Austin Brethren Church 2018 Israel Tour Hosted by: Pastor Linda and Gary Chandler Day 1 Saturday, October 13, 2018 Departure from the U.S Depart US and fly to Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. International flights usually arrive the following day. Day 2 Sunday, October 14, 2018 Welcome to Israel Land in Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv. You will be met and greeted by a representative of who will welcome you to Israel and introduce you to your tour guide and driver. After some light refreshments, we will board our bus and transfer to our Samaria hotel for dinner and Overnight. Overnight in Galilee hotel
Day 3 Monday, October 15 Tribal land of Benjamin We start our tour of Israel with a visit to the Biblical Heartland of the country. We begin with a visit to the Psagot lookout where we will see the site of the Mikmash battle between Jonathan and the Philistines (1 Samuel 13 and 14). Next, we visit Jewish village of Beth El, to visit the site of Jacob's Dream Of The Ladder, and recount the story in the place that it happened (Genesis 22). We continue with a visit to the village of Ofra for a tour with Aaron Lipkin and tree planting with elementary school students. We finish the day with a visit to ancient Shiloh, site of the Tabernacle for almost 400 years (1 Samuel 1 to 4). We return to the hotel for dinner and then enjoy Aaron Lipkin s presentation about recent exciting archeological discoveries. Overnight at Samaria hotel Day 4 Tuesday, October 16 Tribal land of Ephraim After breakfast, we drive to Mt. Ebal to visit the altar that Joshua built 3,000 year ago (Joshua 8:30). We continue to Mt. Gerizim for lunch in the Mt. of Blessing winery. Next, we visit the Joseph Lookout point on the ancient city of Shechem (Genesis 33-34, John 4:5-6) and a tour of the Samaritan village. We finish the day with a visit to the Hayovel base where Christian volunteers harvest the grapes of Samaria following Isiah 61:5. Transfer to Galilee hotel for dinner and overnight. Overnight at Galilee hotel
Day 5 Wednesday, October 17 Lower Galilee We start our first day in the Galilee with a visit to Mt. Carmel to visit the "Place of Sacrifice" where the Prophet Elijah defeated with the Priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:17-40). Next, a tour of Tel Megiddo (Armageddon), where the Messiah will return to earth and defeat the Antichrist (the "beast") in the battle of Armageddon. We will then drive to the town of Nazareth in the hills of the Galilee where Jesus grew to manhood (Matth. 2:23). Here we will visit Nazareth Village recreating the village life during the time of Jesus. We end this day by visiting a great lookout point from Mt. Precipice looking over the Jezreel Valley and Mt. Tabor. Overnight at Galilee hotel Day 6 Thursday, October 18 Golan Heights We will begin our day at Tel Dan, a city mentioned in the Bible, described as the northernmost city of the Kingdom of Israel, belonging to the Tribe of Dan. Our next stop is at Banias, one of the sources of the River Jordan, the site of Caesarea Philippi where the Apostle Peter made his great confession of faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Matth. 16:13-17). Following this, we will drive up to the Golan Heights stopping at Mt. Bental, a lookout point where we can see the "Road to Damascus", and then continue on to Katzrin. Katzrin, known as the "capital of the Golan heights" is home to ancient structural remains which late back to the Late Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. Our last stop of the day will be to Yardenit, on the banks of the Jordan River, where you will have the chance to experience the tranquility and spiritual beauty of the waters in which Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and where Jesus practiced and preached across this part of the Holy Land. Overnight at Galilee Hotel
Day 7 Friday, October 19 Galilee Sea Our first stop of the day will be to The Sea of Galilee, a place rich in memories of the three years of Jesus' ministry was around its shores. We will enjoy a boat ride across the Sea to visit the ruins of Capernaum, which in Jesus' time was a flourishing border town and was called "his own city" because of the frequency with which Jesus visited it and the mighty works he did there. We continue with a visit to the Boat Museum in Kibbutz Ginosar where a 2,000-year-old boat from Jesus time is exhibited. We board our bus and travel through the Jordan Valley to Argaman where a mysterious Israelite footprint structure was found. We continue south to our Dead Sea hotel for a special Shabbat experience with Avi and Rachel Lipkin Overnight at Dead Sea hotel Day 8 Saturday, October 20 Dead Sea and SPA Free day to relax and enjoy a swim in the Dead Sea, hotel SPA (included) and treatments (not included). Avi Lipkin will teach us about the weekly bible portion read in Synagogues this Shabbat. Overnight at Dead Sea hotel
Overnight at Jerusalem hotel Day 9 Sunday, October 21 Dead Sea After breakfast and checkout, We head south to Masada. Ascent by cable car for an extensive tour of the site, which was the scene of the Jewish resistance against the Romans in the year 73 AD. We continue to the caves of Kumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Next, we visit Genesis Land for a special desert hospitality and camel ride. Upon entering Jerusalem, we stop at a lookout point on Mt. Scopus overlooking Jerusalem, the city of the King. We arrive at our hotel for dinner and overnight. Day 10 Monday, October 22 Jerusalem After breakfast, we start our pilgrimage in Jerusalem with a drive to the top of the Mt. of Olives, from which Jesus ascended to Heaven after his resurrection. From the top of the Mount there is a magnificent view over all of ancient and modern Jerusalem, the center of the biblical world. We visit the Garden of Gethsemane (time for prayer) and the Church of All Nations where Jesus prayed on the night of his betrayal (Lk. 22:40-46). Next we visit the City of David archeological museum. We visit the last standing remnant of the ancient Temple at the Western (Wailing) Wall and visit some of the exciting archeological sites in and around the Old City. End the day at the Kotel Tunnels to unveil hidden sections of the Western Wall. Moving through underground passages, ancient trenches and much more. The Western Wall s enormous courses of stone are revealed in full size and magnitude, telling us about the architecture and building practices of different historical eras. Overnight at Jerusalem hotel
Day 11 Tuesday, October 23 Tel Aviv This morning, we will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum and pay our respects to the victims. We will then visit the Garden tomb which is believed by many to be the garden and sepulcher of Joseph of Arimathea, and therefore a possible site of the resurrection of Jesus. From there we will proceed to the Independence Hall Museum, housed in one of Tel-Aviv s first buildings and the building where members of the Provisional State Council assembled and declared the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. We will end the day with our farewell dinner and then head to our homebound flight at Ben Gurion Airport, rejoicing and putting our trust in the Lord, remembering the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 125:1: "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever".