A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land January Led by the Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin

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1 A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land January 2018 Led by the Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin

2 A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land for friends of St Mellitus College St Mellitus College has now grown to become one of the largest theological colleges in the Anglican Church worldwide with 210 ordinands in training, and over 650 people currently taking its programmes. It is widely thought to be one of the most innovative and exciting places to study theology and ministry in the UK. St Mellitus College is offering a unique opportunity to friends and supporters of SMC and its related organisations, St Paul s Theological Centre and Alpha, to go on an educational pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This pilgrimage, led by Bishop Graham Tomlin, is being offered to an invited group of supporters. Graham is a very experienced guide to the Holy Land, having written about it and led many tours over the past twenty years. We will take time to support and encourage the local Christian community, visiting some Christian ministries around Bethlehem. Graham will be joined by an expert local Christian guide. The tour, organised for us by McCabe Pilgrimages, is planned for January 2018, when the weather can be a little cooler, but at a time when the sites are quieter and away from the heat of summer. Visits will include the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Nazareth, Nablus, Jerusalem and Bethlehem with free time for relaxation and reflection. We will spend time around the Old City of Jerusalem and sail on the Sea of Galilee. The Holy Land is unique in offering so many highlights and contrasts in such a compact area. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and promises to be a wonderful and spiritually enriching week together. Please be aware that the tour will involve some steps and walking on sometimes steep and rough ground in the desert, though taken at a gentle pace. Participants do need to be reasonably mobile and prepared for a good deal of walking each day. Advice and guidance will be given by the tour leader and the guide as we travel.

3 Tour Information The cost of this tour is based on sharing a twin-bedded room with private facilities. We stay in two family owned and managed hotels. In Jerusalem, the three star Golden Walls Hotel overlooks the Old City walls and is within walking distance of the Holy Sepulchre. In Tiberias, we stay at the four star Ron Beach Hotel in a wonderful situation right on the lakeside. The tour is on a full-board basis with buffet breakfast, lunch and table d hôte evening meal included daily. Touring is by air-conditioned coach and we will be accompanied by a local guide who will share leadership responsibilities and look after the formalities of hotel check-ins etc. All entrance fees are included, as well as airport and security charges. Flights are on British Airways between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv. A complimentary visa is issued on arrival in Israel. The cost of the tour including fights, transport, tour guides and full board accommodation, is 1795 per person. In addition, we are asking for a donation of a minimum of 500 for the work of St Mellitus College. The amount of 500 qualifes for Gift Aid. This makes the total combined cost of the trip and the donation Extras are: the travel insurance (if required, 59 for those up to 74 years old, and 89 for those over 75 years old ) and a supplement of 395 if you prefer a single room (see additional information in the Travelling Alone section towards the end of this brochure). You should make sure you have insurance, but you may have an annual policy or prefer an alternative to ours (quoted above). Any special requests should be noted on the booking form. A deposit is payable at the time of booking with the balance payable eight weeks before departure. Your final documents will be sent to you approximately two weeks before departure. McCabe are very experienced operators in the area and the security situation is constantly monitored. The British Foreign Office Travel Advice is always followed and the normal rules for refunds are followed.

4 The Programme This programme is provisional and subject to change, dependent on timings and accessability at the time of the tour. Day 1 Journey to the Holy Land We travel on British Airways from Heathrow to Tel Aviv on flight BA 165 departing at 08:05 hours and arriving at 14:55 hours. Transfer on arrival to our hotel in Jerusalem. Four night stay at the Golden Walls hotel close to the Old City and the Biblical sites we will be visiting. Day 2 An Introduction to Jerusalem We drive to the Mount of Olives where we have a panoramic view of the walled city. As we look across the Kidron Valley we see the Golden Gate, the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We begin at the Dome of the Ascension and then walk down to the Pater Noster Church, Dominus Flevit Chapel continuing to the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane. We enter the walled city and finish our morning by the Pool of Bethesda and Church of St Anne. After lunch at the Ecce Homo convent (where we view the Lithostrotos), we visit the City of David excavations. We will then continue to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum (note: parts of the site close at 5pm, but other parts remain open until later). After dinner, there will be an optional walk around the City Walls. Day 3 Holy Sepulchre, Israel and Museum & Bethany We begin our morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We then continue to West Jerusalem and the Israel Museum where we view a model of ancient Jerusalem and see the Dead Sea Scrolls (which are housed within the Shrine of the Book). We have lunch at the Notre Dame Centre. In the afternoon we drive to Mount Zion where we call at the Cenacle (Upper Room) and St Peter in Gallicantu (the High Priest s house). We end the afternoon either at the Western (Wailing) Wall, the holiest site for Jews, as the Sabbath begins, or there will be an optional visit to the Garden Tomb. Day 4 Bethlehem We cross into Palestinian territory as we journey to Bethlehem visiting Herodion en route. We visit the Fields of the Shepherds in Beit Sahour. We will also visit the Tent of Nations where we have lunch. In the afternoon call at the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity and St Jerome s Caves. During the day there will be the opportunity to shop at an olive wood co-operative. Day 5 The West Bank We will visit the Holy Sepulchre in the early morning to witness the variety of liturgies. After breakfast, we have the (optional) opportunity to walk down to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount to visit the Dome of the Rock and el-aqsa Mosque. We then leave Jerusalem and spend some time enjoying the stillness of the desert. We drive north through the West Bank. We stop in Nablus at Jacob s Well and have a late lunch at the Samaria Restaurant in Sebastia. We continue through the West Bank to Tiberias. Day 6 Narareth We drive around the Sea of Galilee to Magdala (Migdal) which we visit. We then continue to Nazareth where we visit excavations under the Convent of the White Sisters. We have lunch at the Holy Land restaurant. In the afternoon we visit St Gabriel s (Orthodox) Church (Mary s Well), the Synagogue Church and the Basilica of the Annunciation. Day 7 The Lakeside Ministry Today we visit the sites associated with Jesus life around the Sea of Galilee. We sail across the lake to Kibbutz Ein Gev on the eastern side of the lake. We then call at the site of Kursi (the parable of the Gadarene swine). From Kursi we drive to Gamla and then on to Capernaum, the base of Jesus Galilean ministry. We continue to Mensa Christi (where Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection). We then drive up to the Convent of the Beatitudes for lunch. Here, we visit the church and garden which commemorate the Sermon on the Mount. After lunch we celebrate the Eucharist on the shores of the lake at Tabgha beside the Church of the Loaves and Fishes. The remainder of the afternoon is free to draw together strands of our pilgrimage and relax around the hotel. Day 8 Homeward Bound We leave Tiberias and drive to the Mediterranean coast and the Roman capital of Caesarea, where we visit the restored amphitheatre and the aqueduct. After an early lunch at Cafe Port beside the sea, we continue to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for our homeward flight British Airways BA 164 which departs at 16:35 arriving back at London Heathrow Airport at 20:10 hours.

5 Our Pilgrimage Travelling Alone Many of our passengers travel alone and object to expensive single room supplements. McCabe Pilgrimages will accept individual bookings on a guaranteed share basis. We charge the basic price and accommodate you with a person of the same sex also requesting shared accommodation. If we do not find someone to share with you, you will be accommodated in a single room at only 50% of the usual single room supplement. For single travellers who do require single accommodation this should be requested when booking and, if available, the normal supplement will be payable. Passports, Visas and Health Please ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months after the time of this pilgrimage. If you need a new passport apply early as there can be considerable backlogs at the passport offices. A visa is issued free of charge on entering Israel and there are currently no further requirements for entering the Palestinian territories. If you are holding a non-british passport, or require further advice, please consult the McCabe Pilgrimages office on No inoculations are required. We do, however, advise you to consult your doctor regarding your own personal requirements. AITO Quality Statement McCabe Pilgrimages is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. McCabe abides by the Association s Code of Conduct and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter which can be viewed on Visit the website to find out more about the Association or call Travel Insurance Travel insurance is arranged by Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd for McCabe Travel Ltd, an Appointed Representative of Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our status can be checked on the FCA Register by visiting or by contacting the FCA on This Insurance is underwritten by ERV. ERV is authorised by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BAFIN n.de) and the Prudential Regulation Authority and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. It has been specically designed so that it covers all McCabe holidays; protecting you in full if you have to cancel and providing you with the very best and most effective protection if you are unfortunate enough to require medical attention whilst away. A unique feature of the policy is that you will not need to call a medical help line to discuss health issues. Most pre-existing health conditions are covered as long as your doctor agrees that you are t to travel. Standard exclusions apply and are listed on the summary document. Please check that you are not affected by the Main Health Exclusions. You will not be covered for any ongoing tests or treatment of an undiagnosed condition, or for any terminal illness, or if you claim as a result of a condition arising within the past twelve months. Please note: you will pay an excess of 1,000 on any claim that results directly from a pre-existing medical condition. In our experience, very few claims result from pre-existing medical conditions. With this policy you are covered with no declaration of health required. A full policy wording will be sent to you with confirmation of your booking, or ask us and we will send you a copy now. Full details are also on our website. If you would like more information or are unsure of any details, please call Global Travel Insurance Services Ltd for further advice on This insurance is only available to people who reside permanently in the UK and is valid for travel up to 31/12/2018. St Mellitus College Trust A Company Limited by Guarantee; Registered in England (Number: ); A Registered Charity (Number: ); Registered Office: 24 Collingham Road, London SW18 1SQ.

6 Our Pilgrimage Tour Leader The Right Revd Dr Graham Tomlin is Bishop of Kensington and President of St Mellitus College. Graham was a curate in Exeter, Chaplain of Jesus College Oxford, and Tutor in Historical Theology at Wycliffe Hall, where he eventually became Vice Principal. In 2007 he became the first Dean of St Mellitus College, a position he held overseeing its growth until He mainly teaches historical theology, particularly specialising in the Patristic and Reformation periods. He is the author of many articles and several books, including The Power of the Cross: Theology and the Death of Christ in Paul, Luther and Pascal (Paternoster 1997), Walking in His Steps: A Guide to Exploring the Land of the Bible (2001), The Provocative Church (SPCK 2002), Luther and his World (Lion 2002), The Prodigal Spirit (SPTC 2011), Looking Through The Cross (Bloomsbury 2014) and most recently, The Widening Circle Priesthood as God s way of blessing the world (SPCK 2014). Graham is married to Janet and has two grown-up children. He is a keen follower of various kinds of music and sport, especially football, rugby and cricket. Make a Reservation To make a reservation, please complete the enclosed booking form and send it with a deposit of 200 per person plus the insurance premium (if this option is taken) to the address below. Please make cheques payable to McCabe Pilgrimages. Sophie Francisco St Mellitus College 24 Collingham Road London, SW5 0LX sophie.francisco@stmellitus.ac.uk This tour is organised for us by McCabe Pilgrimages McCabe Pilgrimages A Company Limited by Guarantee; Registered in England (Number: ); A Registered Charity (Number: ); Registered Office: 11 Hillgate Place, Balham Hill, London, SW12 9ER.

7 stmellitus.ac.uk St Mellitus College, 24 Collingham Road, London, SW5 0LX