Your pilgrimage begins as you depart the USA on an overnight flight. 

You will be welcomed at Tel Aviv Airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel, where you will enjoy dinner before retiring for the night.

Worship as you sail across the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in the Galilee, and visit the synagogue built on the site where Jesus taught (Matthew 4:13, 23). On the Mount of Beatitudes, contemplate the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7). Explore the Church of the Fish and the Loaves at Tabgha, a traditional site of the feeding of the 5,000 (Luke 9:10-17). See the Chapel of the Primacy, where Peter professed his devotion three times to the risen Christ (John 21). In Magdala, once home to Mary Magdalene, visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue. Recall Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. 

Visit the Franciscan Wedding Chapel in Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, before continuing to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23). Look out over Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) to view one of Israel’s most important archaeological sites. Today’s last stop is Caesarea, a center of the early Christians where an angel visited Cornelius, the first Gentile believer (Acts 10), and where Paul was imprisoned for two years before appealing to Caesar. 

Start the day in Bet She’an, a city continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years. The uncovered ruins date back to the Greek / Roman city that was part of the Decapolis of Jesus’ day. See colonnaded streets with marble sidewalks, Roman public baths, and a theater. As you stop in Jericho to view the ruins of the city conquered by Joshua (Joshua 6:1, 2, 20), you can also see in the distance the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. 

In Bethlehem, visit the cave revered as Jesus’ birthplace and see the Church of the Nativity constructed over the site (Matthew 1:18-25). Gaze out over Shepherds’ Field before returning to Jerusalem. Explore the poignant exhibits of Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Memorial.

Begin your day with a group picture taken from the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). Walk the Palm Sunday Road and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and envision the scenes of the night before Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 26:36 - 44). Continue to Mount Zion to visit the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was questioned the night of His betrayal (Matthew 26:57). Meditate on the events of the Last Supper as you visit the traditional location of the Upper Room (Mark 14:12-26). After lunch, wander through the excavations of the City of David. Explore Hezekiah’s Tunnel, an amazing engineering feat that was dug from either end and met in the middle! (Note: Those who are claustrophobic may want to meet the group at the other end of the tunnel!). Visit the Pool of Siloam, recently uncovered at the foot of the city.

Today you have free time to explore on your own, or you may choose to visit Masada and the Dead Sea (at an additional charge). Ascend to Masada by cable car, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress that became the last desperate stronghold of the Jewish Zealots against the Romans. You can still look down on the remains of the Roman camps and the siege ramp below. End your day with a dip in the salt and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea. 

Explore ancient Jerusalem at the Western Wall and the Temple Steps. View the Pool of Bethesda where Jesus performed the Sabbath miracle (John 5:1-18). Sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne and experience its rich acoustics. Visit Herod’s Antonia Fortress, where Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:1), and follow in Christ’s steps on the Via Dolorosa (“the Way of the Cross”). At the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, take time to reflect on His sacrificial love. Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection and communion.

Return to the USA or Enjoy an Extension.