Description
Israel & Italy Tour with Pastor Chris Goldman & Northwest Church - March 2025
A Journey to Italy & Israel
My first visit to the Holy Land took the “fairytale” out of my faith. So many things I’d heard about and read were of a distant land, experienced by ancient people, lived out a world I could only imagine. Faith lived largely in my imaginative world. In 1996 I was invited on my first trip to the Holy Land. I didn’t know what to expect.
We arrived in Rome and began a process of undoing my imaginative world of faith and discovering a truer, stronger faith. When I walked the streets of Jerusalem and sailed on the Sea of Galilee the stories of Jesus, David, and the prophets came to life. The geography was not longer the turn of a page or the glance at a map, it was earthy and real.
You are invited in the Spring of 2025 to walk into the world of faith we read about in the Bible and shift your faith from an imaginative experience to a deeper understanding experienced only by those who have taken a Holy Tour or lived in the world of the Bible. While we can’t travel back in time, we can travel into that world and see the preserved history so dear to our faith.
In addition to quality tour guidance and top-rate hotels, we will spend time in devotion, worship, and learning so our tour is a true moment of faith building and encouragement
Sincerely,
Pastor Chris Goldman
What's Included
Our tours are all-inclusive. Always.
Videos
Watch the experience
Travel to the Holy Land and easily extend your trip to Petra, Cairo, Ephesus, Athens or Rome
Itinerary
Day by Day
- 3
Wednesday
Paul's DayThis morning we will visit the most interesting sites which are linked with the life of the Apostle Paul in Rome, Insula di San Paolo alla Regola. Tradition has it that this is the area for Paul's first visit and house arrest in about 62AD. We visit the Church of Santa Prisca where you can still see the big Doric Capital used by Apostle Peter to baptize Prisca. Next we visit the Catacombs of San Sebastian, located on the Ancient Appian Way. This is where the bodies of Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter where kept during the Christian persecution of Valeriano ( 253 – 260 AD). There is a lot of “graffiti” in Latin and Aramaic in the catacombs and in the Basilica of San Sebastian. Continue on to the Abbey of the Three Fountains, the place of Paul’s martyrdom, where tradition has it that three different springs gushed out at each spot touched when Paul’s head fell down. Next we visit St. Paul Outside the Walls, with the adjoining Basilica where the bones of Paul have recently been found. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 4
Thursday
Rome, Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Sistine ChapelThis morning we visit the Vatican Museum and Gallery, Raphael's Rooms with their wonderful frescoes, the Sistine Chapel – where Michelangelo's recently restored masterpieces adorn the ceilings and walls – and Pincio Garden. We continue into St. Peter's Basilicaand view Vatican City.
This afternoon we continue sightseeing of the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Navona Square; with its beautiful Bernini’s Fountain of the Rivers. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
- 5
Friday
Rome, Tel Aviv, TiberiasThis morning we will board our flight to Tel Aviv.
Upon arrival in Tel Aviv we are met by our guide who will be with us for the time we are in the Holy Land. Continue through Tel Aviv, the largest city in Israel. We proceed up the new toll road in Israel to the famous Sea of Galilee where we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 6
Saturday
Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Magdala"The Head of all those Kingdoms" (Joshua 11:10) The Sources of the Jordan.
This morning our drive takes us to the northern limits of Jesus' travel as we cross the River Hatzbani to Dan. Here we combine a nature walk beside the Upper Jordan with views of the ancient ruins, topped by the Israelite high place that supported a golden calf (I Kings 12). Then a short drive to Banias (Caesarea Philippi), dedicated to Pan the Greek god of pastures, flocks and shepherds; here Peter made his great profession of faith, recognition of Christ Jesus (Matthew 16). Driving along the foot of Mount Hermon, we ascend onto the Golan Plateau for a magnificent view of upper Israel. On our return we will stop at Chorazin and then on to Magdala, one of the oldest synagogues dating back to the first century AD. Home of Mary Magdalena and was the fishing center where Peter would have brought his catch to be sold or processed. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 7
Sunday
Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Beit SheanThis morning we enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, landing at Nof Ginosar where we will see the New Testament Boat found below the sea. Continue our morning tour with a visit to Capernaum, Tabgha and the Mount of Beatitudes.
In the afternoon we follow the Rift Valley 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, and Byzantine occupations, and view the ancient tel, Roman Theater and church mosaics. Our last stop today will be at the Jordan River where we may have the opportunity to be baptized (provided a pastor is traveling on the tour), then return to the hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.
- 8
Monday
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.
- 9
Tuesday
Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea, JerichoToday 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, 1,300 ft. below sea level -- the lowest spot on earth -- we proceed to Ein Gedi where time permitting we will walk the path to see the waterfall in the desert.
This afternoon we continue to Qumran and the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. We will have a stop for lunch and time for those that want to swim in the Dead Sea. We travel to Jericho, the world’s oldest city. From the excavated tel atop the ruins of ancient Jericho we view the lush green Jordan Valley, Elisha’s spring and Qarantal, the Mount of Temptation. We will head up to Jerusalem and return to the hotel for dinner.
- 10
Wednesday
Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Shepherd's Fields, 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.
"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord". (Luke 2:10-11). This afternoon 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 and visiting the manger and see the cave of St. Jerome. We drive back to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
- 11
Thursday
Old City, Via Dolorosa, Garden Tomb“He has risen!” (Mark 16:6) After breakfast we transfer to the Dung Gate, where we ascend to the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, considered the third holiest site of Islam, located on the site of the ancient Temple Mount. Here the first and second Temples once stood. 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. From there we walk from the Christian Quarter along the Arab Souks through the Cardo Maximo and past the Armenian Quarter. Continuing on to Mount Zion we visit the Upper Room and the Tomb of King David, and then to the grounds of a church called Peter in Gallicantu, which affords the best view of early Jerusalem from the west. (Here, the Assumptions Fathers suggest, was the house where the High Priest Caiaphas interrogated Jesus). 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.
- 12
Friday
Jerusalem, Rabbi Tunnel, Temple Institute, Yad Vashem, Shrine of The BookThis morning we will board our bus for our exciting tour to the famous Rabbi Tunnel. Here we will enter by the Western Wall Plaza and go down to the foundation of the Second Temple. We will see a model that will demonstrate where we are in location to the Temple in the time of Christ. Continue along the tunnel as we proceed to the Gateway of the Priests entry to the Holy of Holies. We will continue to the Temple Institute where we will see the making of the instruments for the new temple. We will see how they are following the Bible for exact instructions. We will see a film explaining where the Rabbi believes the Temple and courts could be located.
This afternoon we will head to Yad Vashem and see the Museum of the Holocaust. Continue to Shrine of the Book and the model city of Jerusalem at the time of the Second Temple. Return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.
- 13
Saturday
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.
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