Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, you will be met at baggage claim and transferred to your hotel for a delicious dinner and a good night’s rest.

After hotel check out and a delicious buffet breakfast, you will travel to Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coastline. It was here that Cornelius the Centurion and his household were saved and baptized (Acts 10), and it was also where Paul made his defense before Festus and King Agrippa prior to his final journey to Rome (Acts 25 & 26). This site reveals extensive remains of the theatre and another fascinating engineering of this ancient port city – including the Roman Aqueduct. Continue your journey through the plains of Armageddon to Megiddo. From here, view Mount Carmel, where Elijah defeated the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18). It was here in Megiddo that Solomon and other Israeli kings had a major center for commerce and military protection. Explore the Nazareth Village, a living presentation of the boyhood home, life, and times of Jesus (Luke 2). Recall Jesus’ first miracle as you pass through Cana. After a full day of touring, you’ll be ready for another delightful buffet dinner and overnight in your hotel in the region of Tiberias.

At Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, you’ll learn about the “ancient boat,” a rare example of the kind of boat in which Jesus would have sailed. Walk the excavations of the town of Magdala, connected with Mary Magdalene. Look upon the fields where Jesus taught at the Mount of the Beatitudes (Matt. 5-7). A beautiful chapel has been built here to commemorate these precious words of truth. Travel to Capernaum and stand in the ruins of the synagogue built on the remains of the one in which Jesus taught. See the excavations that include where Peter’s house is thought to have been located. Stop at Tabgha, where the feeding of the 5,000 is remembered at the Church of the Loaves and Fish (Luke 9). After a traditional St. Peters fish lunch, enjoy a beautiful boat ride and time of worship as you sail as Jesus did across the Sea of Galilee. View Yardenit, the site where the Jordan River makes its southern exit from the Sea of Galilee and where many pilgrims are baptized in its waters.

Today, start your travels with a visit to the excavations of the biblical town of Chorazim, listed as a “city of woe” by Jesus (Matt 11). Journey into the Northern Region of Israel and visit Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus traveled with His disciples and where Peter made his great confession to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16). You will also visit the ancient remains of Tel Dan and the altar built by King Jeroboam I (I Kings 12). This area is one of the ancient boundary markers for Israel “from Dan to Beersheba”. Visit Nimrod’s Fortress on the slopes of Mount Hermon and continue through the Golan Heights to the top of Mount Ben Tal. Look into Syria and the Valley of Tears and gain a better understanding of the strategic importance of this region to the security of Israel.

Today, we say goodbye to Galilee and journey south into the region of ancient Samaria. Visit Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessing where Israel was told about God’s provision that would come from their obedience when Israel first entered the promised land. Shiloh is also in this area, home of the Tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant, for hundreds of years during the days of the judges. Continue south through the Jordan Valley and then turn west in the Judean Wilderness to the capital city of Jerusalem. Make a stop at the Hebrew University Donor Wall of Life, a site that offers a wonderful view of Jerusalem. Then, continue to the Mount of Olives, where the Lord often went and where He overnighted when He was in the city. Walk the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane and remember the agony the Lord went through in this area on the night prior to the crucifixion. Transfer to the Jerusalem hotel, where we will check in and enjoy dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Today, we enjoy a visit to the intriguing Masada, the spectacular mountaintop fortress built by Herod that later became the final tragic stronghold of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans. Ride the cable car to the top to explore the fortress and look down upon the remains of the Roman camps and siege ramp below. Walk the remains of an ancient community near the shores of the Dead Sea at Qumran. In the caves near here, Bedouins discovered what became known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Also on the shores of the Dead Sea is the location of Ein Gedi, where David and his men hid from King Saul when Saul was trying to kill David. Return to Jerusalem to enjoy your dinner and overnight.

Journey west to the Valley of Elah, the site of the famous battle between David and Goliah. The creek bed where David found his five smooth stones still meanders through this valley. Return to Jerusalem and stand in reverence at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the traditional site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. Spend time at the Western or “Wailing” Wall, a section of Herod’s Temple Mount retaining wall adjacent to the former Holy of Holies. Visit the Southern Wall Excavations of the ancient Temple, including the Teaching Steps. Walk through ancient sections of the City of David on the southern slope of the city of Jerusalem. For those who are able, walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, which was dug to provide water to the city in time of a seige. The Western Wall Tunnels are also planned for today, which reveals how remarkable the workmanship was required in the building of Herod’s temple.

This morning, we visit the Model City to get a great perspective of the layout of the city of Jerusalem during the Roman occupation during the time when the Lord gave His life. Yad Vashem is a hard and sobering reminder of the holocaust and its tragic effect on Jews and those who supported them during World War II. View the Pool of Bethesda (John 5) where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle. Have an opportunity to sing in St. Anne’s Church, known for its beautiful acoustics. Consider the pain and agony of Christ’s crucifixion as you view Gordon’s Calvary and celebrate the power of His resurrection with a special communion service at the Garden Tomb. This evening, prepare for your journey home.

Return home with a transformed faith and memories to last a lifetime!