Your Host
The day has arrived, and we depart Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Dulles International Airport (IAD) on an overnight journey to Israel.
Today we arrive at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport, where we meet our guide and driver. Time permitting, we will visit the ancient town of Jaffa where Peter had his vision on the rooftop of the house of Simon the Tanner. Tower of David Netanya or similar.
Overnight Tel Aviv area. Tower of David Netanya or similar. B, L, D.
We travel towards Caesarea Maritima (entrance included), where we will have a brief visit to 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 to Christianity, and on the travels of Paul those events led Caesarea Maritima to become the springboard of Christianity to the West. We continue to Mount Carmel (entrance included) 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 Megiddo before traveling on to Nazareth. In Nazareth we 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. While there 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. We head to the Sea of Galilee area, passing Cana of Galilee where Jesus preformed his first miracle.
Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Leonardo Club or similar. B, L, D.
This morning we sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of a 1st Century AD fishing boat (included). Afterwards, we will drive to Magdala (entrance included) the hometown of Miriam Magdalena. Then we visit the Mt. of Beatitudes and discuss the sermon on the Mount before moving on to Capernaum (entrance included), Jesus Galilean ministry base. We drive to Tabgha and see the Primacy of Peter where Jesus appeared to the disciples for the third time after the resurrection. Our last stop of the day will be the Jordan River where you will get a chance to be baptized.
Overnight Sea of Galilee area. Leonardo Club or similar. B, L, D.
We leave the area of Galilee, following the Jordan Valley Road to Beit 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 Beit Shean. Then its on to Gideon’s Spring, where Gideon chose warriors for battle. We continue traveling south to Bet Arabah where John the Baptist was baptizing on the Jordan River. We 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. This afternoon we visit Qumran (entrance 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.
(Note: Late check-in will apply on Saturday – at least 2.5 hours after sunset.)
Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, L, D.
We begin our day entering the Old City and with a visit to the Western Wall, a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We ascend the Temple Mount, discussing its connection to both the Old and New Testaments. On to visit St Anne’s church (entrance included) and the nearby Pools of Bethesda where the healing at the pool took place. We will 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 (entrance included), 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 the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are on exhibit, in addition to the archeological section where many artifacts are displayed. We will play special attention to those items that relate to Bible history. Dinner.
Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, L, D.
Today we visit Masada (entrance & cable car 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 En Gedi, 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, L, D.
We begin our day with a visit the Bethany to see the house of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. We enter the Lazarus Tomb (entrance included), followed by 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 walk down the Palm Sunday Procession Road before traveling 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 some of the events of the Book of Ruth. We travel on to the Church of the Nativity and view the actual place where, according to ancient tradition, Our Lord was born. Today we also visit the Upper Room, the traditional place of the Last Supper.
Overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, L, D.
We begin our day with a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent the night before his crucifixion, followed by a visit to the the home of the High Priest, Caiaphas (entrance included). We visit the Southern Wall excavations (entrance included) where ruins of the retaining walls of the Temple Mount are still visible. We will gather at the teaching steps, the main entrance to the Temple where Rabbis met and taught their disciples. Then its on to the City of David, where we visit Hezekiah’s Tunnel and other important archaeological sites. We visit the Garden Tomb (entrance included), where we will worship together and celebrate communion. Your flight home may depart either late tonight or the following day.
If an overnight is required, overnight Jerusalem. Grand Court or similar. B, L, D.
Your flight home may depart either the previous night or today. If today and time allows, breakfast is included. Either way, today we are arrive back at BOS/IAD.