12-Day Holy Land, Petra & Rome

DAY 01: 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 02: 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 03: 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 04: 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 05: TIBERIAS / MT. NEBO / PETRA.  Today we depart Tiberias via the Allenby Bridge and cross into Jordan. We continue to Mt. Nebo, and then on to Petra "The Rose Red City - Half as Old as Time". Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 06: PETRA / JERUSALEM.  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 Jerusalem via the Allenby Bridge.  Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

DAY 07: 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 08: MASADA / BETHANY / JERICHO / OLD JERICHO / THE MT. OF TEMPTATION / THE VILLAGE OF THE ESSENES / THE  QUMRAN CAVES / THE DEAD SEA. This morning we drive via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Visit the Dead Sea, drive through Jericho to Old Jericho.  A beautiful new road takes us south along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada, truly a remarkable piece of history. On the way we view Ein Gedi, a green oasis in the middle of the desert. Then 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 6th century Byzantine church are still on view. Return along the Dead Sea 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. We will continue on the Jericho Road viewing the Inn of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and the Judean wilderness. Then we visit Bethany, the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1-46) en route to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

DAY 09: 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 to see Yad Vashem - the immensely moving memorial to the six million martyrs of the Holocaust - 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 10: TEL AVIV / ROME.   We will be transferred to the Tel Aviv Airport for our flight to Rome.  Upon arrival we will be transferred to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 11: ROME.  A morning visit to the Vatican city includes the Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square, Church of St. Peter, Basilica of St. Paul, the ancient Appian Way and the catacombs of St. Caliztus.  Afternoon sightseeing will include Moses' Fountain, Quirinale Palace, Pantheon, Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, the Coliseum - site of early Christian martyrdom - and Mamertine Prison, possibly the final place of confinement of the Apostle Paul before his execution.  Return to our hotel for overnight.

DAY 12:  ROME / NORTH AMERICA.  This morning after breakfast, we will be transferred to the Frankfurt Airport for our return flight to North America.