The day has arrived and we board our coach at First Assembly. We drive to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), where we begin our overnight journey to Israel.
Today we arrive in Israel at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. We will be met by our driver and guide. Time permitting, we will visit the ancient town of Jaffa, where Peter had his vision on the rooftop of Simon the Tanner. Overnight Tel Aviv area. Daniel Herzilya or simlar. D.
Today we travel to Caesarea Maritima, where we will visit the remains this magnificent ancient 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, and on the travels of Paul — those events that led Caesarea Maritima to become a springboard for the Gospel’s spread to the West. We continue to Mount Carmel and consider the contest between the Prophet Elijah and the false prophets of Baal, discussing the reasons why the Prophet chose that place for the contest, and the lessons we learn from the story. We visit Tel Megiddo, from where we will take in an incredible view of the Valley of Armageddon. We move on to Nazareth where we will climb the Mount of Precipice, the brow of the hill on which the city was built. There we will reflect on the rejection of Jesus by his family and friends in Nazareth. We depart for the Sea of Galilee, passing Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle. Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Leonardo Club or similar. B, D.
After a buffet breakfast, we will visit the ancient boat museum containing a recently-discovered 2000-year-old fishing boat. We will then sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of that boat. Afterwards, we will drive to Magdala the hometown of Mary Magdalene. We visit the Mt. of Beatitudes and discuss the sermon on the Mount, before moving on to Capernaum, Jesus’ Galilean ministry base. We drive to Tabgha and see the Primacy of Peter, where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time after the resurrection. Our last stop of the day will be to the Jordan River, where there will be an opportunity be baptized in the same river as was Jesus (baptismal gowns ans access to changing rooms cost approximatley $18). Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Leonardo Club or similar. B, D.
Today 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 Bet Arabah where John the Baptist was baptizing on the Jordan River. We visit the Qumran, the location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found by a Bedouin boy in 1947. We will see the caves and other buildings where the Essenes, the group of Jews who wrote the scrolls, lived. In the afternoon we will visit the Tel of Jericho with its ancient ruins, pointing out what possibly could be the foundations of the ramparts that Joshua and the Israelites brought down. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, D.
We begin our day with a visit to Masada, the fortress built by King Herod the Great and made famous by the Zealots in 73/74 AD with their standoff against the Romans. We visit the fortress and see the ruins that are considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We then continue to Ein Gedi (lookout and parking fee included), the oasis in the desert where the meeting between David and King Saul took place and where many of the psalms were written by David. In the afternoon free time will be given at one of the Dead Sea beaches. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, D.
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 Jesus agonized on the night before his crucifixion. We visit the Southern Wall excavations where ruins of the retaining walls of the Temple Mount are still visible. We gather at the teaching steps, the main entrance to the Temple where Rabbis met and taught their disciples. We travel to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. We begin with a visit 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 travel to the Church of the Nativity and view the actual place where, according to ancient tradition, Jesus was born. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, D.
This morning we enter the Old City and visit the Western Wall, 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. On to visit St Anne’s church and the nearby Pools of Bethesda where the healing at the pool took place (John 5). We walk the Via Dolorosa, the traditional path that Jesus walked from the Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. This afternoon we travel to the Israel Museum, where we will visit the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem, a 1:50 scaled model of the city from the 1st century AD, followed by a visit to 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 pay special attention to those items that relate to Bible history. Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, D.
Today we visit the Upper Room, the traditional place of the Last Supper followed by a visit to the nearby location of the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas. We will visit the Garden Tomb, where we will worship together and celebrate communion. The balance of the day will be spent at leisure. Your flight home may depart either late tonight or the following day. If the following day and an overnight is required, overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, D.
Your flight home may depart either the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included today. Either way, today we will arrive back in Houston (IAH), and will be taken from there by coach back to First Assembly Youngsville.