11-Day Holy Land, Dead Sea & Eilat

DAY 01: USA / EUROPE.  Tour members will gather at the ticket counter at the airport two hours prior to their departure to Europe.  Dinner and breakfast will be served in-flight.

DAY 02: EUROPE / TEL AVIV. Upon our arrival at the Tel Aviv airport we will be met and transferred to our hotel in a suburb of Tel Aviv - situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.  Dinner will be served at our hotel.  Weather permitting, we suggest a walk after dinner on the beach.

DAY 03: TEL AVIV / GALILEE.  After breakfast we drive through the citrus groves and farms of the rich land of Sharon, northward to Caesarea, the Roman city of Herod where sights include Crusader fortifications and the Roman aqueducts and amphitheater.  Driving through the Jezreel Valley to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and Megiddo.  Continuing northward along the Mediterranean Sea to Haifa and Mt. Carmel - the biblical site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal (I Kings:18). Traveling eastward across Galilee we will view Mt. Tabor (Psalm 89:12), Deboriya - the hometown of the prophetess Deborah - at the foothill of Mt. Tabor (Judges 4 and 5). Overnight at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee.

DAY 04: TIBERIAS / CAPERNAUM / CAESAREA PHILLIPI / MT. HERMON. This day will be an exciting day in the Galilee area after a delicious breakfast.  We will depart from the Roman hot springs resort city of Tiberias via a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum (John 6:24) to visit the ancient ruins of the first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matt. 4:13-17). Then on to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matt. 5-7) and to Tabgha - the chapel dedicated to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes - (Mark 6:34-44).  We will then proceed to upper Galilee and the site of Peter's confession (Matt. 16:16) at Caesarea Philippi and to Mt. Hermon (Psalm 89:12) the probable site of the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8) and the present day Golan Heights where Israel, Lebanon and Syria come together.  We will follow the fresh mountain waters of Mt. Hermon to the Sea of Galilee and to the outlet passage at the southern tip of the Sea.  We will stop at the beautiful Pilgrims Park at the Jordan River.  Return to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 05: NAZARETH / JERICHO / QUMRAN / DEAD SEA. Early morning departure to Cana and then on to Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, where we will visit the Church of the Annunciation (Luke 1:5-42) and Mary's Fountain (Luke 4:16-22).  We continue past Bethshean and then south through the Jordan Valley to ancient Jericho where the walls came tumbling down (I Kings 17:1-6 and II Kings 2:19-22) and a commanding view of the Mt. of Temptation (Matt. 4:1-11) and Elisha's Fountain.  Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered for a visit.  See the remains of the Community Center of the Essenes and the Caves of the Scrolls.  Travel to the Dead Sea where we will spend the night.

DAY 06: MASADA / EILAT.  This morning we drive via the Judean Desert to Masada, a truly remarkable piece of history.  Ascend to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 A.D. the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean Revolt against Rome and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view. Continue south to Eilat on the Red Sea. Tour the underwater observatory. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 07:  EILAT / SOLOMON'S MINES / ASHKELON / JERUSALEM.  North of the shores of the Gulf of Eilat, Ezion Gever is a port of Solomon's times.  There is an early iron age port installation in the bay, mentioned in 1 Kings 9:6 and 11 Chronicles 8:17.  Proceed north to Tinna, "King Solomon's Mines," view the copper mines. Proceed to Ashkelon where excavations show habitation as early as 2000 BC, visit the National Park and the excavations.  Continue along the coastal road to Ashdod, where the Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant, stolen from the Israelites following their defeat.  Continue to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

DAY 08: JERUSALEM. After a night of rest and a hearty breakfast this exciting day will begin with a drive to Mt. Scopus and the Mt. of Olives (Matt. 24:3) for a panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem, visiting the Chapel of the Ascension, the Church of Pater Noster and the Dominus Flevit. Walk along Hosanna Road to the Gethsemane to visit the Church of All Nations which stands on the Rock of Agony where Jesus was betrayed by Judas (Matt. 26:36-57).  See the Pillar of Absalom, the Eastern (Golden) Gate and the Pinnacle of the Temple.  We then drive to Mt. Zion where we visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu on the site of Caiphas' House, the Room of the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20) and the Tomb of King David. Continue to tour New Jerusalem:  Hebrew University, the Shrine of the Book that houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, Yad Vashem - the immensely moving memorial to the six million martyrs of the Holocaust - and the Model City of Jerusalem which depicts in miniature the Holy City as it appeared in the first century. Visit Ein Karem and return to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 09: JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM. Today begins with a walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem.  Starting at the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) where the faithful Jews cry their petitions to God.  Continue to the Temple Area of Mt. Moriah.  Visit the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock which is built on the ancient site of Solomon's Temple (Genesis 22:9-14) and over the Rock of Sacrifice where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22) and the ceremonial sacrifice of animals took place.  After this we walk along the Via Dolorosa to Pilate's Judgment Hall, the Chapel of the Flagellation, the Ecce Homo Arch (John 19:13) where Jesus was tried before Pilate (Mark 15:6). Then continue through the Old City bazaars to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  Visit the Garden Tomb and Golgotha - Place of the Skull - for a worship service.  This afternoon continue our tour to Bethlehem.  We will visit the Church of the Nativity, the birthplace of Jesus, and Shepherds Fields (Luke 2:1-20) then the Field of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 1:16-17 & 4:13).  We return to Jerusalem passing Rachel's Tomb to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 10: JERUSALEM.  Today is a day of leisure.  Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 11:  JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV / NORTH AMERICA. Early morning departure from Jerusalem to the Tel Aviv Airport for our return to North America.  The end of a most enjoyable tour.