Join us on this fully escorted and special tour of the Holy Land as we explore the cradle of Christianity and walk in the Footsteps of Jesus and His Disciples. Together we will fulfill the Mission of Pilgrimage! Join us in evening songs, worship and fellowship as we form new friendships, which will last long after we return home. Christian fellowship is the main ingredient that makes this tour an experience of a lifetime ! This tour is truly the ultimate Holy Land experience.

• Return group economy flight on El Al Ex Johannesburg.
• 3 nights in Galilee – Gennosar Inn or similar.
• 1 night at Dead Sea - Daniel Hotel or similar.
• 2 nights in Jerusalem – Leonardo Inn Hotel.
• Breakfast and dinner daily.
• Boat ride on Sea of Galilee and fish Lunch.
• Meeting and assistance at Ben Gurion Airport.
• Touring with English speaking guide.
• Air-conditioned bus.
• Entrance fees.
• Porterage and entrance fees to all sites.

DEPARTURE TO ISRAEL

Depart tonight on Elal from Johannesburg to Israel.

Arrive early in Tel Aviv. We stop for Breakfast and continue to Caesarea, once a proud Roman port city dating back to the time of Pontius Pilate. View the monumental Roman amphitheater built in the days of Christ. We then drive to Megiddo (Armageddon), overlooking the fertile Izrael Valley. Megiddo played a prominent role in the history of the ancient Near East and one of the largest Canaanites cities, controlling the access from Egypt to Mesopotamia, which was the cause for the fiercest battles that took place here. The bible tells about Joshua defeating the Canaanite king of Megiddo, a city which king Solomon built and the site where kings Ahaziah and Joshia killed. For Christians, Armageddon is where forces of God will defeat the forces of Evil in the Final Battle at the End Day. In the evening the bus will be available to enjoy time in Tiberias.

Dinner & Overnight - Galilee (B,D)

Breakfast at hotel. We spend the day around the Sea of Galilee and the north. We first visit Tabgha, where Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the fish and loaves and fed 5000. Inside the church is the famous mosaic. We walk a short distance to nearby Peter’s Primacy. Here Jesus met again with the disciples for the "last breakfast" and restored Peter to himself after the disciple's three denials by asking him three times if Peter loved Jesus. Continue to Capernaum, that in old times used to be for a border village on the way to Damascus. The Gospel tells about Jesus leaving Nazareth to settle in Capernaum, which became “his own town” and centre of his activities. From its community of fishermen he chose many of his disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, John and Matthew).

View the remains of a synagogue 2-3 centuries earlier than when Jesus taught, though most likely on the same site. Nearby are the remains of an octagonal structure, thought to be built on the remains of Peter’s house. Continue to Gennosar Museum to see an ancient boat from the times of Jesus found under the water. From here, enjoy a Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee and hear how Jesus calmed the stormy sea and walked upon these waters. Enjoy a traditional St. Peter’s Fish Lunch. Continue to Mt. Beatitudes. Above the mountain is the traditional spot where Jesus delivered the Sermon, he taught on many occasions and also performed many of the miracles. Drive north through the Hula Valley to the sacred site of Caesarea Philippi at the base of Mt. Hermon and the sources of the Jordan River. Its present name is Banias, a distortion of the Greek word Paneas, for here stood a shrine to the god Pan.

Here Herod the Great built a Shrine to Caesar. Phillipi his son embellished the town and named it Caesaria. Caesaria Phillipi is to be distinguished from the Herodean port-city Caesaria Maritima. It was here that Simon acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, to which Jesus replied: “You are Peter ? and on this rock (Petra) I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it”. We then ascend the Golan Heights to Tel Fager the main Syria’s outpost bunkers. This site is known for the fiercest battle that took place during the 1967 war. Your guide will explain why the Golan Heights area is so vital to Israel’s security. We travel down to Kibbutz for a tour to learn about this unique way of life and the settlements in modern Israel. In the evening the bus will be available to enjoy time in Tiberias

Dinner & Overnight - Galilee (B,L,D)

Breakfast at hotel. We drive through to Cana, site of the first miracle where Jesus turned water to wine. Continue to the Mukhraka on Mt. Carmel, overlooking the Izrael Valley and the Kishon. The Canaanite inhabitants worshipped Baal and his consort Ishtar who were adopted by the Israelites. Here Elijah the prophet challenged the priests of Baal to prove whose god was more powerful and when he won, the Israelites abandoned the Canaanite deities and the false prophets were slaughtered (1 Kings 18). Mukhraka, the traditional site of the contest, is today marked by a Carmelite monastery, built in 1886. We now travel to Nazareth where Jesus spent his childhood. Visit the Church of Annunciation and Mery’s Well. Our last visit is to Yardenit Baptismal site on the Jordan River, where time will be available for an optional baptismal service – not included in tour price (bring suitable clothing or hire them). In the evening the bus will be available to enjoy time in Tiberias.

Dinner & overnight in Galilee (B,L,D)

After breakfast we drive along the Jordan Valley past (we don’t go in) Jericho the oldest city Joshah concured. In the horizon you will see Mt. of Temptation. We visit Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls.The scrolls were written by a Jewish sect, the Essenes. The Essenes described by Josephus Falvius sought the seclusion of the Judean Desert, where they could follow the Law more closely, and wait for the coming Messiah. They believed in two Messiahs: one from David’s line for the Monarch, and the other, a descendant of Aaron for the high priesthood. The settlement was destroyed by the Romans; the scribes, seeing the approaching legions, hastily stored the scrolls in nearby caves, found 1900 years later. All books of the Old Testament except Esther are present, as well as apocryphal psalms, commentaries and special scrolls dealing specifically with the sect’s code of ethics and beliefs. These Old Testament manuscripts are nearly 1000 years older than previously known manuscripts. The Dead Sea scrolls are presently exhibited at Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. Ascend Masada by cable car. Our guide will take us on a fascinating tour of this mountain where 960 Jewish defenders organized the last resistance to the Roman conquerors. Descend Massada and enjoy a float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea. We now ascend Judeah Hills and enter Jerusalem, the “eternal city” of GOD.

Dinner & Overnight in Galilee (B,D)

After breakfast drive up Mt. Of Olives. Here overlooking the Temple, Jesus taught his disciples, prophesized the destruction of Jerusalem. From here the entire city of Jerusalem unfolds before us. Down the slopes we visit Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was taken captive. From here we enter the Old City. Your guide will tell to you about the battle of Jerusalem’s old city during the 1967 war. Visit the Western Wall the most sacred place for the Jews and view the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock mosque. We continue to Pools of Bethesda, just north of the temple mount. The pools were probably designed at times Herod the Great for the Jewish inhabitants to purify themselves and here Jesus performed the miracle of healing an infirm man. We next visit Gábbata (or Lithostratos). Here you can see a large cistern covered by a later pavement etched with meaningful symbols, including the “game of the King.” Here, many pause in prayer and to recall Jesus’ mocking by the Roman soldiers at the place John called the Gabbata, or “stone pavement” (John 19:13). We next visit the Garden Tomb, where some believe Jesus was buried (Holy Communion time will be booked). Our last visit is to the Upper Room of the Last Supper (time for prayer).

Dinner & Night –Dead Sea (B,D)

Breakfast and check out of hotel. Morning visit to Bethlehem* (subject to security situation today). Israeli buses and the guide are not allowed in Bethlehem. The tour is arranged by a souvenir shop on Mt. of Olives. After a visit to the shop, their bus and guide will take us through the checkpoint. Visit the Shepherds Field and the Cave. Return to Jerusalem Visit Shrine of the Book, where on display are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Jerusalem Model illustrating how Jerusalem during the second Temple times.

Continue to Yad Vashem, a memorial to the Six Million Jews that lost their lives in the Holocaust. Visit the picturesque village of Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist and where Virgin Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. According to tradition she stopped to drink from the water stream on her way to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus.

Dinner & Overnight - Jerusalem (B,D)

Breakfast at hotel. Today is free at leisure.
Bus transfer 1-way to the Old City (* if we stay at hotel far from the Old City). Visit on your own the Bazaar and shops. Jerusalem is sipped in historical sites you may choose to visit on your own some OPTIONAL site below. Return on your own to the hotel.

Dinner & Overnight - Jerusalem (B,D)

Check out of hotel by 11:00AM. Visit City of David. The biblical City of David was situated on the southern slope of Mount Moriah. Excavations have provided a rich insight into daily life in and around the Temple percinent. Continue to Hezekia (Siloam) Tunnel dug underneath the Ophel, leading from the Gihon Spring to the Pool of Siloam and was designed as an aqueduct to provide Jerusalem with water during an impending siege by the Assyrians. According to an inscription, two teams excavated the tunnel, one starting at each end of the tunnel and then meeting in the middle. Free time at the Old City before we have last dinner. We then have a short visit to Jaffa before transfer to the airport for a flight home

(B,D)