Description
Israel Tour with Pastor Chris Danielson & Pastor Garry Koon - December 2024
‘Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.’ Psalms 122:2
A journey to the Holy Land! We want to invite you on an unforgettable journey into the Holy Land which is filled with ancient biblical history, culture and spiritual blessings. Visit the places that witnessed the events of such decisive and enduring importance in the history of humanity.
This journey will provide you a deeper understanding of scriptures traveling thru the lands of the Bible. You will get a closer look at the life of Jesus Christ and His mission of redemption. When you make this journey in the company of friends and others of like mind, you can look forward to an unforgettable experience.
Picture yourself sailing in a boat like the disciples on the Sea of Galilee (“And Jesus said to them, follow me and I will make you become fishers of men” Mark 1:17), floating in the Dead Sea, seeing our Lord Jesus’ birth place in Bethlehem, walking the streets of Jerusalem and having communion at the empty tomb where Jesus rose from the dead (“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay” Matthew 26:6).
At the end of this tour two things will most certainly be changed, you, and your understanding of the Bible.
Join us on this life changing tour.
What's Included
Our tours are all-inclusive. Always.
Videos
Watch the experience
Itinerary
Day by Day
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Wednesday
Tiberias, Bet Shean, Sea of Galilee, TiberiasThis morning we follow the Rift Valley running parallel to the Jordan, along the route Jesus most frequently traveled to Jerusalem. We visit Bet Shean at the foot of Mt. Gilboa, where King Saul was slain, see the evidences of Egyptian, Roman Byzantine occupations, and view the ancient Tel, Roman Theater and church mosaics.
In the afternoon we visit Capernaum, then visit Tabgha and the Mount of Beatitudes. Our last stop today will be at the River Jordan for those who would like the opportunity to be baptized. Then transfer to the hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.
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Thursday
Tiberias, Nazareth, Caesarea, Jerusalem“We are going up to Jerusalem.” (Matt. 20:18). We drive west to Nazareth. Traveling through Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his first Miracle, turning water into wine (John 2). We proceed to Nazareth and ascend the Mount of the Precipice at the brow of Nazareth overlooking the Valley of Jezreel, synonymous with Armageddon.We then drive through the valley to the mound of Megiddo, Har Megiddo in Hebrew, which gave its name to Armageddon. We then ascend Mt. Carmel, site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal.
From there we drive towards the Mediterranean coast traveling south along the coastal highway to Caesarea by the Sea. We enter Caesarea Maritima to explore this Roman bridgehead to the east, which became the Christian springboard to the west. After the visit to this ancient harbor, we board our bus and we head up the historic Beth Horon road (Joshua 10:10) to the Benjamin Plateau, passing ancient Gibeon and continuing on to Jerusalem. Finally, atop Mt. Scopus, we behold majestic Jerusalem. Check in to our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Friday
Masada, Ein Gedi, JerusalemThis morning we drive to Masada and ascend by cable car to the magnificent ruins of the fortress where, from 70 to 73 AD, Jewish defenders made their last stand in the Judean revolt against Rome. We see the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a sixth-century Byzantine church. Continuing alongside the Dead Sea, 1300 ft. below sea level -- the lowest spot on earth -- we stop at Ein Gedi. Here we will have time to walk to the water falls that David would have used while he was fleeing from Saul. Next we proceed to Qumran and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We will have time for those wishing to swim in the Dead Sea before we head up to Jerusalem. We stop on Mt. Scopus for a panoramic view of the Golden City before we continue to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
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Saturday
Old City, Via Dolorosa, Garden Tomb“He has risen!” (Mark 16:6) After breakfast we transfer to the Dung Gate, just to the north we find the Pools of Bethesda (John 5) and St. Anne’s Church. The church is perfectly preserved from the Crusader period – with remarkable acoustics. Continuing on we see Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Chapel of Flagellation, Lithostrotos, and the Arch of Ecce Homo (Behold the Man). We then follow the Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) through the bazaars as far as the Holy Sepulcher. We board our bus to the Garden Tomb where we will end our day with a special visit and the possibility of having a private communion on the grounds outside the city walls. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
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Sunday
Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Bethlehem"If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace." (Luke 19:42) Our drive this morning takes us past the Chapel of Ascension and Paternoster to the Mt. of Olives for an orientation view of Jerusalem and the opportunity of a group photograph overlooking Jerusalem. We then walk the traditional Passion walk. We descend to the church known as Dominus Flevit ("Our Lord weeps"). After viewing the Golden Gate, we walk downhill to Gethsemane, where have a private visit of the Garden with time to meditate on the Gospel text before visiting the Church of All Nations. Enter the Old City and make our way to the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, before we proceed to the Jerusalem Archeological Park where we see the Steps that entered the temple and the Southern Wall. It was here that Jesus would have taught the disciples. See a video that shows the temple as it was at Herod's (or Jesus') time.
This afternoon we will take a journey 2000 years and visit Abrahams Tent for a Camel ride and enjoy a presentation on what it was like back in the time of Jesus. We drive south to one of the possible sites for Shepherds' Fields. We continue into Bethlehem itself, walking through the restored old town to the Church of the Nativity time permitting visiting the manger and see the cave of St. Jerome. We drive back to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
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Monday
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, USAWe transfer to the Ben Gurion airport for our flight home with unforgettable memories to cherish always. Knowing we have walked in the footsteps of Jesus and the early Christians on such a memorable tour will bring new meaning to our Bible reading.
From Chicago