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.

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. Travel a short ride up to the Mount of Beatitudes to the church overlooking the possible hillside where Jesus preached the sermon on the Mount. Visit Tabgha’s Church of the Loaves and Fishes and walk along the shore of the Sea of Galilee at the Church of the Primacy of Peter. (John 21). Walk the grounds of Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry. Visit the synagogue that stands on the site where Jesus taught and see the ruins of Peter’s house. Board a boat for a memorable sail across the waters of the Sea of Galilee Travel to Magdala, on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, once home to Mary Magdalene, and visit a recently discovered first-century synagogue and a church dedicated to the women of the New Testament. View impressive remains that illustrate the fishing industry from the time of Christ. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias

January 12 - Bet Shean, Jordan River, Jericho, & Qumran 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. Visit the baptismal site of Qasr al-Yahud, where tradition says Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. 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.

Today, visit the Herodion, the fortified palace and final resting place of Herod the Great. 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 on 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.

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. Enjoy a dip in the salt and mineralladen waters of the Dead Sea. Visit underground Jerusalem when you walk through the Western Wall Tunnel. Go underground and witness Jerusalem’s earliest remains, including a Canaanite wall, the possible site of David’s palace, and a spectacular water system (conditions permitting) that terminates in the Pool of Siloam.

Explore ancient Jerusalem at the Teaching Steps and the Western Wall. 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.

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