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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.

Visit the Roman Aqueduct and Theatre at Caesarea, a center of early Christianity (Acts 10) and where Paul was imprisoned for two years (Acts 23:33). View Mount Carmel and recall Elijah’s dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18). Follow an ancient caravan route through the Jezreel Valley to Tel Megiddo, an exciting archeological dig with layers of twenty different cities, all built on top of each other. Conclude your day in Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matt. 2:23). Visit Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matt. 2:23). Visit the Franciscan Wedding Church at Cana, site of Jesus’ first miracle as He changed water into wine (John 2).

Pass through the Valley of the Doves and see Mount Arbel (Isaiah 9:2) on your way towards the Sea of Galilee. This was a major pathway in the time of Christ. He and his disciples passed through this valley as they walked through the Galilee. In Magdala, once home to Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-3), visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue. Enjoy lunch together before crossing the waters of the Sea of Galilee on a very special boat ride, complete with an onboard worship service. At Kibbutz Nof Ginosar, see the 2,000-year-old “Ancient Boat,” a rare example of the kind of boat in which Jesus might have sailed. Visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, and visit the synagogue built on the site where Jesus taught (Matt. 4:13, 23). On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the text of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus preached there (Matt. 5-7). Explore the Church of the Fish and the Loaves at Tabgha, the traditional site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:10-17).

At the ruins of Tel Dan, see the altar built by King Jeroboam I (I Kings 12:25-30) and learn about where the “House of David” fragment from the First Temple Period was discovered. Continue on to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter told the Lord, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” (Matt.16: 16). A scenic drive along the Golan Heights will give you some beautiful views of Syria and Jordan as well as Israel. End your day in Beit 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.

Visit and renew your baptismal vows at the baptismal site of Qasr el Yehud, where tradition says Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Journey to Jericho (considered the oldest city in the world) to visit the ruins of the ancient city conquered by Joshua (Josh. 6:1). From Jericho, in the distance, you can see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matt. 4:1). Travel to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. End your day with the opportunity to take a dip in the mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea. In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace, which now resides in the world’s oldest functioning church (Matt. 1:18-25). Gaze out over Shepherds’ Field, where the angels first proclaimed the Good News.

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). After lunch, wander through the excavations of the City of David. Explore Hezekiah’s Tunnel, an amazing engineering feat that was dug from either end and met in the middle! (Note: Those who are claustrophobic may want to meet the group at the other end of the tunnel!) Visit the Pool of Siloam, recently uncovered at the foot of the city.

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.

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. Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection.

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