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DAY 1: USA / EUROPE. Tour
members will gather at the ticket counter at the airport two hours prior
to the departure to Europe. Dinner and breakfast will be served in
flight.
DAY 2: EUROPE / TEL AVIV.
Upon arrival, we will be met and transferred to our beautiful hotel in a
Tel Aviv suburb where the thrilling journey of following in the
footsteps of Jesus will begin. Dinner will be served at our hotel.
Weather permitting, we suggest a walk after dinner on the beach.
 DAY
3: THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA / ANCIENT JOPPA / CAESAREA / MOUNT CARMEL /
HAIFA / PLAIN OF ARMAGEDDON /TIBERIAS. After
a good nights rest and a hearty breakfast we will begin the thrilling
journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus. Ancient Joppa on the
Sea is where Jonah set sail, and where Peter raised Dorcas from the
dead. Joppa was the home of Simon the Tanner. At Caesarea by the sea
we'll visit the Crusader's Castle, the Roman Amphitheater and water
duct, and the port from which the Apostle Paul sailed to Rome. We will
continue northward along the Mediterranean coast to Mount Carmel where
Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal by the Brook Kishon. After Haifa
we'll view Megiddo and the Plain of Armageddon, Jezreel and Esdraelon.
Visit Nazareth and Cana. Eastward we will arrive in Tiberias for dinner
and overnight at our hotel and get our first glimpse of the beautiful
Sea of Galilee.
 DAY
4: TIBERIAS / THE SEA OF GALILEE / CAPERNAUM / MOUNT OF BEATITUDES /
TABGHA / CAESAREA PHILIPPI / MT. HERMON / GOLAN HEIGHTS / THE JORDAN
RIVER. 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 this
first century synagogue where Jesus preached (Matthew 4:13-17). Then on
to the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 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 (Matthew 16:16) at Caesarea
Philippi and to Mt. Hermon (Psalm 89:12), the probable site of the
Transfiguration (Matthew 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 5: TIBERIAS / MT. NEBO / PETRA.
Today we depart Tiberias via the Sheik Hussein Bridge and cross into
Jordan. We continue to Jerash, Mt. Nebo, and then on to Petra "The Rose
Red City - Half as Old as Time". Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
 DAY
6: PETRA / ST. CATHERINE’S. This morning
after breakfast, we visit Petra. This ancient Edomite and Nabatean
capital is an amazing city of prophecy. See this spectacular "City of
the Dead" with its famed gorge, ancient street, temples, dwelling places
and tombs carved from the solid rock. Arrive at El Ji Post and continue
the one-mile journey on horseback, or walk, passing through the famous
SIQ (natural gorge) and arrive at the "Treasury". Visit the ancient
theater. In the Nabatean Judgment Hall, Place Tombs, famous Urn Temple
and the Roman amphitheater. Those willing to climb may view the
monastery, Jebel Harun (Mountain of Aaron), supposed to be the burial
place of Aaron. Horseback journey back to El Ji Post. Continue to St.
Catherine’s via the Southern Bridge into Egypt. Dinner and overnight at
our hotel.
 DAY
7: ST. CATHERINE'S / DEAD SEA. Very early
morning. At 2:00 am, assisted by a Bedouin guide, ascend a flight of
3,000 steps to the top of Mt. Horeb. A picnic breakfast is provided.
Descending at 8:30 am we will visit the monastery grounds and
buildings. The chapel, library and ossuary (bones of the saints of many
centuries) will provide a lifetime experience. At 10:30 am, we leave on
our way to the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.
 DAY
8: DEAD SEA / MASADA / QUMRAN / DEAD SEA/ JERICHO / BETHANY /
JERUSALEM. We depart this morning for Masada,
on the shores of the Dead Sea. Ascend the fortress by cable car. Visit
the ruins of the fortifications, waterworks, Herodian Palaces and Roman
Temples. On the way to Qumran stop at Ein Gedi. Visit the site of
Canaanite Jericho, the oldest walled city in the world. View Mt.
Temptation, visit the site of Canaanite Jericho destroyed by Joshua and
see Elijah's Fountain. Return to Jerusalem, seeing on the way, the Inn
of the Good Samaritan, Bethany and the Tomb of Lazarus. On to our
hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
 DAY
9: MT. SCOPUS / THE MT. OF OLIVES / GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE / ST. STEPHENS
GATE / POOL OF BETHESDA / THE WAY OF THE CROSS / THE OLD CITY / GOLGOTHA
/ THE GARDEN TOMB. After a good night of rest
and a hearty breakfast, this exciting day will begin with a drive to Mt.
Scopus and the Mt. of Olives (Matthew 24:3) for a panoramic view of the
Old City of Jerusalem (Mark 14:32-26) and the Church of Agony where
Jesus was betrayed by Judas (Matthew 26:36-57), we will proceed to St.
Stephens Gate (Acts 7:51-60) from whence we will visit the Five Porch
Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-16) and the Church of Saint Anne. Then we
will follow in the footsteps of Jesus through the Old City 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). We then will
traverse the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, the Place of the Skull (John
19:17), where they crucified our Lord. Then on to a victory celebration
at the Resurrection Tomb and Garden (John 20:1-18).
 DAY
10: THE NEW CITY / THE MODEL CITY / BETHLEHEM / THE KIDRON VALLEY / THE
HOUSE OF CAIPHAS / MT. ZION / THE UPPER ROOM / THE WESTERN WALL / THE
TEMPLE MOUNT. We will begin the day with a
trip to New Jerusalem and enjoy a brief visit to the outdoor walking
mall. Proceed to view the Model City of Jerusalem which depicts in
miniature the Holy City as it appeared in the first century. Onward to
Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity and the birthplace of
Jesus, observing Rachel's tomb, the Shepherd's Field (Luke 2:1-20) and
the Field of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 1:16-17 and 4:13). The afternoon drive
will take us through the Kidron Valley to the Pool of Siloam. Viewing
the House of Caiphas, the High Priest, and the first century steps of
stone that our Lord climbed, we will continue to the Room of the Last
Supper (Luke 22:14-20) on the summit of Mt. Zion where the tomb of King
David is memorialized. On to the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall) where
the faithful Jews cry their petitions to God and to 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.
DAY 11: JERUSALEM / TEL AVIV / NORTH AMERICA.
This morning after breakfast, we will be transferred to the Tel Aviv
Airport for our return flight to North America. The end of an
unforgettable journey. |
