DAY 1, Monday, January 10, 2011 - Depart the United States on a wide-body jet for a trans-Atlantic flight. Meals on board the aircraft. D
DAY 2: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 - Our Pilgrimage in this Holy Land begins: After meeting our guide for the Holy Land, transfer by deluxe motor coach to our hotel on the shores of the Mediterranean sea at Netanya for dinner and overnight. BLD
DAY 3: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - We have come to see for ourselves (John 1:45-46): After breakfast, we head north toward Caesarea, once capital of the Roman province, where we visit the Roman and Crusader remains and the harbor from which St. Paul was taken prisoner to Rome. Now on to the fertile valley, also known as the plain of Megiddo, which has been the scene of horrible carnage and almost constant strife. Legend portrays this area as the stage for the final battle of history: Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). The excavations at Megiddo have uncovered a fortified city built by Solomon (1 Kgs. 9:15). We now depart for the Sea of Galilee stopping at Nazareth before arriving at the kibbutz where the museum which houses the 1st century boat discovered in the mud around the sea is located. We will visit the museum and see the boat and have dinner and overnight at the kibbutz, Nof Ginnosar. We will have a meeting this evening to discuss our pilgrimage and the sites we have seen and to discuss the schedule for tomorrow. BD
DAY 4: Thursday, January 13, 2011 - “He is going ahead of us to Galilee” (Mt. 28): The Sea; On the Boat; Capernaum; Tabgha; Mount of Beatitudes; Mt. Hermon; Korazin: We shall visit Tabgha to view the mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes and here we will celebrate Holy Eucharist. We will visit Capernaum and St. Peter’s House and then board a boat reminiscent of those used in Jesus’ time and sail across the Sea of Galilee to Tiberias where we will meet our motorcoach. We shall continue to Korazin (Mt. 11:21), then to the springs of Banias (Mt. 16:13) where Peter said: “Thou art Christ.” There will be a walk along the mouth of the Jordan River where we may renew our Baptismal vows. We will continue to Caesarea Phillipi before returning to Tiberias for dinner and overnight. BD
DAY 5: Friday, January 14, 2011 - From Galilee “up to Jerusalem”: We will first drive to Mt. Tabor and then to Jericho, the oldest human settlement in the world. From the vantage point of the site in Jericho we have a spectacular view of the “Mt. of Temptation.” Driving up to Jerusalem, we view the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan, and St. George’s Greek Orthodox Monastery, literally carved out of a cliff. We will see the Dead Sea and continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found before continuing into Jerusalem. Once we arrive in this Holy City, we find a site high above on Mt. Zion or the Mt. of Olives in order to orient ourselves. Then it’s on to the hotel for dinner and overnight. BD
DAY 6: Saturday, January 15, 2011 - The Passion: Palm Sunday Walk; Dominus Flevit; Church of the Agony; Garden of Gethsemane; Cave of the Olive Press; We will continue to Dominus Flevit, the Church of the Agony and the Cave of the Olive Press. From here we shall move on to walk the Via Dolorosa, beginning at Antonio’s Fortress, winding through the busy markets of the Old City and stopping at the Stations of the Cross. We shall end our walk at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, scene of the Crucifixion and site of the Tomb. Time permitting, we will continue to the Garden Tomb, another site proclaiming to be the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. We will visit the Scottish Hospice craft store (where a consortium of Palestinian women sell their wares and the profits are returned to the women) and have dinner and overnight in Jerusalem. BD
DAY 7: Sunday, January 16, 2011 - Life’s Bread, Jerusalem and Bethlehem: We gather in a private area of the Garden of Gethsemane where we will celebrate Holy Eucharist. Then, through St. Stephen’s Gate to the Holy City, we walk to St. Anne’s Church, standing on a property facing the Temple Mount just as it was built by the crusaders. Once inside we find ourselves singing (the acoustics are glorious). Nearby, we visit excavations which speak to us of Jesus’ healing at the “pool with the five porticos.” We walk together to the Temple Mount Dig to see the excavated stones where Jesus walked, to the Dome of the Rock, to the Western Wailing Wall and the Jewish Quarter. From here we go to the Kidron Valley to the House of Caiaphas and then to Bethlehem for lunch at Two Mustaches (a wonderful Arab restaurant in Bethlehem). Afterwards, we visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Field before returning to Jerusalem for our farewell dinner and overnight. BD
DAY 8: Monday, January 17, 2011 - Depart from the Tel Aviv airport for your return to the United States arriving back this afternoon into Newark. B and meals on the aircraft. BD
Price: $999.00 . Price is based on double occupancy without airline taxes and fuel surcharges, which are currently $500.00 per person . Roundtrip air from Newark, NJ Airport. Air transportation available from other cities. Single supplement: $399.00
(Worldwide can arrange connections to the international gateway for you)
Final payment due October 1, 2010
Cancellation Penalties
◊ Until September 30, 2010: $100 per person plus any unrecoverable fees.
◊ After October 1, 2010: NO REFUND
An application for travel insurance will be included with the receipt for your deposit. We strongly recommend that you seriously consider this coverage.
Meals: B Breakfast, L Lunch, D Dinner, S Snack
The itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion and direction of the leader or guide.
Note that Israel is a physically demanding destination. Good shoes and some preparing for the trip on the stair master are invaluable aids to a healthy and happy pilgrimage.
