DAY 1, Thursday, October 25, 2018 – Depart the United States for a trans-Atlantic flight.   M

DAY 2, Fri. – Our pilgrimage in this Holy Land begins:  After meeting our guide for the Holy Land, we transfer by deluxe motor coach to our hotel by the Mediterranean Sea.  Time, perhaps, for an evening stroll along the beach before dinner and overnight in Hadera Beach.     D

DAY 3, Sat. – We have come to see for ourselves (John 1:45-46): Herod’s City-Caesarea;  The Majesty of Carmel;  Armageddon;  Nazareth . . . . to the Sea of Galilee. After breakfast, we head north toward Caesarea, once the 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. We continue toward Mt. Carmel (Is. 35:2), a symbol of strength, beauty and fertility for OT prophets. Traditionally, Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baalis located at Muhraqa  (‘the sacrifice’),  a peak offering a spectacular view of the Jezreel Valley.   This fertile valley, also known as the plain of Megiddo, 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 continue on to Nazareth, home of the Basilica of the Annunciation.  We visit Cana, site of the first miracle where Jesus turned the water into wine before we depart for Tiberias and our kibbutz on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. At the kibbutz is the museum which houses the 1st-century boat discovered in the mud around the sea.  Dinner and overnight Tiberias.  BLD

DAY 4, Sun. – “He is going ahead of us to Galilee”(Mt. 28):   The Sea; On the Boat;  Capernaum;  Tabgha; Mount of Beatitudes;  Golan Heights;  Caesarea Philippi; Mt. Hermon; Korazin. We shall take a boat on the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum:  there we shall walk in the ancient synagogue and see St. Peter’s house.   We shall visit Tabghato view the mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes.   From there we move to the Mt. of Beatitudes where we rehear the Sermon on the Mount.  We shall continue to Korazin (Mt. 11:21), then to the springs of Banias (Mt. 16:13) where Peter said:  “Thou are Christ.”  There will be a walk along the mouth of the Jordan River where we may renew our Baptismal vows.  We shall reach the foot of Mt. Hermon before returning to Tiberias for dinner and overnight.     BLD 

DAY 5, Mon. – From Galilee “up to Jerusalem” through Samaria:   This day will find us following the footsteps that Jesus and his family would have taken as they made their way from Galilee to Jerusalem.  The road passes through a string of Arab villages, many of them with names recalling incidents in the Bible. Jenin, for example, is where tradition holds that Jesus cured the 10 lepers (Luke 17:11).  We proceed to ancient Sebaste, a Hellenistic city where John the Baptist, according to tradition, was beheaded at the birthday party of Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17). We shall enjoy a wonderful Arab lunch while in Sebaste, before moving on to Schechem (Nablus).  Here we shall visit and drink from Jacob’s well (Gen. 33:18), where Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink promising her “living water” (John 4).  In Schechem we find ourselves between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, in the Valley of Blessings and Curses (Josh. 8:30).  We recall that Mt. Gerizim was for the Samaritans the Holy Mountain.  We now proceed 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.   Once in Jerusalem, we find a site high above on Mt. Zion or the Mt. of Olives in order to orient ourselves.  Dinner and overnight Jerusalem.     BLD

DAY 6, Tues. – The Passion: Palm Sunday Walk; Dominus Flevit; Church of the Agony; Garden of Gethsemane; Cave of the Olive Press; Kidron Valley to the House of Caiaphas.  From here we shall move on to walk the ViaDolorosa, winding through the busy markets of theOld City and praying 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. The rest of the day is free for further exploration in the Old City.   This evening we will attend Evensong at St. George’s. Dinner and overnight Jerusalem.     BLD 

DAY 7, Wed. – Life’s Bread, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem:  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 the Dome of the Rock, to the Western Wailing Wall and the Jewish Quarter.  From there we go to St. Mark’s Syrian Orthodox Church, possible site of the Upper Room. After lunch at Two Mustaches (a wonderful Arab restaurant in Bethlehem), we visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Field.   Following dinner at our hotel, we will visit St. Andrew’s and Craftaid.  Overnight Jerusalem.        BLD

DAY 8, Thurs. – The Judean Wilderness:   We drive along the Dead Sea to Masada and ride the cable car to the top. Following lunch, we drive to Ein Gedi for a walk to a spectacular oasis/waterfall where David hid from Saul; then on to the Essene Center at Qumran, overlooking the Dead Sea.  We return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.    BLD

DAY 9, Fri. – New Jerusalem:  Today we visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and the Knesset, the Israel Museum which houses the Shrine of the Book, along with other important sites.   The afternoon is free for exploring your favorite sites in the Old City on your own. We will enjoy a gala farewell dinner together before returning to our hotel for a short rest.   BLD

DAY 10, Saturday, November 3, 2018 – Homeward Bound! After a very early wake-up call, we will board our motorcoach and depart for Ben Gurion Airport where we bid goodbye to our driver and guide, board our trans-Atlantic flight, and journey home with a new appreciation of the Holy Land.    BM

B – Breakfast    L – Lunch    D – Dinner    M – Meal on Aircraft    

Itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion of the leaders.