Tours

Holy Land : Turkiye & Jordan options with Rev. Dr. Craig Ferguson & Rev. Spencer Homan| June 18, 2023

9 days
The Holy Land
Starting from $4148* Taxes & Fees Apply

Join Rev. Dr. Craig Ferguson & Rev. Spencer Homan on a 9-day Holy Land tour with Turkiye & Jordan options, starting at $4,148* from New York, $4,546* from Des Moines, or $4,646* from Grand Forks, ND, departing on June 18, 2023. Journey to places such as Caesarea Maritima, Mount Carmel, Muhraka, Nazareth, Mount Tabor, Cana, Tel Megiddo National Park,  Sea of Galilee, Jordan Valley, Jericho, Masada, Qumran, Ein Gedi, Dead Sea,  Jerusalem,  Bethlehem, and much more!

What’s Included

  • All Inclusive Pricing
  • Breakfast and Dinner Daily
  • Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
  • Domestic Airfare
  • Entrance and Program Fees
  • First Class Hotels
  • Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
  • Guided Tours
  • Hotel Gratuities
  • International Airfare from NY
  • Live Audio Headsets
  • Overseas Airport Transfers
  • Study Guide
  • Administrative Fees

^ Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.

† If air purchased through EO.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 June 18 – Depart the USA

Depart on your international overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2 June 19 – Welcome to Israel

Arrive in Israel and transfer to the hotel in Netanya on the Mediterranean Coast.

Day 3 June 20 – Caesarea Maritima, Mount Carmel, Muhraka, Nazareth, Mount Tabor, Cana, Tel Megiddo National Park

Today’s first 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.  Journey to the top of Mount Carmel, where Elijah prayed down the fire from heaven and defeated the 450 prophets of Baal (I Kings 18).  Continue on to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23).  Visit the Franciscan Wedding Chapel in Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle.  Look out over Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) to view one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. Check into your hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 June 21 – Sea of Galilee

Worship as you sail across the Sea of Galilee. Visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in 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 Loaves and Fish at Tabgha, the 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. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 June 22 – Ibillin / Northern Israel

Meet with Bishop Chacour and see his integrated school across religions in Ibillin. At the ruins of Tel Dan, see the altar built by King Jeroboam I (I Kings 12:25 -30) and learn about where the “House of David” fragment from the First Temple Period was discovered. Continue on to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter told the Lord, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” (Matt. 16: 16). A scenic drive along the Golan Heights will give you some beautiful views of Syria and Jordan as well as Israel. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 June 23 – Jordan Valley, Jericho, Masada, Qumran, Ein Gedi, Dead Sea

Pass through the Jordan River Valley on your way to Jericho to view the ruins of the city conquered by Joshua (Joshua 6:1, 2, 20). In the distance, you can also see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1 -11). Ascend by cable car to Masada, Herod’s legendary mountaintop fortress, which 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. Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Journey to the oasis of Ein Gedi, where David and his men sought refuge from Saul (1 Sam. 23).  End your day with a dip in the salt and mineral-laden waters of the Dead Sea.  Check into your Jerusalem Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 June 24 – Jerusalem and Bethlehem sites

Explore ancient Jerusalem at the Teaching Steps and the Southern Wall Excavations.  Pray at the Western Wall.  Learn about the Jerusalem of Jesus’ day with a look at the first-century Model of the City of Jerusalem, now housed at the Israel Museum.  The museum itself contains 10,000 years of archeological artifacts, as well as the Shrine of the Book exhibit that displays the Dead Sea Scroll containing the book of Isaiah. This afternoon, travel to Bethlehem and see the Church of the Nativity.  Gaze out over Shepherds’ Field.  Visit an Olive Wood factory and shop.  Return to Jerusalem after enjoying dinner with a Palestinian Christian family in Bethlehem.

Day 8 June 25 – Jerusalem

Begin your day with a group picture taken from the Mount of Olives, where Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9 -12).  Stop at the Chapel of Ascension, thought to be where Jesus ascended into heaven after his Resurrection. Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and envision the scenes of the night before Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 26:36 -44) and see the Church of All Nations.   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 Sepulchre, take time to reflect on His sacrificial love.  Visit the Garden Tomb for a time of reflection and communion.  Prepare for your return flights.

Day 9 June 26 – Return to the USA or Enjoy an Extension

Return to the USA or Enjoy an Extension

Enhance Your Journey

TURKIYE Pre-Tour Starting from $1698

June 12 - 19, 2023 Starting at $1,698*

June 12 & 13 – Depart the USA & Arrive in Istanbul

Our pilgrimage begins as we depart for Istanbul. Arrive in Istanbul and transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

June 14 – Istanbul
This bejeweled city bestrides two continents and thousands of years. Immerse yourself in history as we tour the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, housing over 1 million artifacts.  Explore stunning Hagia Sophia, originally built as the world’s largest church.  Contemplate the history and relics of Saint George’s Cathedral, the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church since the 1600s.  See the Hippodrome, the center of Byzantine civic life. Go underground within the imposing Basilica Cisterns, a massive water temple carved in AD 532.  Enjoy the famed Grand Bazaar and its transcendent aromas of cinnamon, cloves, thyme, and herbs.  In the 4,000 shops, peruse textiles, spices, and gold.  Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

June 15 – Çanakkale, Troy, Troas
We ride south along the strategic Dardanelles through beautiful Çanakkale to the windy plains of ancient Troy.  Legendary Troy is immortalized in Homer’s Iliad.  Walk the archaeological site and experience the saga of Troy’s siege.  See the 46 levels of occupation and 9 cities, including a replica of the famed Trojan Horse.  Next, we explore Troas, the ancient port from where Paul the Apostle sailed for Macedonia and brought the Gospel to Europe (Acts 16).  Check into the hotel for dinner and overnight.

June 16 – Pergamum, Thyatira
Explore ancient Pergamum, the bright light of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse.  Behold the fabled Acropolis, which towers 1,000 feet over the town and has a spectacular panorama view.  Enter the Royal Gates to the Great Altar of Zeus (mentioned in Revelation 2:13), the Temple of Athena, and the ruins of the Library, which once held over 200,000 parchments. Ponder the remains of the Temple of Trajan, the Grand Theater, the Gymnasium, and the renowned Aesclepion, the most famous hospital in antiquity.  Visit Thyatira, located on a trade route southeast of Pergamum. Thyatira was home to Lydia (Acts 16).  Continue to Izmir and check into the hotel for dinner and overnight.

June 17 – Sardis and Philadelphia
Travel to Sardis, another of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Jesus told Sardis, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead”(Rev. 3: 1-6). Coins were minted and the dyeing of wool originated in Sardis. You will be impressed by the massive scale of the Temple of Artemis, the white marble Royal Road, the gymnasium, and the synagogue. Visit the site of Philadelphia also one of the Seven Churches of Revelation (Rev. 3: 7-13). Christ told those who overcame that He would write upon them “the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem.” (Rev.3: 12) Today, not much is left to mark the spot. You will see an ancient wall and the remains of a Byzantine basilica. Return to Izmir for dinner and overnight.

June 18 – Ephesus
Enjoy a tour of the archaeological treasure of Ephesus, the city where Paul spent two years.  The restored city is stunning.  Stand in the Great Theater, scene of the riot in Acts 19.  Stroll through the colonnaded agora toward the magnificent façade of the Library of Celsus, the third-largest in the ancient world.  Peek into the beautifully frescoed terrace houses of the wealthy.  Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where the Lord’s mother spent her last days.  Explore Justinian’s 6th-century Basilica of Saint John, where John the Apostle was once buried.  Enjoy a visit to a Turkish carpet factory, where you can buy some of the most beautiful carpets in the world.  Return to Izmir, where we will have dinner and overnight at the hotel.

June 19 – Flights to Israel
Today, you will transfer to the airport for your flights from Turkiye to Tel Aviv to begin the Israel portion of your tour.  Your Israeli guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel in Netanya on the Mediterranean Coast.

Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.

A minimum of 10 travelers are necessary to operate the extension

*A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions. Taxes, tips & fees for extensions are charged separately.

Wonders of Petra & the Dead Sea Extension Starting from $1139

June 26-30, 2023 • $1,139*

June 26 - Jerash
This morning, you will journey across the Allenby Bridge on your way to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Stroll through the oval piazza and wander along colonnaded streets etched by the wheels of ancient chariots. Stand in the grand theatre where an onstage whisper can be heard in the top row. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

June 27 - Madaba & Mount Nebo
Enjoy some free time in the morning and than continue to Mount Nebo, where Moses caught a glimpse of the Promised Land (Deut. 34). On a clear day, you can see all the way across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

June 28 - Petra
Begin your journey south towards Petra today. Explore the city of Petra. Its entrance passes through a long, narrow gorge known as the Siq and can only be accessed by carriage, horseback or on foot. Once inside the city, marvel at the intricate detail of a city that was cut into the cliffsides of rose-colored rock. Travel to your hotel at the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.

June 29 - Free Morning at the Dead Sea
Enjoy a free morning at your hotel. Afterward, you will travel to the airport in Amman to begin your journey home.

June 30 - Return to the USA

Guests taking an extension may be on a different flight than their group and/or traveling companion.

A 3.5% surcharge will be added to all credit card transactions.

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