Land of the Prophets
Day 1
ARRIVAL AT TEL AVIV AIRPORT / BETHLEHEM
Arrive at Tel Aviv Airport where our airport staff will meet the group at the gate just as they leave the airplane. Full assistance with the visa and customs formalities will be provided.Leave the Airport for the transfer to Hotel in Bethlehem for Buffet Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
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| Al Aksa Mosque, Mount of Olives (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Day 2
BETHLEHEM / MT. OLIVES / JERUSALEM / BETHLEHEM
Buffet Breakfast at hotel. Enter the Old City of Jerusalem to visit Al Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock. Drive to Mount of Olives and visit Pater Noster Church. Continue to see the panoramic view of the old city of Jerusalem. Proceed to Dominus Flevit then walk the Palm Sunday route and descend to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent the last night before he was arrested. Visit the famous Church of All Nations. Go to Saint Ann’s Church through the Lions Gate and visit Pools of Bethesda. Start walking the Via Dolorosa and end at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Back to Bethlehem for Buffet Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
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| English: Jericho, Tell es-Sultan. Français : Anciennes habitation de Tell es-Sultan, à Jéricho. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Day 4
VISIT BETHLEHEM / JERICHO / BETHLEHEM
Visit the Church of the Nativity, marking the birthplace of Christ. Visit Saint Catherine’s Church and Saint Jerome’s Cave where the bible was translated. Continue to Milk Grotto and visit the Shepherd’s Field. Drive to Jericho, the oldest city in the world. View the Mount of the Temptation and the Sycamore Tree. Back to Bethlehem for Buffet Dinner and overnight at Hotel.
BETHLEHEM / MT. TABOR / NAZARETH / CANA / MT. BEATITUDES / TIBERIAS
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| English: Mount of Beatitudes, Israel (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Drive to Jezreel Valley and visit Mount Tabor, the traditional place of the Transfiguration. Continue to Nazareth, the home of Mary and Joseph, and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and Saint Joseph’s Workshop. Proceed to Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle. Drive to visit Mount of Beatitudes, site of the Sermon on the Mount. Drive to Kibbutz Ginosar for a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Drive to Tiberias for Buffet Dinner and overnight at hotel.
Day 5
TABGHA / CAPERNAUM / SHEIKH HUSSEIN BORDER / UM QAIS / JERASH / AMMAN
Drive to Tabgha where the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes took place then visit Saint Peter’s Primacy Church. Continue to visit the ruins of Capernaum, the town where Jesus made his home after leaving Nazareth. Cross to Jordan via Sheikh Hussein Border, meet and assistance at the border, transfer to Um Qays.
UMM QAYS:
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| Umm Qays/Sea of Galilee |
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| Umm Qays |
In the Bible, Umm Qays is referred to as Gadara and was also a member of the Decapolis. This ten city alliance already existed at the time of Christ (Matthew 4:25). According to Matthew 8:28-34, Jesus cast the evil spirits out of two men in today’s Umm Qays.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 4:25
25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.
Matthew 8:28-34 (NLT)
28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They came out of the tombs and were so violent that no one could go through that area.
29 They began screaming at him, “Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”
30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”
32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.
33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.
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| Umm Qays |
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| Umm Qays |
Jerash
In the Bible, it is named Antiochea or Gerasa. According to Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26-39, this is where Jesus cast the evil spirits out of a man. Today it is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved Greco-roman cities in the world.
Drive back to Amman for Buffet Dinner & overnight at hotel.
Scripture:
Luke 8:26-27 So they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes,[a] across the lake from Galilee. As Jesus was climbing out of the boat, a man who was possessed by demons came out to meet him. For a long time, he had been homeless and naked, living in the tombs outside the town.
Mark 5:1 So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes (Matt 8:28; Luke 8:26).
Day 6
AMMAN / BETHANY / NEBO / MUKHAYT / MADABA / AMMAN
Buffet Breakfast at hotel.
BETHANY
It has been identified for nearly two millennia as the area where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. Stunning archaeological discoveries from the 1st century AD confirm that the site was inhabited during the lives of Jesus and John the Baptist. The late Pope John Paul II also visited the site as part of his spiritual pilgrimage to the Holy Land at the start of the new millennium.
Scripture
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
(also see John 1:19-28)
"And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo to the top of Pis'gah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land ..... And the Lord said unto him, ... I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the Lord died ...." (Deuteronomy 34:1 - 4).
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 32:49 Go to Moab, to the mountains east of the river, and climb Mount Nebo, which is across from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the people of Israel as their own special possession.”
Deuteronomy 34:1 [ The Death of Moses ] Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan.
MUKHAYAT:
Scholars believe this village to be the site of the biblical city of Nebo. In the middle of the 9th century B.C. King Mesha boasted that he had slain 7.000 men, women, boys, girls and maids at this place and had taken it from the Israelites.
Scripture:
2 Kings 3:4 King Mesha of Moab was a sheep breeder. He used to pay the king of Israel an annual tribute of 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. 5. But after Ahab’s death, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
MADABA:
In the Bible, Madaba is named Madeba or Medeba, the city of the Sihon (Numbers 21:30). The city lies in what was the territory of the Reubens (Joshua 13:15-16 or Isaiah 15:2 and 1 Chronicles 19:7). The main point of interest in Madaba is the mosaic map of the Holy Land from Byzantine times. Madaba may also be the home of Ruth in the Bible.
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| City of Madaba |
Scripture:
Numbers 21:30 We have utterly destroyed them, from Heshbon to Dibon. We have completely wiped them out as far away as Nophah and Medeba.
Ruth 1:3-5 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.
AMMAN CITADEL
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| Amman Citadel |
Visit Amman, the capital of Jordan, a fascinating city of contrasts. Visit the Citadel, which is situated on one of the highest hills in Amman and offers a splendid view of the old city. Tradition among the locals says the Oldest Mosque in Jordan (The King Hussein Mosque) was built over the site where King David’s great warrior Uriah died charging the walls of the Citadel.
Drive back to Amman for Buffet Dinner & overnight at hotel.
Scripture:
2 Samuel 11 [David and Bathsheba] In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 11:14-17 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15. The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 16. So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. 17. And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.
Day 7
Free Day in Amman
Day 8
MUKAWIR / WADI MUJIB / RABBA / KERAK / PETRA
Buffet Breakfast at hotel.
MUKAWIR:
In the Bible, Mukawir is referred to as Machaerus. The historian, Josephus, reports that it was here that John the Baptist was imprisoned, Salome danced and John was beheaded (Matthew 14:3-11).
Scripture:
Matthew 14:3-11 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet. 6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” 9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10 So John was beheaded in the prison, 11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.
Fun Fact: (Mukawir) is an amazing site! It is almost untouched by the tourism industry. On a clear day, you can see the Dome of the Rock’s golden top glistening in the Middle Eastern sun. There is also a cave on the side of the mountain that could have been the holding cell of John the Baptist.)
WADI MUJJIB:
In biblical times, the Wadi, or River Arnon, formed the natural border between the territories of the Moabs in the north and the land of the Edomites (later the Nabateans) in the south. The Wadi is mentioned in the Old Testament (at the time of King David) as the river which flows through the valley to the Dead Sea.
Scripture:
Numbers 21:13-15 Then they moved out and camped on the far side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness adjacent to the territory of the Amorites. The Arnon is the boundary line between the Moabites and the Amorites. For this reason, The Book of the Wars of the Lord speaks of “the town of Waheb in the area of Suphah, and the ravines of the Arnon River, and the ravines that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab.”
This is an old settlement with modern buildings. The history of Rabba probably began with the city Ar or Ar-Moab, which is mentioned in Numbers 21:15 and Deuteronomy 2:9. While the Israelites of the Exodus spared Ar and the whole land Moab, the Amorite King Sihon ransacked the city in an attack launched over the Arnon River (Numbers 21:28).
Scripture:
Deuteronomy 2:9 the Lord warned us, ‘Do not bother the Moabites, the descendants of Lot, or start a war with them. I have given them Ar as their property, and I will not give you any of their land.’"
Numbers 21:28 A fire flamed forth from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It burned the city of Ar in Moab; it destroyed the rulers of the Arnon heights.
Kir, Kir-Moab and Kir-Heres are the Old Testament names for the town of Kerak (Isaiah 15:1, 16:7 and 16:11 and Jeremiah 48:36). In the time of the Judges, the Moabite King Eglon may have resided in Kir-Moab. In 850 B.C. one of his successors, King Mesha was surrounded by the united Israel-Judah forces of Kings Jehoram and Jehoshaphat in Kir-Heres, and could only escape defeat by sacrificing his first-born son.
RABBA:
KARAK:
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| Karak Castle |
Drive to Petra for Buffet Dinner & overnight at hotel.
Scripture:
Isaiah 15:1 This message came to me concerning Moab: In one night the town of Ar will be leveled, and the city of Kir will be destroyed.
Isaiah 16:7 The entire land of Moab weeps. Yes, everyone in Moab mourns for the cakes of raisins from Kir-hareseth. They are all gone now.
Isaiah 16:11 My heart’s cry for Moab is like a lament on a harp. I am filled with anguish for Kir-hareseth.
Day 9
Buffet Breakfast at hotel.
In the Bible, Petra is the city of the Nabateans, the descendants of Nebaioth. (Genesis 25:12-18 and 1 Chronicles 1:29 and Isaiah 60:7). The first King of the Nabateans was Aretas (2 Corinthians 11:32). In biblical times, the Nabateans were Bedouins even though Petra was a focal point for them. Later Petra became the royal city of the Nabateans. The earliest historical records for the Nabateans date back to the year 312 B.C. and the last sign of life was in the year 328 A.D.
Buffet Dinner & overnight at hotel in Petra.
Scripture:
Genesis 25:12-15 This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah.16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps.
1 Chronicles 1:29 These were their descendants: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema,
Isaiah 60:7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.
FULL DAY VISIT OF PETRA
Day 10
PETRA / BEIDAH “LITTLE PETRA’ / WADI RUM
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| Petra Treasury |
Buffet Breakfast at hotel
Just ten minutes north of Petra’s visitor center is Beidah, often called little Petra. It was one of the main commercial and lodging areas for honored guests, with a supply post for camel caravans and ancient vineyards with grape-pressing sites.
Depart to the Natural Resort of Wadi Rum “The Valley of the Moon” a unique place unlike anywhere else you have ever visited. Arrive at the Visitors Center of Wadi Rum where you will be picked up by local Bedouins to explore this splendid desert. Picnic Lunch. The Bedouins will drive you with their 4x4 Bedouin Pickups (6 per Pick Up) for approximately 4 hours to visit the following places: Seven Pillars, Yellow Sand Dunes, Viewpoint, Inscriptions, Um Al Tawaqi, Siq Lawrence, Lawrence House, Siq Al Barrah, Rock Bridge Um Fruth, Mushroom, Burdah Rock Bridge and Sunset Area if time permits.
Buffet Dinner & overnight at Bedouin Camp in Wadi Rum.
*Buffet Breakfast at Camp
Day 11
WADI RUM / DEAD SEA
*Buffet Breakfast at Camp
Drive to the Dead Sea the lowest spot on earth 400 meters below sea level. The Dead Sea has a historical and spiritual legacy of its own. It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. Spend the day sunbathing, swimming, and relaxing in the gently lapping waters of the Dead Sea and be amazed that you can never sink! Buffet Dinner & overnight at the hotel at the Dead Sea.
Day 12
DEAD SEA / KING HUSSEIN – ALLENBY BRIDGE / MT. ZION / EIN KAREM / BETHLEHEM
Drive to King Hussein – Allenby Bridge for departure to Israel, meeting and assistance to the border, drive to Jerusalem and go to Mount Zion. Visit Church of the Dormition, the place where the Virgin Mary fell asleep. Visit Cenacle, also known as the “Upper Room”, the site of The Last Supper. Continue to Saint Peter Gallicantu, which symbolizes Peter’s denial of Jesus. Drive to the Biblical village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist. Visit Church of the Visitation that honors the visit paid by Mary to Elizabeth. This is the site where tradition tells us Mary recited her song of praise, (Luke 1:46-55) the Magnificat, one of the most ancient hymns to Mary. Check in at our hotel in Bethlehem for Buffet Dinner & overnight.
Scripture:
Matthew 26:17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
Mark 14:12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
Luke 22:7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
Luke 1:39-42 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
Day 13
TRANSFER TO TEL AVIV AIRPORT FOR DEPARTURE
Buffet Breakfast at hotel
Transfer to Tel Aviv Airport for departure.
