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DAY 01: NORTH AMERICA / 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 Nethanya - 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
westward 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 / GOLAN HEIGHTS.
 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 Phillipi 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 / JERUSALEM.
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.
Then up to Jerusalem through the Judean wilderness. Overnight at our
hotel in the Holy City of Jerusalem.
DAY 06: 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, and the Model City of Jerusalem
which depicts in miniature the Holy City as it appeared in the first
century. Return to our hotel for overnight.
DAY 07: 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 08: JERUSALEM / DEAD SEA / QUMRAN /
MASADA / EILAT. This morning we
drive via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea - the lowest point on earth.
Continue to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Visit
the remains of the Community Center of the Essenes and the Caves of the
Scrolls. Our tour then takes us 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. Onto Eilat for dinner and overnight.
DAY 09: EILAT / LUNCH CRUISE / EILAT.
 After
breakfast we will begin our sightseeing at the Underwater Observatory.
Drive through the city of Eilat to the port on the Red Sea. Board our
cruise ship for a luncheon cruise. Return to our hotel for dinner and
overnight.
DAY 10: EILAT / JERUSALEM.
Morning departure from Eilat to Jerusalem. The afternoon is at
leisure. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Jerusalem.
DAY 11: TEL AVIV/NORTH
AMERICA. After a hearty
breakfast we depart for the airport for our return flight to North
America. The end of our most enjoyable journey. |
