Return To Travel Special Exodus Maranatha Tours

Tour members are welcomed to New York for our departing flight to Istanbul via wide-body aircraft arriving the next day. Meals served on board.

This afternoon we arrive in Istanbul where we board our flight to Egypt. Upon arrival in Cairo we will be met and taken to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, we begin our tour by visiting the Pyramids of Giza. Cheops Pyramid, the largest of the three which was built in the 3rd dynasty about 2690 B.C. and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In front of the Pyramids of Chephren, we find the Sphinx carved from a single piece of stone, it incorporates a lion with a Pharaoh’s head, thought to be a portrait of the Pharaoh Chephren son of Cheops. After a camel ride we visit the Papyrus Institute.

In the afternoon, visit the Egyptian Museum famous for its antiquities from Egypt’s Pharaonic period, which dates back some 50 centuries and includes the fabulous treasures of king Tut –Ankh-Amon (Tutankhamen). Return to our hotel for dinner.

Starting early from Cairo, we board our bus and drive towards Sinai crossing over the Suez Canal we drive through Sinai  Peninsula enjoying the desert landscape, retelling the story of the Exodus and the delivery of the Israelites from the Pharaoh of Egypt. From here we head straight to the towering red granite mountains of the high range where both St. Catherine's monastery and Mt. Sinai are found. Check into our hotel for our evening meal and overnight.

For those who are physically capable and would like to climb, in the early morning hours we begin our ascent up Mount Sinai, walking in the footsteps of Moses and the devout pilgrims who have trodden this same route throughout earlier centuries until today. We should reach the summit just before dawn in time to witness its incredible sunrise and splendid views. At the summit is the traditional peak relating to the story of Moses’ encounter with God receiving the two tablets with the Ten Commandments knows as the basis of the Mosaic Laws. Descending the mountain we return to the hotel to rejoin the rest of the group for breakfast. We spend the later part of the morning touring St. Catherine Monastery, taking in its fascinating and unique sights and exceptional history traditional Burning Bush and the Chamber of the Skulls.

After lunch we board our bus and head towards the eastern shores of the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea to Tabah where we cross into Israel at the southern tip of the country and make our way to the Jordan border. After crossing into Jordan we will meet our Jordanian guide and drive north for approximately 2 hours to the Nabtean city of Petra. Check into our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today we will spend time in one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Start the tour of Petra; you are in the heart of the rose red Seir mountains as mentioned in the Biblical Book of Genesis. This mountain range houses the Aaron Peak, which is the highest locality in Petra and the burial place of Aaron brother of Moses. A walk down through the narrow ‘Siq’ passage, being the main entrance to Petra, along 1250 meters brings you to the first monument Treasure "the same as the one seen in the Indiana Jones' movie". A walk further down through the outer ‘Siq’ encompassed by tombs and burial chambers brings you to one of the largest theaters in Jordan. This theater is carved into the sand stone mountains of Petra at the bottom of the High place of Sacrifice Mountain. Apparently some sacrificial rituals used to take place here. Now, it is time to walk up hill to the Royal Tombs. You will have a great view of the lower part of Petra with all its Roman remains. These tombs are: The Urn- Corinthian- Silk- and Palace tombs. We retrace our steps to the entrance and return to our hotel in Petra for Dinner and Overnight.

This morning we board our bus and drive along the Exodus route north along the famed historical King's Highway. Arriving at Madaba we will see St George’s Church with its 6th century mosaic floor showing a map of the Holy Land as Christian pilgrims knew it in that period. Continue to Mt. Nebo, from where God showed Moses the Promised Land.

This afternoon we take a short drive to the recently discovered baptismal site of “Bethany beyond the Jordan” For us Christians, the most significant event associated with the River Jordan is undoubtedly the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. It is strongly suggested that this took place very close to Beit Abara, where Joshua, Elijah and Elisha crossed the river. In the New Testament times, it became known as Bethany, the village of John the Baptist. (This Bethany is not to be confused with the village of Bethany near Jerusalem, where the Bible says Lazarus was raised from the dead) “ The Bible clearly records that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3: 13-17), and that John the Baptist lived, preached and baptized in the village of Bethany, on "the other side of the Jordan" (John 1: 28). The baptism site, known in Arabic as al-Maghtas, is located at the head of a lush valley just east of the Jordan River. It is now protected and since 1999 it is accessible to visitors. After Jesus’ baptism at Bethany, he spent forty days in the wilderness west of the River Jordan, where he fasted and resisted the temptations of Satan (Mark 1: 13, Matthew 4: 1-11).” Continue to Amman where we are taken to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning we transfer to the airport where we board 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.