The day has arrived and we depart the United States on an overnight journey to Israel. This trip includes flights from the New York City area, but Christian Expedition can arrange flights for you from a different airport, for an additional cost.

Today we arrive in Israel at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. We will meet our guide and make our way toward the Mediterranean Coast. Time permitting, we will visit Jaffa, where Peter had his vision on the roof top of Simon the Tanner. Overnight Tel Aviv area. Daniel or Gordon Beach or similar. D.

This morning we will head north, and visit Caesarea Maritima (included), a magnificent city with Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. Here we will elaborate on the story of the baptism of Cornelius, the first gentile convert to Christianity (Acts 10), and on the travels of Paul — those events that led Caesarea Maritima to become a springboard of the Gospel’s spread to the West. We visit Mount Carmel, Muhraqa – The Place of Fire (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 visit Tel Megiddo, where we will see the Solomon city gate, stables and palaces from the times of Ahab, the high place and the impressive water system dating to the 9th century BC. We will also enjoy views of the Valley of Armageddon. We move on to Nazareth, where we visit Church of the Annunciation, which, according to tradition, was built over the house of Mary, where the Angel appeared to her announcing that she would give birth to Jesus. We visit the Upper Basilica and the nearby archaeological museum (included) where we see the remains of Nazareth from the time of Jesus. Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Ron Beach or Leonardo Club or Nof Ginosar or similar. B, L, D.

We begin our day with a sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of a boat from Jesus’ time (included). We will dock in Ginosar where we will visit the Ancient Boat Museum (included), containing a 2000-year-old fishing boat that provides a good example of what boats on the Sea of Galilee looked like in Jesus’ time. We visit Magdala (included), the hometown of Mary Magdalene, to include it’s 1st century synagogue, the oldest synagogue discovered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. We visit the Mount of Beatitudes where we enjoy its enchanting gardens and reflect on Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. In Tabgha we visit the Church of Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time after his Resurrection. We will enjoy a lunch of St. Peter’s fish, commonly eaten by people in Jesus’ day (included). We visit Capernaum (included), which served as Jesus’ Galilean ministry base. There we will see the house of Peter’s mother-in-law and the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught. We will visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site on the Jordan River, where there will be an opportunity to baptized in the same river as was Jesus. Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Ron Beach or Leonardo Club or Nof Ginosar or similar. B, L, D.

This morning after breakfast we will leave the Galilee area and travel south through the Jordan River Valley. We will come to Gideon’s Spring (included), where Gideon chose 300 men for battle. We visit Beit She’an (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 Beit She’an. En route to Jericho, we stop at Bet Arabah, also known as Qasr el Yahud, or Gilgal. This place on the Jordan River is the approximate site where the Israelites crossed into the promised land, Elijah was taken to heaven, and Jesus was baptized. We visit Tel Jericho (included), where we will see the location of city from the time of Joshua, and enjoy a view the Mount of Temptation. We will also see an ancient Sycamore Tree reminding us of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus. En route to Jerusalem we will see Wadi Qelt, which is believed by some to be the inspiration for Psalm 23’s “Valley of the Shadow of Death.” Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or Olive Tree or Leonardo or similar. B, L, D.

This morning we visit the Mount of Olives, from where we will enjoy a panoramic view of Jerusalem. We walk along Palm Sunday Road stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the city. We proceed to Mount Zion to visit the Cenacle, the traditional location of the Upper Room in which Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples. We make our way to the Israel Museum. Here we will see a model of the city of Jerusalem as it was during the time of Jesus. We will also visit the Shrine of the Book, which houses some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We drive to the Shepherds’ Field, where the angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of Jesus. These fields are also the setting of some of the events of the Book of Ruth. We will enter Bethlehem and visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity where will see what is, according to ancient tradition, the place where Jesus was born. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or Olive Tree or Leonardo or similar. B, L, D.

This morning we visit the Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, which is a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We will ascend the Temple Mount to the place where the Jewish temple stood until its destruction in 70 A.D. Here we reflect on Jesus’ ministry at the Temple of Jerusalem and see the Dome of the Rock (exterior views only), a possible location of the Holy of Holies. We will visit the Church of St. Anne (included), a perfectly intact Crusader church famous for its acoustics. It is a wonderful place to gather and sing a song of worship (sometimes with fellow Christians from all over the world). We will also visit the Pools of Bethesda where the healing at the pool took place (John 5). We visit the City of David (included) where we will experience, among other things, Hezekiah’s Tunnel. Leaving Jerusalem we come to Qumran, where we will see the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered and the buildings that formed the Essene public center. Time and conditions permitting, we will enjoy a float on the Dead Sea (access to the beach included). Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or Olive Tree or Leonardo or similar. B, L, D.

We begin the day with a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus agonized on the night before his crucifixion, and to the Gethsemane cave, where it is believed that Jesus often spent the night, and that he was arrested by the High Priest’s guards. We will walk along the Kidron Valley, following the footsteps of Jesus and seeing the Absalom Tomb, Gihon Spring and Water Gate. We proceed to the House of Caiaphas, the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (included), where we can see parts of the streets that Our Lord was dragged on by his captors. We will have a chance to visit and pray at the dungeon where Jesus is believed to have been kept on the night before his crucifixion. In the Old City we will visit Ecce Homo (included), the site named for Pontius Pilate’s words “Behold the man”, where Jesus was beaten, crowned with thorns and clothed in a purple robe. We see the Stone Pavement called Lithostratos. We walk the Via Dolorosa following the traditional route that Jesus took on his way to the crucifixion. We visit the Garden Tomb (donation included), a peaceful spot where we can remember Christ’s crucifixion, burial and resurrection. We see Calvary and the empty tomb. Your flight home may depart either tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or Olive Tree or Leonardo or similar. B, L, D.

Your flight home may depart the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. Either way, today we will arrive back at home. This trip includes flights back to the New York City area, but Christian Expedition can fly you back to a different airport of your choosing at your request and subject to an additional cost.