Bethany Lutheran Church Holy Land Pilgrimage with Rev. Gary Sandberg

Day 1, Oct 01 (TUE): Departure from the USA
Depart Denver, CO. for your overnight flight to the Holy Land. Meals will be served on board.

Day 2, Oct 02 (WED): Arrival, Tel Aviv, Tiberias
We arrive at Ben Gurion airport and depart to our hotel for four nights in Tiberias to start off the
journey of visiting the Holy Land. The remainder of the day is free to walk along the Sea of Galilee,
relax and dine in our hotel.                                                                                                                                             

Day 3, Oct 03 (THU): Mt. Carmel, Caesarea – Nazareth – Cana – Tiberias
After breakfast, we will travel to Caesarea, where the Gentiles first heard the Good News from Peter and were baptized. We’ll see the Roman Amphitheatre and aqueduct. Visit Mount Carmel, Muhraqa the Place of Fire, and consider the contest between the Prophet Elijah and the false prophets of Baal (I Kings 18), we will go to Nazareth where we visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, we will also visit the Church of St. Joseph. We end our day with a visit to Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle, Drive to Tiberias for dinner and overnight.                                                                     
                       
Day 4, Oct 04 (FRI): Caesarea Philippi – Golan Heights – Mt. Arbel – Valley of Doves – Sea of Galilee
We will start our day with a visit to Caesarea Philippi (included) at the sources of the river Jordan where Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, then we would return to the Sea of Galilee via the Golan Heights with a stop overlooking the Road to Damascus. On to Mount Arbel lookout overlooking the ancient road from Nazareth to Galilee with a possible hike on a part of Jesus Trail. We will then carry on to the Valley of the Doves and travel along the ancient
road that leads from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee along the Via Maris. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

Day 5, Oct 05 (SAT): Sea of Galilee – Magdala - Capernaum - Mount of Beatitudes
We will start the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, followed by a visit to the Ancient Boat Museum that houses a 2000-year-old fishing boat found buried in mud on the shores of Galilee The boat provides a good example of how fishing boats looked like during the time of Jesus. Then we will visit Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene, and see the 1st-century synagogue, which is the oldest synagogue discovered on the shores of Galilee with a stone-carved replica of the Temple and Menorah. We will then take a short drive to Capernaum, the biblical village and hometown of Jesus. Capernaum is closely associated with Jesus and His ministry as described in the Synoptic Gospels. There we will see the house of the mother- in-law of Peter and an ancient synagogue that dates back to the time of Jesus and where much of His teaching took place. we will drive to Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000. We will then visit the site known as “Peter’s Primacy” where Jesus appeared to His disciples for the third time after His Resurrection. Later we will continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, the scene of Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount. We will enjoy the view of the enchanting gardens and reflect on Jesus’ sermon. We will also have time for prayer and reflection (Worship Service) Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

Day 6, Oct 06 (SUN): Jordan Valley – Wadi Qelt ’ST George Monastery” - Baptismal site -
Jericho - Shepherds Field - Bethlehem  
After breakfast, we will drive through the Jordan valley, Reaching Wadi Qelt, we enjoy a view of St. George’s Monastery nestled in the wilderness. Carry on along the ancient road reaching Jericho passing along Herod’s Winter Palace where the infamous King died in the year 4 BC. Prior to visiting Jericho, we head to visit Bet Arabah where John baptized Jesus. The site is also known as the “Place of Crossing”. The Israelites. From Beth Arabah we will drive to the city of Jericho. view the Mount of Temptation will also be in sight. on to Bethlehem to visit Shepher;s fields where the angels appeared to the shepherds announcing the birth of Our Lord. These fields are also the setting of the Book of Ruth. After lunch, we will travel to the Church of the Nativity and view the place where Our Lord was born. Check-in at our hotel, dinner, and overnight in Jerusalem.     

Day 7, Oct 07 (MON): Augusta Victoria Hospital, LWF - Mt. of Olives – Mt. Zion
We will start our day with Augusta Victoria to witness the work of the Lutheran World Federation in health and education. Later we will enjoy a panoramic view from the top of Mount of Olives then we continue to Dominus Flevit and St. Magdalene Church. Pray at the Garden of Gethsemane and visit the Church of All Nations. In the afternoon, we visit. St. Peter in Gallicantu where Jesus was denied by St. Peter. Then we will visit the Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper, and King David’s Tomb. Back to our hotel for dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.                                                     

Day 8, Oct 08 (WED): Temple Mt – Pool of Bethesda – Qumran - Dead Sea 
This morning after breakfast, drive to visit the Temple Mount, where the Jewish temple stood until its destruction in 70 A.D, and see the Dome of the Rock, a possible location of the Holy of Holies. On to visit St Anne’s church and a visit to nearby Pools of Bethesda where the healing at the pool took place. We will then drive to Qumran and visit the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were accidentally found and the buildings that formed the public canter of the Essenes. Then we will proceed to the Dead Sea where we can enjoy a dip in the relaxing and healing waters of the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day  09, Oct 09 (THU): Via Dolorosa  – Holy Sepulcher – Jewish Quarter – Wailing Wall – Davidson Center

We will walk the Via Dolorosa, the traditional path that Jesus walked from the Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher visiting Golgotha and the Empty Tomb. We will visit the Jewish Quarter and go to the Western Wall, a section of the Western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, and Judaism’s holiest site. We visit the Southern Wall Excavation.
Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 10, Oct 10 (FRI): Departure Tel Aviv to the US. 
Departure checks out and departs our hotel for our return home. We will arrive on the same day.

NOTE: The schedule is subject to change, due to various factors, and at your Tour Leaders and Guide’s discretion.