Tour the Holy Land with Pastor Chuck - July 11-20 , 2023

                         Butler Church of the Nazarene Holy Land Trip

 Day 1 : Departure the US to Tel Aviv

 Day 2 :  Arrival in Tel Aviv – Transfer to Hotel in Tiberias We arrive in Tel Aviv, and upon arrival, we will meet our local guide and driver. The only stop for today will be Jaffa. After our tour in Jaffa, we will transfer to our hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 : Caesarea Maritima – Mount Carmel – Megiddo – Tiberias
After breakfast depart for Caesarea Maritima. Visit Caesarea Maritima, a magnificent city with Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. Here we will elaborate on the story of the baptism of Cornelius, the first gentile convert into Christianity (Acts 10), and on the travels of Paul — those events that led Caesarea Maritima to become the springboard of Christianity to the West. We continue along the coast to Mount Carmel. 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), discussing the reasons why the Prophet chose that place for the contest, and the lessons we learn from the story. Visit Tel Megiddo “Armageddon”,  Along with our visit we would see the Solomon city gate, stables, and palaces from the times of Ahab, a high place, and the impressive water system dating to the 9th century BC. Then we will check into our hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 : Sea Of Galilee – Capernaum – Mount of Beatitudes – Yardenit Baptismal Site
After breakfast. We begin our day with a sail on the Sea of Galilee on a replica of a boat from Jesus’ time. We will dock in Ginosar where we will visit the ancient boat museum, containing a 2000-year old fishing boat which is a good example of how the boats looked in Jesus’ time. After the boat ride, we drive to Capernaum . We will visit Capernaum, the hometown of Jesus as described by the Gospel, and also Jesus’ Galilean ministry base. There we will see the house of Peter’s mother-in-law and the ancient synagogue where many of Jesus’ teachings took place. Visit the Mount of Beatitudes where we enjoy its enchanting gardens and reflect on Jesus’ teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. Passing through Tabgha, visit the Church of St Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus appeared to his disciples for the third time after the Resurrection. During the lunch break, you will have the opportunity to try St. Peter’s fish, commonly eaten by people on Jesus’ day. Visit Yardenit Baptismal Site where you will get a chance to renew baptismal vows. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

 Day 5 : Magdala – Beit She’an – Nazareth – Tiberias
We start the day with a visit to Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene including the 1st-century Synagogue, the oldest Synagogue discovered on the shores of Galilee with a stone carved model of the Temple, including a Menorah carving. Next visit Beit Shean, the capital of Decapolis. There we will see the ruins of the Roman and Byzantine cities. We will also discuss the demise of King Saul and his sons, whose bodies were hanged on the walls of Beit Shean. We then drive to Nazareth. Visit the Church of the Annunciation built over the house of Mary where the Angel appeared to Mary seeing the ruins of the 1 st century Nazareth. Passing through the Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle changing water into wine. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

 Day 6 : Bet Arabah – Jericho – Shepherd’s Field – Bethlehem – Jerusalem
After breakfast and check-out we will leave the Galilee area and travel south through the Jordan River Valley.  Visit Bet Arabah “Qasr el Yahud” known also as Gilgal, where the Israelites crossed into the promised land, from where Elijah was taken to heaven and at where Our Lord was baptized. Return to Jericho and visit Tel Jericho where we will see the location of the city from the town of Joshua, and view the Mount of Temptation. Then, enjoy a panoramic tour of Jericho, seeing the Sycamore Tree reminding us of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus. Depart for Shepherd’s Field. Visit Shepherd’s Field where the angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of Our Lord. These fields are also the setting of the Book of Ruth.  Leave Shepherd’s Field and drive towards the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem. In Bethlehem, visit the Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity built over the Cave of Christ’s Birth, we will view the actual place where Our Lord was born. Drive to Jerusalem. Enjoy Genesis Welcome to the Holy City. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

 Day 7 : Temple Mount – Pools of Bethesda – Mt. Olives –  Wailing Wall
After breakfast. Leave the hotel and drive towards the Old City to Temple Mount. Visit Temple Mount where the Jewish temple stood until its destruction in 70 A.D. Here we reflect on Jesus’ ministry at the Temple of Jerusalem, seeing the Dome of the Rock, a possible location of the Holy of Holies. Leave Temple Mount. Visit the Church of St. Anne’s, a perfectly intact Crusader church. There, we will also visit the Pools of Bethesda where the healing pool took place (John 5).  Drive to Mount of Olives. Visit the Mount of Olives for a breathtaking view of Jerusalem and a panoramic photo. Our guide will point out the most important sites in Jerusalem, then we will walk the Palm Sunday Road. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8 : Masada – Qumran – Dead Sea Swim
After breakfast. Depart for Masada. We begin our day visiting Masada the fortress built by King Herod the Great and made famous by the Zealots in 73/74 AD with the standoff against the Romans. We visit the fortress and see the ruins that are considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Then we drive to visit Qumran, the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, and the buildings that formed the Essenes public center. This afternoon you will have some time at leisure at one of the Dead Sea beaches. Drive back towards Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

 Day 9 : Gethsemane – Kidron Valley – Pool of Siloam – House of Caiaphas – Garden Tomb
After breakfast. Start our day by visiting the Garden of Gethsemane where amid the 2000 years old olive trees we see the Rock of Agony on which Jesus prayed and the nearby Gethsemane cave where Jesus often spent the nights and where he was arrested at the hands of the High Priest guards. Later on, we will walk along the Kidron Valley following the footsteps of Our Lord, seeing Absalom Tomb, Gihon Spring, and Water Gate. We reach the remains of the Pool of Siloam, accidentally discovered about ten years ago, which is the place where Jesus instructed the blind man to wash the mud off his eyes (entrance included). We proceed to visit the House of Caiaphas, the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where we can see parts of the streets that Our Lord was dragged on by his capturers. We will have a chance to visit and pray at the dungeon where He was kept overnight. On to the Old City, where we reach Ecce Homo, the site named for Pontius Pilate words “Behold the man”, where Jesus was beaten, crowned with thorns, and clothed in a purple robe. We see the Stone Pavement called Lithos-Stratos and have some time for prayers and meditations. We walk the Via Dolorosa following Christ's passion toward the church of the Holy Sepulcher. In the afternoon, we visit Garden Tomb, a peaceful spot where we can remember Christ’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. We see the Calvary and the empty Tomb. Celebrate communion service. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 10 : Departure - back to the US on the same day 
Drive to the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport and board your flight.