I Am Going to Jerusalem — Will You Join Me?

Key Places: Tel Aviv, Joppa, Caesarea, Mount Carmel, and Tiberias

We arrive in Tel Aviv this evening.  Once we pass through customs and baggage claim, we will board our deluxe coach and head toward our hotel for a late dinner and overnight stay.  The following day after breakfast, we depart for the coastal cities of Joppa and Caesarea.  In Joppa, we visit the home of Simon the Tanner, where Peter experienced a vision of unclean animals that opened the door for evangelism to the Gentiles.  We also see the port from which Jonah fled from God.  In Caesarea, we explore Herod the Great's palace, the amphitheater, and the port city, and the aqueduct.  It was in this city that Peter shared the Gospel with Cornelius, a Gentile, for the first time.  We continue our drive northward along the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal.  After viewing the Jezreel Valley from the mountain, we proceed to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.

Key Places: Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, and Magdala

Today is spent around the Sea of Galilee where Jesus spent most of his ministry years.  We begin at the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached the famous Sermon on the Mount.  Then we visit Capernaum, the fishing village that Jesus made his home after leaving Nazareth.  We will see the synagogue and the remains of the house of Peter.     Next is Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene.  Here we will see a synagogue that dates back to the first century and was discovered in 2009.  Later, we take a boat across the Sea of Galilee and then visit the Jesus Boat Museum.  We end our day with a baptism service where you will have the opportunity to renew your baptism in the Jordan River!  Dinner and overnight stay in Tiberias.

Key Places: Beit She’an, Jordan Valley, Jericho, Bethabara, and Dead Sea

After breakfast, we depart the Galilee region and head south to Beit She'an.  Here we see the extensive excavations of this Decapolis city that was destroyed by an earthquake.  We then follow the Jordan Valley southward to Bethabara, the site of Jesus' baptism by John.  Next is Jericho, where the Israelites, led by Joshua, experienced a great victory.  We visit the Tel, where 23 civilizations have been discovered.  We end our day with a swim in the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. Dinner and overnight stay near the Dead Sea.

Key Places: Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran, Valley of the Shadow of Death, Jerusalem

Our first stop this morning is Masada, the mountain fortress built by Herod the Great and the site of the Jews' last stand against the Romans after the fall of Jerusalem. We ascend Masada by cable car.  Our next stop is Ein Gedi, the oasis where David hid from Saul.  We then visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We travel to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight, passing through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

Key Places: Temple Mount, Pool of Bethesda, Mount of Olives, Model City, and Bethlehem

We start our day at the Temple Mount.  Although we cannot enter the Dome of the Rock or Al-Aqsa Mosque, we will see these structures and learn of their history.  We then visit the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a man of his 38-year-long illness, and the Church of St. Anne.  Afterward, we visit the Mount of Olives, viewing the Temple Mount from the mountain's vantage point.  We stop at the Chapel of the Ascension, the Church of the Pater Noster, and Dominus Flevit, the church that commemorates Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.  We then visit the Model City, a 1:50 scale model of Jerusalem from the Second Temple Period. In the afternoon, we drive to Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd's Fields.  Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Key Places: Western Wall, Pilate’s Palace, Upper Room, Jewish Quarter, and Southern Wall Excavations

We start our day at the Western Wall, the holiest place in the world for Jews.  We then visit the Southern Wall Excavations and walk on the first-century street that Jesus walked.  Next is the Upper Room, the traditional site of the Last Supper.  We then visit the House of Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned.  We continue to the Jewish Quarter and the Cardo.  After lunch, we go to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum.  Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Key Places: Gethsemane, Pool of Siloam, House of Caiaphas, Calvary, and the Garden Tomb

We begin at the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed the night of his betrayal.  We then visit the Pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed a blind man.  After lunch, we go to the House of Caiaphas.  Then we walk the Via Dolorosa through the Old City of Jerusalem, ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  We end our day at the Garden Tomb for a communion service.  Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.  Our last morning is free for shopping and personal exploration.  After lunch, we transfer to the airport for our flight home.

Spend the morning in reflection and last-minute shopping in the Old City or Ben Yehuda Street.  Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your return flight home — carrying memories, faith, and transformation that will last a lifetime.