Today we depart from the U.S.A. for Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel.

We arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport where we are met by our guide and driver. Then we transfer to the Mediterranean coastal city of Netanya for check-in, opening dinner, and overnight.

En-route to Galilee we will be visiting the following Biblical sites: Caesarea (Acts 10, 12, 23), Megiddo (Armageddon; 1 Kings 9:15; Rev. 16:16), and Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18). We complete our tour overlooking the Jezreel Valley at Mt. Precipice, the traditional site for Jesus being chased out of Nazareth (Luke 4). Dinner and overnight are at our hotel near the Sea of Galilee.

After breakfast, we make our way north through the Hula Valley stopping first at Tel Dan where we will tour extensively and include a visit to the Canaanite, Bronze-era mud brick gate that has been nicknamed the “Gate of Abraham”. At the foot of Mt. Hermon, we will visit the springs of Banias and the site of Caesarea Philippi. This is where Peter made his declaration about Jesus (Matt. 16). Next, we will visit one of the Druze villages perched on the Golan heights where we will have a stop for lunch (not included). After enjoying the tastes and spices of this Syrian/Lebanese cuisine we will head out into the Golan Heights and stop off for some lookout points along the Damascus Road to hear some of the modern military history in this region. We conclude our day with an opportunity to experience a Baptism or renewal in the waters of the Jordan! Dinner and overnight are at our hotel near the Sea of Galilee.

We start our day atop the Mount of Beatitudes and read from Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. We continue to Capernaum, the center of ministry for Jesus in Galilee. Next, we visit Tabgha, remembering the story of the feeding of the 5,000 and John 21 with Jesus calling out to Peter to cast the fishing net on the right side. A recently excavated highlight to visit in Galilee is the 1stCentury remains of Magdala including the greatest relic of all: A 2000-year-old Synagogue. Following our stop for a St. Peters Fish optional lunch (not included) we will conclude our touring around the Sea of Galilee. Today we bid farewell to Galilee but not before enjoying a spectacular boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and a visit to Kibbutz Ginnosar (Gennesaret) where we will see the remains of a fisherman’s vessel discovered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee dating from the time of Jesus. Leaving the Sea of Galilee behind us, we drive through the Jordan River Valley to Beit Shean built where the Jezreel Valley meets the Jordan Valley and tour the extensive Roman-Byzantine remains of the city that was once part of the Decapolis, and where the bodies of King Saul and his sons were exhibited after battling the Philistines (1st Samuel 31). Continuing through the valley we enter the Judean Desert where we visit Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world. Our journey from Jericho - the lowest city in the world – to Jerusalem – the highest city in the world (spiritually speaking!) – concludes our day and opens the next chapter of our pilgrimage journey. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Jerusalem.

We start the morning on top of the Mount of Olives, following the Palm Sunday route down the mountain walking in the footsteps of Jesus and Holy Week. Arriving at the Garden of Gethsemane we will have some private time for prayer and devotion in the garden. Continuing in the footsteps of Jesus and the betrayal we arrive at the site that commemorates the trials of Jesus presented to the Sanhedrin and the Denial of Peter in the courtyard of Caiaphas. We will continue with a drive to the city of Bethlehem where we will walk through Manger Square to visit the Church of Nativity, the oldest Church in the Holy Land. Next, visit Shepherds’ field and hear the tale of Bethlehem from the local Christian Palestinian population both historically and also a glimpse into everyday life today and the traditional artwork of olive wood carvings made here by local Christian artisans of Bethlehem. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Jerusalem.

We will spend today exploring the Judean Desert shores of the Dead Sea. We will pass the “Inn of the Good Samaritan” on the ancient route pilgrims would have followed to Jerusalem, on our way to the shores of the Dead Sea; the lowest point on earth. Following the coast of the Dead Sea we will arrive at Masada, the tabletop fortress built by King Herod and used by Jewish Zealots for their last stand against the Roman Empire. Having toured the site, we will continue to the desert oasis of Ein Gedi, prominent in King Saul’s pursuit of the young King David. Continuing our journey along the western shores of the Dead Sea we stop at Qumran, where an ancient Jewish sect lived at the time of Jesus. This was the center of the community that is responsible for the greatest relic and treasure of ancient Israel - the Dead Sea Scrolls. Before returning to Jerusalem, you have an opportunity to take a float in the mineral rich waters of the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight are at our hotel in Jerusalem.

Today we will spend the day at leisure, exploring Jerusalem independently. Dinner and overnight are back at our hotel in Jerusalem.

First thing in the morning is to rise onto the Temple Mount, visiting the site of where the Temple once stood. Outside of the Temple Mount, and outside the city in the context of John 5, are the relics of the Bethesda pools. After readings and time to reflect, we will walk the streets and alleys of Jerusalem’s Old City and arrive at the sites that represent the traditions, stations and churches that commemorate the events of Good Friday, leading from the trial of Pontus Pilate up to the Rock of Calvary and the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. To complete our tour of the Old City quarters, we will tour the Jewish Quarter, including the excavated Southern Steps, Robinson Arch, and Ophel adjacent to the Temple Mount and Western Wall - where we will witness the prophecy of destruction. We conclude our day in the footsteps of King David, Melchizedek, and Jesus as we walk through the excavations that have unearthed the City of David. We conclude our day at the Pool of Siloam (John 9). There is an option for those that wish to walk through the flowing waters of Hezekiah’s Tunnel that reach the Pool of Siloam and join up with the group for a reading before returning to our Jerusalem hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today we reach the peak of our pilgrimage as we arrive at the Garden Tomb, also known as Gordon’s Calvary, and a traditional site for the Crucifixion, Burial, and The Resurrection of Jesus; here we will celebrate with devotion and a private prayer area for our group after touring the garden. We then continue into western Jerusalem to visit the Israel Museum including the Dead Sea Scrolls, housed in the iconic Shrine of the Book exhibition, and the impressive model of Jerusalem from the Second Temple Period. En-route we will see the Knesset, Israel’s parliament building and the Supreme Court building before arriving at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial to visit the children’s memorial. This afternoon we travel down to the coastal plain via the Ellah Valley and read scripture at the site of the battle between David and Goliath. We complete our tour at the most important Mediterranean port city of the biblical Land of Israel, Jaffa (Joppa). Here we find the footsteps of everyone from Pharaoh Rameses the Great through to Napoleon!! In the city where Peter has the vision at Simon the Tanners home in the book of Acts is where we will enjoy a farewell dinner before being transferred to the airport.

Today we arrive back in the U.S.A.