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Day 1: Thu Mar 12- USA / ISRAEL.
Today, we embark on our Journey to the Holy Land. Prepare yourself for a life
changing experience. Get some rest on the flight. Tomorrow, you will be walking
where Jesus walked! Arrive at the Phoenix airport three hours before departure
time for our flight to Atlanta. Our international flight to Tel Aviv will leave
late in the evening and dinner
and breakfast will be served in flight.
Day 2: Fri Mar 13- TEL AVIV.
We arrive at Ben Gurion Airport where we will be met by our guide who will
accompany us during our entire journey. We transfer to our hotel on the shores
of the Mediterranean Sea. Weather permitting, we can take a walk along the
Mediterranean, relax, and have dinner. The time is right for a personal
devotional with the sunset over the “Great Sea.”
Day 3: Sat Mar 14- CAESAREA / MOUNT CARMEL / MEGIDDO / NAZARETH /
TIBERIAS.
After a hearty breakfast, we will begin the thrilling journey of following in
the footsteps of Jesus. 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 and the
port from which the Apostle Paul sailed to Rome (Acts
26:19-29).
We will continue north along the Mediterranean coast to Mount Carmel where
Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal by the Brook Kishon (I
Kings 18).
Next, we travel through the Jezreel Valley to Megiddo, the Armageddon
Battlefield (Revelation
16:16),
where archaeologists have unearthed 20 levels of civilization. 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).
We drive through the area of Cana and Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, where
we visit the Nazareth Village, a wonderful recreation of Biblical times with
costumed guides. We have dinner and overnight in the ancient Roman resort town
of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.
Day 4: Sun Mar 15- 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 and have time for an optional
baptism if we wish. Return to our hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Mon Mar 16- BEIT SHEAN / MT. NEBO / PETRA.
Today, we depart Tiberias and travel southward to Beit-Shean / Scythopolis, one
of the remaining Roman cities located at the strategic juncture of the Jezreel
and Jordan valleys. After defeating Saul and his sons on Mt. Gilboa, the
Philistines hanged their bodies on the walls of Beit-Shean. (I Samuel 31:10-12).
We will then travel 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 in Jordan.
Day 6: Tue Mar 17- PETRA / DEAD SEA.
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". We visit the ancient theater, 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), reputed to be the burial
place of Aaron. Journey back to El Ji Post and continue our return to Israel
via the Southern Bridge. We then continue on to the Dead Sea, the lowest point
on earth, where we will enjoy a dip in the Dead Sea for a relaxing float before
dinner and overnight at our hotel on the Dead Sea.
Day 7: Wed Mar 18- MASADA / EIN GEDI / THE QUMRAN CAVES / THE VILLAGE OF THE
ESSENES / BETHLEHEM / JERUSALEM.
This morning, we leave the Dead Sea and drive to Masada, a truly remarkable
piece of history. We ascend Masada by cable car and visit the magnificent
ruins of the fortress where, from 70-73 A.D., the Jewish defenders made their
last stand of the Judean Revolt against Rome and the remains of storehouses,
cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view. Afterwards, we
proceed to Ein Gedi - an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea. This is
where King David hid from Saul and where God defeated the enemies of the
Israelites by praise and worship lead by King Jehoshaphat. Next, we will visit
the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and see the remains
of the Community Center of the Essenes and the Caves of the Scrolls. This
afternoon, we continue on to Bethlehem. We 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 leave Bethlehem, passing by Rachel's Tomb, heading to our hotel in Jerusalem
for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Thu Mar 19- THE MT. OF OLIVES / GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE / THE MODEL CITY /
ST. STEPHENS GATE / POOL OF BETHESDA / THE WAY OF THE CROSS / THE OLD CITY/
GOLGOTHA / THE GARDEN TOMB.
We begin the day with a drive to 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 All Nations, built over the Rock of Agony where Jesus was
betrayed by Judas (Matthew
26:36-57),
we will proceed the Israel Museum to view the model City of Jerusalem that
depicts in miniature the Holy City as it appeared in the first century. Then we
will go 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. The climax of the day is the Garden Tomb, where
we celebrate the resurrection with communion (John
20:1-18).
At the end of the day, we return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Fri Mar 20- THE WESTERN WALL / RABBINICAL TUNNELS / DOME OF THE ROCK /
JERUSALEM ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK / THE HOUSE OF CAIPHAS / THE UPPER ROOM / FAREWELL
DINNER / AIRPORT.
We check out of our hotel and begin our last day in Jerusalem,
visiting the Wailing Wall
where the faithful Jews cry their petitions to God
and then the fascinating Rabbinical Tunnels leading us through the Second Temple
era. The tunnel and exhibit give a clear understanding of the amazing
construction of the Temple Mount, giant stones, water supply and Roman street
where our Lord was led to judgment. Before exiting the tunnel we see the
immense cornerstone rejected by the builders of the Temple Mount.
Then we will visit 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. Next, we visit the Jerusalem
Archaeological Park which reveals the most amazing discoveries of Jerusalem
during the Second Temple period, where you can climb the original steps of the
Hulda Gates that lead to the Temple Mount. We will then visit the House of
Caiphas, the High Priest and the first century steps of stone that our Lord
climbed. Then, 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. We then
head to a local restaurant for a farewell dinner and on to the airport for our
late evening flight to Phoenix.
Day 10: Sat Mar 21-
Arrive early in the morning in New York and continue home to Atlanta & Phoenix -
the end of a life changing journey.
(For biblical & historical backgrounds on these sites see
The Holy Land in Depth
at
www.QuestTravelGroup.com) | 
