Duration: 12 Days
Dates: October 24, 2023 to November 4, 2023
Departure City: Jacksonville, Florida (JAX)

RegisterAllianz Insurance

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Tuesday, October 24, 2023: Departure to Tel Aviv

Day 2 - Wednesday, October 25, 2023: Arrival 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. (D.)

Day 3 – Thursday, October 26, 2023: Caesarea – Mount Carmel – Megiddo - Nazareth – Sea of Galilee
After a buffet breakfast, we depart the hotel on route to Caesarea Maritima (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 (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 (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 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 two nights. (B.D.)

Day 4 – Friday, October 27, 2023: Mt. Beatitudes - St. Peter ‘s Primacy – Capernaum – Magdala - Boat Ride & Jesus Boat Museum
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day from the Mount of Beatitudes and discuss the Sermon on the Mount. We will then visit Capernaum (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 will then St. Peter’s Primacy where The Lord appeared to the disciples the third time. We will then visit Magdala (included), the hometown of Mary Magdalene. We end our day with a visit to the ancient boat museum (included), containing an recently-discovered 2000-year old fishing boat. We will then sail (included) on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of that boat. We return to our hotel. Dinner included (B.D.)

Day 5 – Saturday, October 28, 2023: Mount Tabor - Jordan River- Jericho – Old Roman Road – Jerusalem (Mount of Olives)
After a buffet breakfast, we travel to Mount Tabor (included) where the Transfiguration took place and then we leave the area of Galilee following the Jordan Valley Jordan River where the actual location where John the Baptist was baptizing on the Jordan River is. Jericho will be our next stop, where we will visit the Tel of Jericho (included) with its ancient ruins, pointing out what possibly could be the foundations of the ramparts that Joshua and the Israelites brought down. After lunch, we travel to the Old Roman Road, where we will consider the setting for the Parable of the Good Samaritan. From there we will go up to Jerusalem for a first view of the city from the Mount of Olives. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. (B.D)

Day 6 – Sunday, October 29, 2023: Ein Gedi – Dead Sea
After a buffet breakfast, we begin at Ein Gedi (parking included), 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 lunch, we visit Qumran (included), the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were 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 will end the day with some time to float in the Dead Sea (included). Jerusalem. Dinner included. (B.D)

Day 7 – Monday, October 30, 2023: Bethlehem – Jerusalem (pools of Bethesda, Western Wall, Lazarus’ Tomb) – Israel Museum
After a buffet breakfast go to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity and view the actual place where Our Lord was born. We will then visit the Church of St. Anne’s (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). We will then visit the Western Wall. Continue to Bethany (included) where the tomb of Lazarus is located. End our day with Israel Museum (included). We return to our hotel. Dinner included. (B.D)

Day 8 – Tuesday, October 31, 2023: Gethsemane – Walk to Zion / Old City of David – Upper Room (Communion) – Caiaphas House – Via Dolorosa – Church of the Holy Sepulcher - Departure
After a buffet breakfast, we begin our day at the Upper Room (communion). We will then spend some time at the Garden of Gethsemane (time will be given at the private section of the garden). We will then walk through the Kidron Valley past the Pool of Siloam (included). We will then continue to the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas (included). We will then visit the judgment hall Ecce Homo (included). After lunch, we will walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher where Jesus was crucified, buried, and Resurrected. We return to our hotel for dinner and overnight (B.D.)

Day 09 – Wednesday, November 01, 2023: Jordan- Bethany beyond the Jordan
Today, we cross the border into Jordan. Drive to Allenby to cross into Jordan, we will make our way to Bethany (included) Beyond the Jordan. We will have an opportunity to be baptized here, the place where John the Baptist lived when he baptized Jesus. Dinner and Overnight at the Dead Sea.

Day 10 – Thursday, November 02, 2023: Madaba – Mt. Nebo – Jerash – Dead Sea
After breakfast, we drive to Madaba (included) the sight of a mosaic map of Jerusalem from the Byzantine era and then on to Mt. Nebo (included), to stand where Moses stood to view the Promised Land. you will depart for Jerash (entrance included), nestled in a quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead. Outside of Italy, this ancient Roman city is one of the most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world. Currently, its paved and colonnaded streets are home to soaring hilltop temples, handsome theaters, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and towers. We will then drive to Amman to have a tour of the city. We return to our hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.

Day 11 – Friday, November 03, 2023: Petra – Dead Sea
After breakfast, we begin a long day of driving through the Jordanian desert along the area called the Way of the Kings. On our way we will visit Petra (included). The “rose red city half as old as time,” This ancient Edomite and Nabatean capital is an amazing example of prophecy. We’ll see the spectacular “city of the dead,” with its famed gorge, ancient streets, temples, dwelling places and tombs, carved in the solid rock. Then we arrive at El-Ji Post, and continue the one-mile journey on horseback, or walk, passing through the famous Siq (the natural gorge) and arrive at the Treasury, we return to our hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.

Day 12 – Saturday, November 04, 2023: Return home.
Today we leave Jordan on an international flight back home with unforgettable memories.