. You will be welcomed at the Tel Aviv airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel to enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

Worship as you sail across the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee, and visit the synagogue built on the site where Jesus taught (Matthew 4:13, 23). On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Explore the Church of the Loaves and Fish at Tabgha, the traditional site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:10-17). See the Chapel of the Primacy, where Peter professed his devotion three times to the risen Christ (John 21). Recall Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan River.

Today’s first stop is Caesarea, a center of the early Christians where an angel visited Cornelius, the first Gentile believer (Acts 10), and where Paul was imprisoned for two years before appealing to Caesar. Look out over Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) to view one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. Drive through Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, before continuing on to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23).

We say goodbye to Galilee and begin our journey south, stopping at Gideon’s Spring, the site of the choosing of the 300 men to wage a battle against the mighty army of the Midianites. Then, it is on to Bet Shean, a city continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years. The uncovered ruins date back to the Greek/Roman city that was part of the Decapolis of Jesus’ day. See colonnaded streets with marble sidewalks, Roman public baths, and a theater. Drive south through the Jordan Valley, and on the way, we will see Jericho, known as the oldest city in the world and the city conquered by Joshua (Joshua 6:1, 2, 20). In the distance, you can also see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Enter the capital city of Jerusalem and view the city before arriving at your hotel for check-in, dinner, and your overnight stay.

Begin your day with a group picture taken from the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). Walk the Palm Sunday Road and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and envision the scenes of the night before Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 26:36 - 44). Continue to Mount Zion to visit the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was questioned the night of His betrayal (Matthew 26:57). Meditate on the events of the Last Supper as you visit the traditional location of the Upper Room (Mark 14:12-26). In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace and see the Church of the Nativity constructed over the site (Matthew 1:18-25). Gaze out over Shepherds’ Field before returning to Jerusalem.

Walk through the Old City and enjoy the preserved, ancient culture found in the narrow streets as well as the modernized Cardo in the Jewish Quarter. Explore ancient Jerusalem at the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall. View the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle (John 5:1-18). Sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and experience its rich acoustics. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress, where Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1), and follow in Christ’s steps on the Via Dolorosa (“the Way of the Cross”). At the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, take time to reflect on His sacrificial love.

Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress, which became the last desperate stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans. You can still look down on the remains of the Roman camps and the siege ramp below. End your day with a dip in the salt and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea. Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947.

Visit Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist. Explore the poignant exhibits of Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial. Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection and communion.

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