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* The ITINERARY FOR THE 11 DAY ISRAEL TOUR!
June 17-27, 2012. Click HERE for a COLOR BROCHURE (PDF). Click HERE for the REGISTRATION FORM
(As of 1-20-12, 44 people are currently signed up for this trip. This tour sells out at 45!)
This tour features over 40+ sites. We spend 3 nights and 2 full days in Galilee, plus 4 nights in Jerusalem. A free day will be enjoyed our our last day!
DAY 01 – SUNDAY – JUNE 17 - DEPART NORTH AMERICA
Tour members depart on our flight from New York to Tel-Aviv. After take-off enroute to the Holy Land, we will be served dinner. Sit back, relax, sleep a bit as your prepare for this exciting adventure.
DAY 2— MONDAY - JUNE 18 - ARRIVE TEL-AVIV/JAFFA/ CAESAREA
Upon our arrival at the modern Ben Gurion Airport, we meet our local Israeli representative who helps assist us with bag- gage and transfers us to our motorcoach .On our way to our hotel we make a stop in Joppa. We then drive to our hotel in Haifa, right on the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. Dinner is served, with an orientation meeting and optional walk to follow.
DAY 3—TUESDAY - JUNE 19 – CAESAREA/CARMEL/ MEGIDDO/NAZARETH/ TIBERIAS
Today we depart for Galilee, visiting the following biblical sites: Caesarea (Acts 9 & 25). Mt. Carmel (1 Kgs. 18), Megiddo (Armageddon; 1 Kgs. 9:15; Rev. 16:16), Nazareth (Luke 1 and 2), Cana (John 2) and Tiberias (John 6:23). We drive to our "kibbutz-hotel" located right on the Sea of Galilee shoreline. After dinner, we enjoy sitting together for an optional time of fellowship and worship.
DAY 4 – WEDNESDAY - JUNE 20 - BETHSAIDA/HAZOR/KATZRIN/ DAN/ CAESAREA PHILIPPI/NIMROD/BENTAL
We start the day by visiting the excavations at Bethsaida, "The House of the Fisherman - the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip. From here, we visit Hazor, a city taken by Joshua. (Joshua 11:10 – 14), Next, we visit a re-constructed Talmudic village called Katzrin where we see how people lived in the first few centuries. We continue driving north through the Golan Heights to Dan and its refreshing springs, one of the sources of the River Jordan. Close by is Caesarea Philippi. Here Peter made his declaration about Jesus (Mt. 16). Our next stop is Nimrod, a Crusader castle with a great view. Those wanting to hike to the top will be given the opportunity. Finally, we ascend to the eastern heights of the Golan and visit Bental. When we approach Kuneitra, we are only 36 miles from Damascus on the same road Saul of Tarsus used during his encounter with Christ. We return at the end of the day to our accommodations for dinner and overnight.
DAY 5 – THURSDAY - JUNE 21 – SEA OF GALILEE BOAT RIDE/TABGHA/ CAPERNAUM/ MT. OF BEATITUDES/ARBEL/ YARDENIT
We begin the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, enjoying a quiet and peaceful worship service together. Upon land- ing, we also see the "Jesus boat" from the first century AD. a vessel found here along the shores of Galilee in 1986. Next, we visit Tabgha, remembering the story of the feeding of the 5,000. Reading from Matthew 5 and the Sermon on the Mount, we travel to the Mount of Beatitudes. Close by is Capernaum, the home center of ministry for Jesus here in Galilee. Following lunch, we travel to Chorazin where an impres- sive synagogue stands. We head to the cliffs of Arbel for a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee. We end the day by renewing baptismal vows in the Jordan River at Yardenit. Dinner and overnight back at our hotel in Tiberias.
DAY 6 – FRIDAY - JUNE 22 – BEIT SHEAN/JERICHO/MT. OF OLIVES/ BETHLEHEM
Following an optional sunrise service, and breakfast, we begin our drive down the Jordan Valley as we head towards Jerusalem. The highway will take us to many of the following biblical sites: Beit Shean (1 Sam. 31:10); a well preserved Decapolis Roman cities. Here the bodies of King Saul and his sons were hung from the city walls. (1 Samuel 31:10 –12). On to Jericho, the ancient city where the wall came tumbling down (Josh. 2– 6; Mark 10:46; Luke 19:1)..The road from Jericho to Jerusalem is an ascent of 4,000 feet in 13 miles. To conclude our day, we will pass by Rachel's tomb on the outskirts of Bethlehem, and visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd's Field. Finally we arrive in the majestic city of Jerusalem in time for our dinner and overnight. A special optional walk will be offered.
DAY 7 - SATURDAY - JUNE 23 - EIN GEDI/MASADA/QUMRAN/ DEAD SEA/ WILDERNESS OF JUDAH
Leaving Jerusalem for the day, we will descend down to the Dead Sea and the wilderness of Judah. Our first stop will be Ein Gedi where David hid from King Saul. We will enjoy a walk back to the water falls, hopefully seeing ibex and cooneys along the way. Next, we drive further south along the Dead Sea to Masada. Here we will ascend high upon the wilderness mountain by way of the cable car to the fortress built by King Herod. Here we survey the ruins of the fortifications, waterworks, synagogue, temples and palaces. An optional walk down the snake path will be offered. In the afternoon, we drive back north to Qum- ran and the settlement of the first century sect known as the Essenes, the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We end the day with a "float" in the Dead Sea (30% salt and mineral). On our way back to Jerusalem, we stop for a view of the Wilderness of Judah. Here, we read from Isaiah 40 and Psalm 23. We travel back to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight Another optional walk will be offered.
DAY 8 – SUNDAY - JUNE 24 - MT. OF OLIVES/TEMPLE MOUNT/POOL OF BETHESDA/VIA DOLOROSA/ISRAEL MUSEUM/YAD VASHEM
We get our first glimpse of Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives, beholding a breath-taking panorama of the Holy City. We walk down the "Palm Sunday" route to the Garden of Gethsemane. Next, we enter the Old City of Jerusalem through the Dung Gate, and walk to the holiest site in the whole Jewish world, the Temple Mount. On this site now stands the magnificent Dome of the Rock (the third holiest shrine in all Islam) and the El-Aksa Mosque. Our walk continues along the Via Dolorosa to St. Anne's Crusader Church, Pools of Bethesda, the Sister of Zion Convent (to see the Pavement where Jesus stood as he was being tried by Pilate), Ecco Homo Arch, and then to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
This afternoon you will be fascinated by your visit to the Israel Museum and the model of Jerusalem (1 to 50 scale model of Herodian Jerusalem as it would have appeared in Jesus' time). Here we will also see the Shrine of the Book where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed. A visit to Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Museum is also planned. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem, with another optional walk.
DAY 9 – MONDAY - JUNE 25 - THE WESTERN WALL/SOUTHERN WALL EXCAVATIONS/JEWISH QUARTER/CITY OF DAVID/GARDEN TOMB
Our day begins by visiting the famous Western (Wailing) Wall of Jerusalem. You will have the opportunity to prayer at the Wall. Next, we visit the southern wall excavations where we will stand at the southern entrance to the Herodian Temple. Here, we will see the ancient boulders of the Temple and sit on the steps where Jesus no doubt taught. In the late morning, we will visit The Shoreshim Shop, where Moshe, an Orthodox Jew, will share an informative talk about his Jewish faith. We'll enjoy lunch in the quiet Jewish Quarter of the Old City.
In the afternoon, we will also visit the City of David, the ancient part of the city that dates back to the Old Testament. Here, you will see where Pastor John excavated back in the 1980's. After seeing the excavations, there will be an optional walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel. Flashlights and water shoes will be needed. Hezekiah's Tunnel (2 Chr. 29–32) is a 1,720 foot tunnel that ends at the new excavations of the Pool of Siloam (John 9). Later in the afternoon we will visit the Garden Tomb with an optional communion service, a very special time of reflecting upon the death and resurrection of Jesus. Dinner and over- night again in Jerusalem. Our last optional walk takes place after dinner.
DAY 10 – TUESDAY - JUNE 26 - FREE DAY IN JERUSALEM
Day without a planned program. Time to visit other places in and around the Old City, or revisit the places of most interest. Return within the walls of the Old City where bargaining is a must when you shop. Optional visits to the Upper Room, House of Caiaphas, and Shindler's tomb, as well as other places of interest will be offered by Pastor John. This will be a great day of roaming around yourself and enjoying Jerusalem. We return for our farewell dinner at our hotel. We then depart for the airport in Tel Aviv for our late-night flight back home.
DAY 11 – WEDNESDAY - JUNE 27 – ARRIVAL BACK HOME
We arrive early in the morning back to the States. After customs, we say our goodbyes to the group as we find our connecting flights back home. The end of a great trip and a life- changing "journey of a lifetime!"
If you have any questions for Pastor DeLancey, about this book, his church or Israel ministry, about the tours he leads, or if you would like to be sent a packet of brochures and other information, please contact Dr. DeLancey:
412-999-5697
"Journey of a Lifetime"