A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Transcription

1 A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Led by The Revd Martin Dale 30 January - 8 February, The official and preferred pilgrimage partner for the Diocese of Jerusalem -

2 A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Our pilgrimage will follow in the footsteps of Jesus in Galilee and Jerusalem. In Galilee we will visit Nazareth, the town in which Jesus grew up, and Capernaum, the fishing village which became the centre of His ministry, as well as other places associated with the Gospel. In Jerusalem, we will retrace Jesus steps from Bethany to Gethsemane, and walk along The Way of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We will visit Bethlehem, as well as the Dead Sea, and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the oasis town of Jericho, the home of the tax collector Zaccheus. Experience shows that visiting the Holy Land, places where Jesus lived, worked and died and rose from the dead, has a transforming effect on people s faith, bringing the words and works of Jesus into remarkable focus. In addition, we will have the opportunity to hear about the lives of Christians in Israel, especially when we visit the village of Taybeh and see the Parable House - a house very similar to the type of house Jesus could well have lived in. We will also see for ourselves the state of the art Holy Family Maternity Hospital, run by Christians in Bethlehem for the benefit of the generally Muslim population around them, as well as the Helen Keller school for the Blind. Should you wish to talk to me before booking - and with no commitment to join us - please call me at (in the UK) or me at mndale@aol.com and I will happily answer any questions you may have about this pilgrimage We hope you will want to join us on this unique opportunity to follow in the steps of our Lord, and support our fellow Christians in this troubled region. Martin Dale

3 Day 1 Tuesday 30th January Journeying to the Holy Land We meet at London Luton Airport for our Easyjet flight to Tel Aviv. On arrival we will be met by our guide and driven north to Galilee and our guest house in Nazareth. Dinner and overnight stay in Nazareth. drive down to the Jezreel valley to visit the excavations of King Solomon's great chariot city of Megiddo overlooking the plains of Armageddon. Return to Nazareth and our guest house to relax before dinner and overnight stay. Day 2 Wednesday 31st January Revelation and Annunciation After breakfast we begin our Pilgrimage by exploring the town of Nazareth where Jesus grew up, visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, the traditional site of Mary s Well and walk through the narrow winding market streets of the souk to an old Synagogue Church. We then visit Nazareth Village a small authentically recreated village based around the time of Jesus before breaking for lunch here to sample food that which would have been eaten in Jesus day. In the afternoon we Day 3 Thursday 1st February Jesus Galilean Ministry After breakfast, we drive to Tiberias pier to sail across the Sea of Galilee to Ginosar, celebrating Holy Communion on board the boat. We then drive up to the Mount of the Beatitudes overlooking the places where Jesus lived and worked. We then proceed to Tabgha to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes and the Church of the Primacy of St Peter. We then visit the exciting excavations at Magdala, the home town of Jesus friend and follower Mary Magdalene. The excavations have revealed a first century synagogue and

4 Day 3 continued remains of a fish farm. In the afternoon we proceed to the ancient fishing village of Capernaum, the centre of Jesus Galilean Ministry, to view the house of Peter and a partially rebuilt 4th century synagogue built over the site where Jesus often preached. We will spend some time here for meditation. Finally we will visit the baptismal site at Yardenit where there will be an opportunity to renew your baptismal vows with water from the Jordan river or if you haven't already been baptised then to be baptised by full immersion if you so wish. Please let me know beforehand as you will need a change of clothes! We then return to Nazareth and our guest house. Dinner and overnight stay in Nazareth. back over 2000 years. After a break for lunch we make our way up through the hills of the Judean wilderness towards Mount Scopus for a breath taking view of the old city of Jerusalem and its beautiful surrounding medieval walls before proceeding to Bethlehem and witness first hand the huge 9-metre high separation wall. We continue through the check-point to our Bethlehem hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Bethlehem. Day 4 Friday 2nd February An ancient pilgrimage route This morning we bid farewell to the Galilee and begin our journey south. We drive through the West Bank and the heart of the Israeli Occupation where we will see a number of illegal settlements. We visit Nablus and the site of Jacob s Well where Jesus met the Samaritan woman. We then continue to Taybeh, the only Christian village left in the West Bank where we will have an opportunity to visit the Parable House, a dwelling similar to one Jesus might have lived in, that dates Day 5 Saturday 3rd February Bethlehem & Beth Sahour We will spend the day in and around Bethlehem, visiting places associated with the birth of Jesus. We start by walking to the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square the oldest Church in Christendom. We then then visit the Shepherds field in Beth Sahour before we tour the Holy Family Hospital to see signs of hope in the remarkable work they carry out. The

5 Day 5 continued hospital is the only one that offers neonatal care in the entire southern West Bank. Finally we will visit the Helen Keller school for the blind before returning to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Bethlehem. Day 6 Sunday 4th February The First Day of the Week This morning after breakfast we will have the option of either visiting St George s Anglican Cathedral or Christchurch for Sunday worship with some of the local Christian community. The rest of the morning will be free to relax with the congregation. In the afternoon we will leave Jerusalem and drive to Hebron to visit the Tomb of the Patriarchs. Returning to Jerusalem we will stop off in the desert for an opportunity to meditate, before continuing on to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem. Day 7 Monday 5th February Mount of Olives & Mount Zion After breakfast, we drive to the summit of the Mount of Olives to recall the Palm Sunday route and visit places associated with particular events in the gospels as we slowly make our way downhill. We start at Bethphage, the traditional starting point of the procession of palms and in the course of our journey will visit the church of the Pater Noster, where we recall Jesus teaching of the Lord s Prayer to his disciples and the church of Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the fate of the city. Finally, we reach the Garden of Gethsemane and the dark and brooding Church of All Nations where we recall Jesus agonized prayers prior to his arrest and reflect on the failure of his closest friends to keep awake and watch with him. We then proceed across the Kidron Valley to visit Mount Zion and the traditional site of the Last Supper and the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu and view the recently excavated Roman pathway and steps that lead up from the Old City. In the afternoon we will visit the Garden Tomb before returning to our hotel in good time to relax before dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem.

6 visit Herod s Palace complex. It was on this flat-topped mountain that the Jewish Partisans committed mass suicide during the Jewish revolt against Rome. On descending Masada we will stop for an Day 8 Tuesday 6th February The Way of the Cross We leave our hotel and drive to Zion Gate and proceed to the Western Wall, a section of the retaining wall of King Solomon s Temple and Judaism s holiest site. We then proceed to the beautiful Crusader Church of St. Anne overlooking the Pools of Bethesda. We then visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, built on the foundations of the Antonia Fortress, the Roman Garrison of Jerusalem where we view the recently-excavated first century stone pavement (Gabbatha in the Gospels) and then follow the Way of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary enshrined within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After a break for lunch we drive to West Jerusalem to visit the Holocaust Memorial at Yad Vashem. We return to our hotel in good time for dinner and overnight stay. Day 9 Wednesday 7th February Jericho, Dead Sea & Masada A day at leisure to relax or have the opportunity of joining a full day optional excursion to the Dead Sea Basin. If you join the excursion we leave Jerusalem after an early breakfast to drive to the oasis city of Jericho to view the traditional sycamore tree and Quarantal Monastery on the Mount of Temptation. Late morning we continue south along the shores of the Dead Sea to visit Masada. We ascend the summit by cable car to opportunity to bathe in the unique mineral laden waters of the Dead Sea. We then return to Jerusalem and our hotel. Farewell dinner. Day 10 Thursday 8th February Emmaus & our journey home After breakfast we leave Jerusalem and drive around seven miles in a westerly direction and stop at the village of Abu Ghosh, one of the sites associated with the village of Emmaus in the gospels, to celebrate our final Eucharist together. After a break for lunch we drive to Tel Aviv Airport and our return flight to London. We plan to arrive back in London in the late evening. Please note this complex touring programme may be subject to minor local amendments

7 INCLUSIVE HOLY LAND TOUR COST All Lightline tours are carefully calculated to include all items necessary to complete your tour at the advertised price. Scheduled flights on Easyjet from London Luton London Luton - Tel Aviv EZY :15 / 14:15 Tel Aviv - London Luton EZY :55 / 22:55 Please note the above flight times are local and are subject to change All airport departure & passenger taxes (UK & Israel). Accommodation at following selected guest houses & hotels: All hotels and guest houses are fully air-conditioned with en-suite facilities Galilee - Sisters of Nazareth (Guest house by the Basilica) Bethlehem - Casa Nova Guest House (by Manger Square in Bethlehem) Jerusalem - Gloria hotel (within the walls of the Old City) Half board basis (breakfast & dinner throughout). All entrance fees and local government taxes. Qualified English speaking guide throughout the tour. All touring in modern air-conditioned tourist coaches. THE ONLY ITEMS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE ARE: Single room supplement (limited availability) 395, travel insurance, gratuities 75, and any items of a personal nature (laundry & drinks etc). Optional Excursion to Masada and Dead Sea - 40 TRAVELLING ON YOUR OWN A large proportion of our passengers travel alone and object to expensive "single room" supplements. Please indicate this on your booking form (share twin-bedded room) and we will accommodate you with a person of the same sex also travelling alone and would also like to share a room. If we are unable to accommodate you in a shared twin, we will place you in single room at only half the cost (50%) of the usual single supplement. If you require Single accommodation (if available) you should request this when booking and the appropriate supplement will apply. PASSPORTS, VISAS & HEALTH A full valid 10 year passport is necessary for all our tours. Check NOW that it is valid for the duration of your tour and validity runs for a further 6 months after your return to the UK. British passport holders will be issued a visa free of charge on arrival in the Holy Land. Holders of other passports please contact Lightline Pilgrimages on for advice. No inoculations are required, however we advise you to consult your doctor regarding your own personal requirements. TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE ON THIS TOUR Please read the booking conditions and complete the enclosed booking form and send it, with a deposit of 200 and insurance premium (if required) per person to: Lightline Pilgrimages Ltd Coopersale Hall Farm Epping CM16 7PE ENQUIRIES:

8 - The official & preferred pilgrimage partner for the Diocese of Jerusalem - Coopersale Hall Farm Epping CM16 7PE Tel: info@lightline.org.uk Web: FOR YOUR PROTECTION AND PEACE OF MIND Lightline Pilgrimages Limited holds an Air Travel Organiser s Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority - ATOL The flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure is financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to:

9 BOOKING FORM THE HOLY LAND A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Led by The Revd Martin Dale 30 January - 8 February 2018 TOUR REF: DALE8HLTN PASSENGER DETAILS. Please insert Lead Passenger details in Blue Box Section. Title Given names as Surname Nationality Date of Birth Passport Number Expiry Date Mr/Mrs appears in passport dd/mm/yyyy dd/mm/yyyy LEAD PASSENGER DETAILS (All correspondence is sent to lead passenger) Address: Post Code: Tel: (day) Tel: (eve) Tel: (Mobile) (Please tick box) I have read and agree to the booking conditions and Insurance conditions on behalf of all the travellers that are named above. And at the time of booking no circumstances and known which are likely to lead to cancellation or the curtailment of the pilgrimage by any person. I would like all correspondence to be sent to my address. Signature Date: ACCOMMODATION ( Please tick appropriate box ) Twin / Double Bed Room REMARKS / SPECIAL DIET / ETC. We will ensure that our hotels and restaurants are advised, but special diets of any kind (including vegetarian, vegan, coeliac etc ) can seldom be catered for adequately and we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet your requests. Shared Twin Room Single Room (Incurs a supplementary cost) TOUR PAYMENT Deposit (per 200 = Travel insurance (per person up to = Travel Insurance (per person over = Total Enclosed = Please send the completed booking form together with your cheque to: LIGHTLINE PILGRIMAGES LTD Unit 10, Coopersale Hall Farm, Epping CM16 7PE Debit Card Payments We accept the following debit cards. Tel: info@lightline.org.uk

10 All bookings are subject to our full booking conditions which appear on our website at: A copy of these can be posted to you on request. By asking us to make your booking, please make sure you tick the appropriate box confirming you have read our booking conditions. The booking conditions provide for the payment of cancellation charges if you cancel or fail to make payment when due. They also include limitations and exclusions of our liability to you. For international travel by air, sea or rail, our liabilities are limited and excluded as if we were a carrier within the applicable international convention or EU regulation (for example, the Montreal Convention, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability and the Athens Convention). A surcharge may be payable in limited circumstances where certain costs increase after booking. Your contract will be with Lightline Pilgrimages Limited. This contract comes into existence when we dispatch our confirmation invoice to the person who makes your booking. All Lightline flight and flight-inclusive holidays are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay, you will be supplied with an ATOL certificate. Please check and ensure that everything you booked is listed correctly. For more information about the ATOL certificate please visit: Or see our full booking conditions. British citizens require a British passport in order to travel to the destinations we feature. This usually takes less than six weeks to obtain, unless you are over 16 and have not held a passport previously, in which case you need to allow a minimum of at least six weeks. Please ensure you have at least six months validity on your passport from the date of your return journey to the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website: which you are recommended to consult. In the event of any flight delay or cancellation at your UK or overseas point of departure, the airline is responsible for providing such assistance as is legally required by the Denied Boarding Regulations. The ferry, tunnel or rail operator is similarly responsible in relation to any delayed or cancelled sea crossing or international rail departure. Except where otherwise stated in our brochure or on our website, we regret we cannot provide any assistance in such circumstances other than information and advice to the extent we are in a position to do so. Data Protection Please be assured that we have measures in place to protect the personal booking information held by us. This information will be passed on to the principal and to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements. The information may also be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies. If you travel outside the European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country. We will only pass your information on to persons responsible for your tour travel arrangements. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as any disabilities, dietary or religious requirements. (If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we will be unable to provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons). Cancellation Should you or any member of your party need to cancel their booking once it has been confirmed, the party leader must immediately advise us in writing. The notice of cancellation will only be effective when it is received in writing by us at our offices. As we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the cancellation charges as displayed in our full booking conditions will apply. Lightline Pilgrimages Limited, Coopersale Hall Farm, Epping. CM16 7PE