Duration: 12 Days
Dates: January 30, 2023 to February 10, 2023
Departure City: Seattle, Washington Or Portland, Oregon

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Monday (30th January) Leave the USA

Day 2: Tuesday (31st January) TEL AVIV
Arrive in Tel Aviv and board a new, climate-controlled motor coach where our guide will greet us and give us an orientation of the land as we travel towards Jaffa. There we will consider the vision of Peter (Acts 10) and start following the sequence of events that lead to the opening of the gates of the early church to Gentiles. As we look at the very place where Jonah ran from the Lord, we will also reflect on our own walk with God. Check into our hotel on the coastal plains of the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner included.

Day 3: Wednesday (1st February) Caesarea Maritima – Mount Carmel – Megiddo – Nazareth – Sea of Galilee
After a buffet breakfast, we depart the hotel on route to Caesarea Maritima (entrance included), where we will visit the magnificent city with Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. Here we will elaborate on the story of the baptism of Cornelius, the first gentile convert into Christianity (Acts 10), and on the travels of Paul — those events that led Caesarea Maritima to become the springboard of Christianity to the West. We will then continue to Mount Carmel (entrance included) and consider the contest between the Prophet Elijah and the false prophets of Baal (I Kings 18), discussing the reasons why the Prophet chose that place for the contest, and the lessons we learn from the story. We then travel to Megiddo (entrance included), and explore the Tel that goes back in history to 4000 BC, looking at ruins from the times of King Solomon and King Ahab. Overlooking the Armageddon Valley, we will also discuss the reasons why we believe this will be the setting for the final battle between good and evil mentioned in Revelation 16:16. After a self-hosted lunch break we travel to Nazareth where we will climb the Mount of Precipice, the brow of the hill on which the city was built (Luke 4).There we will reflect on the rejection of Jesus by his family and friends in Nazareth. In addition to discussing Jesus’ boyhood we will also consider the life and times of Deborah (Judges 4). We check into our hotel on the Sea of Galilee for the next three nights and enjoy another dinner together.

Day 4: Thursday (2nd February) Mt. of beatitudes – Magdala – The Primacy of Peter - Capernaum – Boat Ride
After a buffet breakfast, we will begin our day on the Mount of Beatitudes and discuss the Sermon on the Mount, finishing the theme that was started earlier that day. We will then visit Magdala (entrance included), the hometown of Mary Magdalene. We will then visit the Primacy of Peter where Jesus appeared to the disciples the third time after the Resurrection. During our self-hosted lunch break you will have the opportunity to try St. Peter’s fish, commonly eaten by people in Jesus’ day. We will then visit Capernaum (entrance included), Jesus’ Galilean ministry base. There we will see the house of Peter’s mother in law, in addition to other ruins of the village. We will stand in the ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus was confronted by the demoniac. We end our day with a visit to the ancient boat museum (entrance included), containing a recently-discovered 2000-year old fishing boat. We will then sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of that boat. We return to our hotel. Dinner included

Day 5: Friday (3rd February) Tel Dan – Tel Hazer – Caesarea Philippi – Jordan River
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day with traveling to the northern boundary of Israel and begin with visiting Tel Dan (entrance included), the northern extremity of Biblical Israel. Our First stop will be Tel Hazer (entrance included), where we will view the ruins of the largest Canaanite city and the only place that Joshua burned. This is one of three cities mentioned in the Book of Kings as part of the building activities of King Solomon. We will visit the location of the altar where the golden calf was placed by King Jeroboam. There we will discuss the downfall and idolatry of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. We will move on to the Dan Stream, the largest tributary of the Jordan River and possibly the place where Psalm 42 was written (“As the dear pants for the water brook, so my soul pants for Thee...”). We will then continue to Caesarea Philippi (entrance included), where we will visit the ruins of the pagan altars and consider the confession of Peter in Matthew 16 (“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” You will be invited to a self-hosted lunch where you will have the option to try falafel, a typical Middle Easter meal. We will drive further north to the border with Syria where we will consider the dramatic conversion and life-transformation of Saul of Tarsus: The Apostle Paul. We then travel to the baptismal site of Jesus on the Jordan River. You will be offered the opportunity to be baptized in the waters of the Jordan in an available location picked by your host and guide. We then spend the evening in our hotel on the Sea of Galilee. Dinner included.

Day 6: Saturday (4th February) Beth Shean – Jericho – Dead Sea
After a buffet breakfast, we leave the area of Galilee, following the Jordan Valley Road to Beth Shean (entrance included), the capital of the Decapolis. There we will see the ruins of the Roman and Byzantine cities. We will also discuss the demise of King Saul and his sons, whose bodies were hanged on the walls of Beth Shean. We will then continue traveling south to the actual location where John the Baptist was baptizing on the Jordan River. Jericho will be our next stop, where we will visit the Tel of Jericho (entrance included) with its ancient ruins, pointing out what possibly could be the foundations of the ramparts that Joshua and the Israelites brought down. After another self-hosted lunch, we travel to our hotel spa on the Dead Sea where you will have the chance to enjoy the facilities in the hotel. You will also be able to experience floating in the Dead Sea. Before you spend a relaxing evening, dinner will be served at the resort.

Day 7: Sunday (5th February) Masada – Ein Gedi – Qumran – Jerusalem 
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day visiting Masada (entrance included), the fortress built by King Herod the Great and made famous by the Zealots in 73/74 AD with the standoff against the Romans. We visit the fortress and see the ruins that are considered a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. We then continue to Ein Geri, the oasis in the desert where the meeting between David and King Saul took place (I Samuel 24) and where many of the psalms were written by David. After a self- hosted lunch, we visit Qumran (entrance included), the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls where found by a Bedouin boy back in 1947. There we will see the caves and other buildings that the Essenes, the group of Jews who wrote the scrolls, lived. We then get ready to enter the Holy City of Jerusalem. Beginning with an orientation of the city and “a Genesis Welcome” from Mount Scopus, the overlook of the city. We then check into our hotel, where we will stay for the remainder of our time in Jerusalem. Dinner included.

Day 8: Monday (6th February) Mt. of olives – Southern Wall Excavations –Bethlehem
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day with an orientation over the holy city from the Mount of Olives, pointing out important locations within the Old City, connecting them with Biblical stories and prophecies about the return of Jesus. We will then walk down the Palm Sunday Procession road to the Garden of Gethsemane, where the passion of Jesus began. Each of us will be given some personal time in a private section of the Garden. We will then visit the Southern Wall excavations (entrance included) where ruins of the retaining walls of the Temple Mount are still visible. We will then gather at the teaching steps, the main entrance to the Temple where Rabbis met and taught their disciples. After a self -hosted lunch we then travel to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. We begin with a visit to the Shepherds fields where the angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of Our Lord. These fields are also the setting of the Book of Ruth. We will then travel to the Church of the Nativity and view the actual place where Our Lord was born. Time will then be given to shop for olive wood and other items. We return to our hotel. Dinner included.

Day 9: Tuesday (7th February) Western wall tunnels – Temple Mt. – St. Anne and pools of Bethesda – Israel Museum
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day entering the Old City and a visit to the Western Wall (entrance included), a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We will ascend the Temple Mount, discussing its connection to both the Old and New Testaments. We will also discuss why it is considered the third holiest site in Islam. Leaving the Temple Mount, we will visit the Church of St. Anne’s (entrance included), a perfectly intact Crusader church. It is a wonderful place to gather and sing a song (sometimes with fellow Christians from all over the world). There, we will also visit the pools of Bethesda where the healing at the pool took place (John 5). After a self-hosted lunch in the Old City, we travel to the Israel Museum (entrance included) where we will visit the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem, a 1:50 scaled model of the city from the year 66 AD. We will also visit the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are on exhibit, in addition to the archaeological section where many artifacts are displayed we will play special attention to those items that relate to Bible history. We then return to our hotel. Dinner included.

Day 10: Wednesday (8th February) Bet Shemesh – Bet Guvrin –Valley of Elah-Shphelah
After a buffet breakfast, we travel to the Shphela (the Judean Low Lands), disputed territory between the Israelites and the Philistines. Here we will consider the story of Samson (Judges 13-16). We then continue to Tel Bet Shemesh (entrance included), where the Ark of the Covenant was brought after being returned from Philistine captivity (1 Samuel 6). We then visit Bet Guvrin (Maresha) (entrance included), with its underground caves that had various functions. After lunch, we will visit the Valley of Elah where the confrontation between David and Goliath took place. (You will be even be able to gather five smooth stones from the creek.) We then return to our hotel. Dinner included.

Day 11: Thursday (9th February) Thursday Hezekiah Tunnel – Caiaphas house – Antonia Fortress- Garden Tomb
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day with a visit to the original location of the city of Jerusalem, going back in history 3000 years. We will also visit Hezekiah’s tunnel (entrance included), a 1749 foot long tunnel that was dug by King Hezekiah as he prepared for the Assyrian King Sennacharib’s invasion in 701 BC. Those interested in walking the foot deep water tunnel will have the chance to do so. We will visit the Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper and also the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas (entrance included). We will then walk the Via Dolorosa (The Way of Suffering), the actual path that Jesus walked from the Antonia Fortress to the crucifixion site. We will also visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jesus’ tomb. We end our day with a visit to the Garden Tomb (entrance included), where we will worship together and celebrate communion. We return to our hotel for our last Dinner provided.

Day 12: - Friday- (10th February) Departure