in and the rest of the day is free for you. Overnight in Galilee.
After breakfast this morning we will visit the ancient port of Jaffa, which has a recorded history of 35000 years. Here Peter raised Dorcas to life, he had his vision of the Great Sheet and Cornelius was converted. We will continue along the coast to Caesarea, built by Herod the Great as the Capital of Palestine and Named after his benefactor Augustus. Pontius Pilate occupied the governor’s residence. In the House of Cornelius, Peter preached to a gentile congregation. St. Paul passed through Caesarea several times and he was sent here for trail by Felix. He was imprisoned here for 2 years before making his defense to Festes and Agrippa. From here he was sent in chains to Rome. After our visit we will return to the Coastal Highway to drive on to the natural port of Haifa. We stop for a panoramic view of the city and a visit to the Bahai Shrine. Later we will continue to the Ancient port of Acre- (New Testament “Ptolemais”), first mentioned by name in the annals of the Pharaoh Thutmoses III 3500 years ago. After viewing this picturesque city with its famous underground excavations and crypt of St. John we will proceed to Tiberias. Dinner and Overnight in Galilee.
Wake up to an early breakfast this morning and we will drive to the Golan, stopping at Caesarea Philippi (Banias), one the sources of the Jordan River which Jesus visited shortly before his crucifixion. Peter was rebuked nearby. Later we will return to the shores of the Sea of Galilee and drive directly to Tiberias for a lunch of St. Peter’s fish at a lakeside restaurant. After lunch we will sail across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, where Jesus made his home, began preaching in the Synagogue and healed the centurion’s servant. Afterwards we will visit the Mount of the Beatitudes, site of Jesus’ Sermon of the Mount. We will celebrate mass overlooking the Sea of Galilee. This afternoon we continue on to Tabgha, site of the Miracle of Multiplication of the Loaves and the fishes. Dinner and overnight in Galilee.
Today post breakfast we will drive to the village of Cana, scene of the Jesus’ first Miracle, turning water in to wine at the marriage feast, we then continue to Nazareth, the residence of Mary and Joseph. From here we will journey 85 miles south to Bethlehem for the Roman enrolment. We will visit the Church of the Annunciation and Mary’s well. Later we will drive to Mt. Tabor, believed to be the site of the Transfiguration and the meeting between Jesus, Elijah and Moses. We will drive south via Biet Shean and through the Jordan Valley to Jericho (one of the oldest cities in the world). Here we will visit the Tel with its remains of the ancient city wall; we will then drive to visit the remains of the Caliph Hisham’s Palace. Lastly we will continue on to Bethlehem. On the way we will see the Inn of the Good Samaritan the Home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary where Jesus restored Lazarus to life. We will also visit the Tomb of Lazarus before entering Jerusalem from the East.Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
Today we begin our tour at the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Then we visit the Chapel of Ascension and the Paternoster Church. Walk through the Gardens of Gethsemane to the Basilica of Agony, where Jesus prayed and sweated drops of blood as he waited to be betrayed by the Romans. We then continue to Mary’s Tomb and drive through the Kidron valley to the House of Caiphas on Mt. Zion. This was the scene of Jesus’ first trial and here Peter denied the Lord three times. Visit the Room of the Last Supper, King David’s Tomb and the Dormition Abbey.
We will then proceed to Bethlehem to visit the church of Nativity, which is built over the Grotto where Jesus was born. On our way we will pass by the shepherd’s fields, where according to Gospel of Luke, the angel brought the shepherds ‘tidings of the birth of the Christ child’. Then we will visit Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist and see the church of St. John and the Church of Visitation. We now start our drive back through New Jerusalem, passing along the Knesset, the Hebrew University, The Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book; this is where the Dead Sea scrolls are exhibited. We will also pass the monastery of the Cross – it is believed that the wood of the cross was taken from here. Dinner and Overnight in Jerusalem.
After breakfast, we enter the city for a walking tour of the holy sites. We visit the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus cured an invalid man, we then continue to the Prateorium, site of Jesus public trail and condemnation. We view the ancient remains of the fortress of Antonia, seat of the Roman procurator. We later proceed to the Temple Mount to view the Dome of The Rock, and the Western Wall. We will walk along the Via Dolorosa, passing the 14 Stations of the Cross to the church of the Holy Sepulchre, erected on the site of the crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus. We visit the Christian quarters and other Holy Sites. We then wind down through the exotic oriental bazaar to Jaffa Gate. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
Today we depart Jerusalem traveling across the Judean Wilderness East to the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point in earth – 390 meters below sea level. Here we visit the caves of Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947. Later drive past Ein Gedi, the green oasis in the desert, to the ancient fortress of Massada, at this site 960 Jewish Zeakits committed suicide rather than surrender to the Roman army. We will ascend by cable car to view the remains of the Roman Wall, the water system, the Roman baths storerooms, synagogues etc… If time and weather permit we will go for a swim in the Dead Sea. Dinner and Overnight in Jerusalem.
Following breakfast, you will be transferred to the Ben Gurion Airport for your flight back.
