9 Days Holy Land Journey

Day 1:  USA – THE HOLY LAND.  Tour members gather at the ticket counter at the airport three hours prior to their departure to The Holy Land.  Dinner and breakfast are served in-flight.

Day 2:  ARRIVAL – JAFFA – NETANYA.  Upon our arrival at the Tel Aviv airport we will begin the thrilling journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus. Visit Ancient Joppa on the Sea where Jonah set sail, and where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead. Joppa was the home of Simon the Tanner. Continue north up the coast of the Mediterranean to our hotel in Netanya – situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner will be served at our hotel.

Day 3:   THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA – CAESAREA – MOUNT CARMEL – MEGIDDO – PLAIN OF ARMAGEDDON. After a good night’s rest and a hearty breakfast we board our motor coach to Caesarea by the sea. We will visit the Crusader’s Castle, the Roman Amphitheater and water duct, and the port from which the Apostle Paul sailed to Rome. Driving through the Jezreel Valley we’ll visit Megiddo and continue to the fields of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), continuing northward along the Mediterranean Sea to Haifa and Mt. Carmel – the biblical site of Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal (IKings: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). Dinner and overnight at our hotel on the shores of the beautiful Sea of Galilee.

Day 4:  TIBERIAS – THE SEA OF GALILEE – CAPERNAUM – MOUNT OF BEATITUDES. 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 Yardenit Baptismal Site at the Jordan River. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5:  NAZARETH – JERICHO – JERUSALEM.  Today we drive to Nazareth, to visit The Church of the Annunciation and the ancient synagogue where Jesus preached. Then we continue to 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. Check in, dinner and overnight at our hotel in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Day 6:  JERUSALEM – MT OLIVES – MT ZION – YAD VAHSEM.  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 that 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 ofthe Last Supper (Luke 22:14-20) and the Tomb of King David. Continue to tour New Jerusalem, see Yad Vashem – the immensely moving memorial to the six million martyrs of the Holocaust. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 7:  OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM – WESTERN WALL – GARDEN TOMB – 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, we continue to the Temple Area of Mt. Moriah. Visit the El Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock that was 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 we 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 dinner and overnight.

Day 8:  JERUSALEM/ MASADA – QUMRAN – DEAD SEA.  This morning we drive via the Judean Desert to Masada, Herod’s magnificent fortress, with its palaces, bathhouses and ramparts. Masada was also the scene of the last stand of the Jews against the Romans in the Great Revolt, attested to by a huge Roman siege ramp and other finds. The combination of its dramatic story and its fabulous architecture and finds has won it recognition as a World Heritage Site. We ascend to Masada in a cable car. Then we drive 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. Finally, it’s time to float on the Dead Sea before we return to our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

Day 9:  Airport Departure Transfer to Tel Aviv Airport for Departure  - the end of a most enjoyable journey.