TEN days itinerary visit Holy Land Day 1 July 9 th Depart Atlanta. Meet at Atlanta Airport at 20:00 PM. - Depart Atlanta airport at 22:45 on Turkish Airlines flights number TK 32 & TK 788 to Tel Aviv airport. Day 2 July 10 th Arrival. Arrival to Tel Aviv airport at 20:20 drive to the Galilee overnight at hotel. Day 3 July 11 th The Coastal Plain, Mt. Carmel and the Valley of Armageddon. Megiddo: In ancient times Megiddo was an important city-state. Excavations have unearthed 26 layers of ruins, indicating a long period of settlement. Megiddo is strategically located at the head of a pass through the Carmel Ridge overlooking the Jezreel Valley from the west. The Book of Revelation mentions an apocalyptic military amassment at Armageddon, a name derived from the Hebrew "Har Megiddo" meaning "Mount of Megiddo". Caesarea Maritima: The ancient city and harbor of Caesarea Maritima was built by Herod the Great at about 20 BCE. It was there that Peter the Apostle came and baptized Cornelius the Centurion and his household, and the first Christian baptism was conferred on Gentiles. When newly converted Paul the Apostle was in danger in Jerusalem, he was transferred to Caesarea where he was imprisoned for about two years. Mt. Carmel - Muhraqa: In ancient Canaanite culture, high places were frequently considered to be sacred, and Mount Carmel appears to have been no exception. In the Book of Kings, Prophet Elijah challenges 450 prophets of the god Baal to a contest at the altar on Mount Carmel to determine whose deity was genuinely in control of the Kingdom of Israel. Visit Haifa. Dinner & overnight in the Galilee.
Day 4 July 12 th The Sea of Galilee and Nazareth Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The Mt. of Beatitudes: The Beatitudes are the eight blessings Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount. We will visit the suggested location of this mount (Matthew 5). Tabgha: It is traditionally accepted as the place of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Mark 6:30-46) and the fourth Resurrection appearance of Jesus (John 21:1-24) after his Crucifixion. Capernaum: The town is cited in the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John where it was reported to have been near the hometown of the apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. Jesus selected this town as the center of his public ministry in the Galilee after he left the small mountainous hamlet of Nazareth (Matthew 4:12 17). He also formally cursed the city, saying "You shall be brought down to Hades," (Matthew 11:23) because of their lack of response to his teaching. Cana: Cana is best known as the place where, according to the Fourth Gospel, Jesus performed his first public miracle, the turning of a large quantity of water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11) when the wine provided by the bridegroom had run out. Nazareth: The Church of the Annunciation was established at the site where, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the Annunciation took place. Greek Orthodox tradition holds that this event occurred while Mary was drawing water from a local spring in Nazareth, and the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation was erected at that alternate site. We will visit both sites. Dinner and overnight in Galilee. Day 5 July 13 th Upper Galilee and the Golan Heights Caesarea Philippi: Also known as Banias, is a natural spring and archaeological site by the ancient city located at the foot of Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights. Jesus, while in this area, asked his closest disciples who they thought he was. Here Peter made his confession of Jesus as the Messiah and the "Son of the living God.
The Golan Heights: Also Known as the Land of Bashan. According to Deuteronomy, the Israelites invaded Bashan and conquered it from the Amorites. We will stop at the peak of an extinct volcano (Mt. Bental) and enjoy a beautiful panoramic view into Syria and Bashan. Dinner and overnight in Galilee. Day 6 July 14 th The Jordan Valley and the Wilderness of Judea Drive south through the Jordan Valley. Yardenit Baptismal Site Beit Shean: During a subsequent battle against the Jewish King Saul at nearby Mount Gilboa in 1004 BC, the Philistines prevailed. 1 Samuel 31 states that the victorious Philistines hung the body of King Saul on the walls of Beit She an. The Hellenistic period (3rd-2nd century BC) saw the reoccupation of the site of Beit She'an under the new name Scythopolis. During the Roman period (1st c. BC 4th c. AD) Scythopolis prospered and became the leading city of the Decapolis, a loose confederation of ten cities that were centers of Greco-Roman culture. Mount Gilboa: Continue driving south passing by Mt. Gilboa. In the Bible, King Saul, Israel's first monarch, led a charge against the Philistines at this mountain. The battle ends with the king falling on his own sword and Jonathan (Saul's son) being killed in battle. David, who returns to the site after the battle, curses the mountain: "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, neither fields of choice fruits; for there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil" (II Samuel 1:21). Jericho: The city may be the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. Archeology dates the city back to the 10th millennia BCE. The Mount of Temptation: A view to the mountain which is said to be the hill in the Judean Desert where Jesus was tempted by the devil after his baptism (Matthew 4:8). Drive to Bethlehem. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.
Day 7: - July 15 th Jerusalem and Bethlehem Mt. of Olives: The Mount of Olives is one of three peaks of a mountain ridge which runs for 2.2 miles just east of the Old City across the Kidron Valley, in this area called the Valley of Jehoshaphat.Several key events in the life of Jesus as related in the Gospels took place on the Mount of Olives, and in the Book of Acts it is described as the place from which Jesus ascended to heaven. From here, we will have a panoramic view towards the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem. The Garden of Gethsemane: Located at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, it is most famous as the place where after the Last Supper Jesus prayed the night before his arrest and crucifixion. Mt. Zion: Important sites on Mount Zion are: The Dormition Abbey: During his visit to Jerusalem in 1898 for the dedication of the Protestant Church of the Redeemer, Kaiser Wilhelm II bought this piece of land on Mount Zion and presented it to the "German Union of the Holy Land". According to local tradition, it was on this spot, near the site of the Last Supper, that the Mary, Mother of Jesus, died. King David's Tomb: According to a tradition beginning in the 12th century it is a site viewed as the burial place of David, King of Israel. The Room of the Last Supper (Cenacle): Since at least the fourth century AD,it is a structure identified as the Cenacle, the site of the Last Supper, and has been a popular Christian pilgrimage site on Mount Zion. Bethlehem: The Church of the Nativity of Jesus.The holy site, known as the Grotto, that the Church of the Nativity sits atop, is today associated with the cave in which the birth of Jesus of Nazareth occurred. In 2012, the church complex became the first Palestinian site to be listed as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem, through the day meeting with Kairos Palestine.
Day 8 July 16 th The Dead Sea Qumran: is an archaeological site. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. It is best known as the settlement nearest to the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden. Massada: We ascent to Masada by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress where from 70-73 AD the Jewish defenders made the last stand of the Judean Revolt and where the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth century Byzantine church are still on view. Dead Sea: enjoy the afternoon swimming and floating in the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem. In the evening meeting with Sabeel. Day 9 July 17 th Jerusalem The Temple Mount: Traditions often identified it with the biblical Mount Moriah where the story of the binding of Isaac is set. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism, which regards it as the place where God's divine presence is manifested more than any other place. The Mount has great significance in Christianity due to the role the Temple played in the life of Jesus. As a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus was found in the Temple where he confounded the Jewish theologians with his knowledge of the Torah. (Luke 2:41-50) During his ministry, Jesus challenged the corruption of those who used the Temple for commerce and extortion (Matthew 21:12-17) and prophesied the temple's destruction, which came to pass in AD 70. The Wailing Wall: Also known as The Western Wall. Parts of the wall are remnants of the ancient wall that surrounded the Jewish Temple's courtyard, and is arguably the most sacred site recognized by the Jewish faith outside of the Temple Mount itself. Via Dolorosa - The Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The Garden Tomb: It is a rock-cut tomb in Jerusalem which was unearthed in 1867 and has subsequently been considered by some Christians to be the site
of the burial and resurrection of Jesus. Here we have the possibility of having a worship service. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem, through the day meeting with B'Tselem Day 10 July 18 th Departure AM: at 9:30 to Ben Gurion (Tel Aviv) International Airport for departure back to Atlanta. Price Number of Guests 15 19 20 24 25 29 30 35 Single Supplement Lunches Supplement Price per person in double occupancy in the Galilee & Bethlehem 2820.- 2560.- 2480.- 2399.- 529.- 160.- Prices include: Accommodations at a Tourist Class hotel in the Galilee for 4 nights on half board (breakfast & dinner). Accommodations at a Tourist Class hotel in Bethlehem for 4 nights on half board (breakfast & dinner). A licensed English speaking guide all the way. A deluxe air conditioned bus all the way. Entrance fees as per the itinerary. A boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and St. Peter fish lunch. A dip in the Dead Sea. Flights. Prices do not include: Beverages. Travel insurance. Personal expenses. Tips to guide and driver. Anything not mentioned. Other Conditions: If any of the participants has a medical condition and or allergies, we should be notified first hand. All participants carry USA passports. 30% deposit by April 30 th 2016. Full payment by May 25 th 2016. All payments to be done through IBAN bank transfers. Names and passport details by May 10 th 2016. 35 seats already booked and confirmed on flights. -----------------------