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

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

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.

Visit the Franciscan Wedding Chapel in Cana, the site of Jesus’ first miracle, before continuing on to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood home (Matthew 2:23). Look out over Tel Megiddo (Armageddon) to view one of the most important archaeological sites in Israel. 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 Shean, 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), in the distance, you can also see the traditional site of the Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1 -11). Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. Late afternoon or evening after dinner, enjoy interaction with speakers from the Rossing Center. Representing women from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, bringing their various faiths and cultures together for interaction and understanding.

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. Either in Bethlehem or Jerusalem, meet with “Roots”, a grassroots movement of understanding, nonviolence, and transformation among Palestinians and Israelis.

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 will experience the places thought to have been where the disciples became aware of Jesus amongst them. Visit the Franciscan site where they have uncovered a Crusader Chapel ruin (note that they have a vow of silence here, so it is very quiet). Then, visit the Church built over the Byzantine Chapel thought to mark the spot. Also visit an outdoor park, thought to align with Emmaus Road. Enjoy discussing the significance of the disciples’ “discovery” of the Risen Christ amongst these remembrances that have passed through time. Return to Jerusalem for time on your own.

Return to the USA