Friday,
December 27
We depart Washington, D.C. Dulles on
an overnight flight for Tel Aviv.
Saturday,
December 28
We arrive in
Tel Aviv.
Day
1 - Sunday, December 29
Caesarea Maritima was built by King
Herod and later became the seat of government of the Roman governors including
Pontius Pilate who sat in judgment on Jesus Christ and sentenced him to be
crucified. We shall visit the extensive excavations of the site including the
harbor, the Crusader City, the theatre, the hippodrome and the Roman aqueduct.
The Carmelite order was founded on
Mt. Carmel. It is the home of the Wadi-ain-es-Siah Carmelite Monastery which
was inhabited by hermits as a place of worship. "Elijah's cave" is
found below the current "Stella Maris" monastery. Elijah defeated the
pagan prophets of Baal: both Elijah and the prophets of Baal set up sacrifices,
but only Elijah's burst into flames proving who the true God was (1 Kings 18:
17-40). The Old Testament prophets were significantly impacted by Mt. Carmel
and they used it as a symbol for strength, beauty (Song of Songs 7:5) and
fertility.
Megiddo is the battlefield which
inspired the image of Armageddon in the book of Revelation. Megiddo was one of
the
chariot cities
of King Solomon and guarded one of the most important caravan routes of the
ancient world, the “Via Maris”. It is a fascinating site that includes many
levels of settlement and an underground water shaft that brought water into the
city during sieges. The site allows one to imagine men and women of faith
looking out over the hills telling stories of their heritage.
Day
2 - Monday, December 30
·
Nazareth (including Basilica of the
Annunciation, Mary's Well, and Joseph's workshop).
·
Sepphoris - the large Roman town
that was contemporary with the time of Jesus.
·
Depending on time/interest we will
visit Cana.
·
We will see Nof Ginosar (a kibbutz
where a 1st century fishing boat from the Sea of Galilee has been restored).
·
If time/interest permits we will
visit Maimonides' tomb and the tomb of the rabbis who wrote the Mishnah.
Dinner/overnight in Tiberias.
Nazareth is Jesus’ home town. The
city was a modest size village during the time of Jesus and suffered during the
Jewish revolt against the Romans in the 1st century. Today it is inhabited by
Christians, Jews and Muslims and includes a medieval architectural center as
well as a covered souk. The main attraction here is the Basilica of the
Annunciation – a modern church built over the ruins of a Byzantine church built
over a cave where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary announcing that she had
been chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. There are also ruins nearby
of a site believed to be the home and workshop of Joseph.
Sepphoris was
once the capital of Galilee. This is now one of the most important
archaeological parks in the region. The hilltop includes a Roman theatre that
seated 5000, the remains of a Crusader citadel and sections of the ancient
water supply. Joseph of Tiberias, a Jewish convert, built the first Christian
church around 306-37 in Sepphoris. The Crusader Church is dedicated to Mary's
parents, Anne and Joachim.
Day
3 - Tuesday, December 31
·
a ride on the Sea of Galilee from
Tiberias to Capernaum.
·
Capernaum
·
Tabgha, Bethsaida and Mt. of
Beatitudes.
·
eat at Peter's Fish lunch.
·
If time/interest permits - and if
possible to enter – we will visit the archaeological site at Migdal.
·
Dinner/overnight in Tiberias.
The Sea of Galilee, surrounded by
green hillsides, is a popular resort. It is 13 miles long and 6 miles wide.
Since ancient times it has been an important fishing center. Tiberias was
founded in the 1st century and became the capital of the region. During medieval
times it was an important rabbinical center. Maimonides is buried here. For
Christians, the Sea of Galilee is important as the center of Jesus’ ministry
and continues to provide a vivid and evocative experience of stories in the
Gospels connected with the calling of the disciples, Jesus’ teaching on the
hillsides, and his miracles.
Capernaum is one of the most
important sites along the shores of Galilee. There is an extensive
archaeological park here with ruins from the 1st century. This was the city
where many of Jesus’ first disciples lived. A church is built over the ruins
believed to be the house of Simon Peter where Jesus cured his mother-in-law.
The ruins of a 4th century synagogue underscore the long-term importance of
this city for Jewish life in the region.
Near Capernaum is Tabkha. It is here
that Jesus did much of his preaching. The Church of the Multiplication of the
Loaves and Fishes commemorates the miracle of the feeding of those gathered to
hear Jesus. The Mount of Beatitudes is the place where Jesus gave his “sermon
on the mount.” This is a particularly beautiful site. For
interfaith
groups, it is an important opportunity to compare and contrast Jewish and
Christian spirituality as Matthew’s Gospel attempts to present Jesus as a Moses
figure and the Beatitudes as a way of understanding the spirit of the Torah.
The Church of the Primacy of Peter, on the shore, commemorates Jesus’
commissioning Peter to lead his disciples.
Day
4 - Wednesday, January 1
·
Jerusalem via the Jordan Valley
·
Enroute we will visit the Baptismal
site on the Israeli side (across from Bethany-Beyond-Jordan) - Qasr al-Yahud.
·
Qumran
·
in Jerusalem we will visit the Mt.
of Olives and the Palm Sunday Road, Garden of Gethsemane.
·
dinner/overnight in Jerusalem.
Qumran is the site where the Essenes
– an ascetical Jewish community of the 1st century – lived and prepared for the
coming of the Messiah. Their writings were lost until a Bedouin shepherd found
a cave full of jars containing their scrolls in 1947. The so-called Dead Sea
Scrolls were instrumental in helping scholars better understand the various
movements that were active in 1st century Palestine and their relationship to
the life and teachings
of Jesus. The scrolls are now
preserved in the Israeli Museum in Jerusalem.
The Mount of Olives rises to the
east of the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been a burial site for 4500 years –
with acres of tombs covering the hillsides. It is believed that this is where
the Messiah will first beckon the faithful to the resurrection. There are
breathtaking views from the Mount of Olives of the Old City of Jerusalem
including an unobstructed view of the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock.
The Mount of Olives is associated
with Jesus’ agony and betrayal. Nearby is the Chapel of the Ascension, built on
the site where Jesus is believed to have ascended into heaven after his
resurrection. The road nearby is called the Palm Sunday Road – the route Jesus
would have taken from Bethphage to Jerusalem during his triumphal entry into
the city. The Pater Noster Church commemorates the place when Jesus taught his
disciples to pray.
The Chapel of Dominus Flevit is
built around a rock in the garden believed by medieval pilgrims to have been
the place where Jesus wept over his impending passion. The Church of All
Nations was built over the site where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.
King David made Jerusalem his capital in about 1000 BC. Canaanite settlements
had existed here from at least as early as 2000 BC. According to tradition, Mt.
Moriah was the place
where Abraham went to sacrifice his
son, Isaac (according the Muslim tradition, it was Ishmael who Abraham was
asked to sacrifice). God provided a ram instead. Solomon built the first Jewish
temple on Mt. Moriah which is now the Haram esh-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary or
Temple Mount). The Babylonians captured the city in the 6th century BC. A new
temple was built later and enlarged by Herod the Great. It was destroyed by the
Romans in 70 AD. The city remained under Roman and Byzantine rule until the
conquest by Arabs in 638. Shortly thereafter, the Dome of the Rock was built
over the site where Abraham had gone to sacrifice his son and where Muhammad
ascended during a mystical journey. The original Arab rulers allowed safe
passage to Jews and Christians visiting Jerusalem.
However, when the Seljuk Turks
conquered the city, they excluded Jews and Christians which precipitated
several
Crusades on the part of European
Christians. Much of the current city walls and architecture stem
from the period of time when Suleyman the Magnificent sought to restore the
city to its former prominence as a religious center in the 16th century.
Jerusalem is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the world – a
city considered sacred by Jews, Christians and Muslims. For members of each of
these traditions, Jerusalem is where important history has shaped their heritage,
beliefs, practices and traditions. The Old City is a living museum. Around
every corner
there are
important historical sites, buildings, monuments and shrines. The rich fabric
of languages, peoples and faiths makes the city both exotic and oddly familiar
as one realizes he/she is a citizen of the world and belongs in this sacred
place. Those who live in the Old City of Jerusalem strive to make it a place of
welcome and strive to model compassion and respect so that the city lives up to
its name. Walking through its gates is like stepping into another world. This
is a journey that is as much outward as inward, one that forever changes
perspectives and nurtures faith.
Day
5 - Thursday, January 2
visit to Haram Es-Sharif (the temple
mount area)
Western Wall, the Rabbinical
Tunnels, the Jerusalem Archaeological Complex and the Davidson Center
We will also visit the Upper
Room/King David's Tomb, and St. Peter in Gallicantu (Caiphas' house)
We will have some free time later to
enjoy the Old City at leisure.
Dinner/overnight in Jerusalem.
Haram Esh-Sharif is the large
platform rebuilt by the Muslims in the 8th century. It was originally the site
of the Jewish temple and traditionally believed to be the place where Abraham
went up to sacrifice his son (and was given a goat instead). The Dome of the
Rock sits here. It is a magnificent shrine built by the Muslims to commemorate
the site and to mark Muhammad’s mystical ascent.
The Western Wailing Wall is one of
the most important pilgrimage sites for Jews. The Wall is part of the retaining
wall for the Temple Mount built by Herod the Great. Over the centuries it has
become a place of Jewish pilgrimage where Jews lament the destruction of the
temple and pray (placing small written prayers in the cracks of the large
stones).
The rabbinical tunnels or western
wall tunnels are the result of excavations along the extent of the western wall
of the temple mount. They continue access to the western wall beyond that which
is open to the sky - along an additional 400+ meters. The excavations exposed
structures from the Herodian era and later. The visit affords important
insights into how the temple area was connected to other parts of ancient
Jerusalem and how the temple area was built.
The Jerusalem Archaeological Complex
and the Davidson Center is a large archaeological park adjacent to the Western
Wall devoted to exposing the various foundations and monuments built on this
site. There is an important and illuminating exhibit of the development of
Jerusalem over the millennia.
A crusader building houses the
“Upper Room,” place where the disciples dined with Jesus – the so-called “Last
Supper.” It is here that Jesus washed their feet and announced his impending
death. Jews believe that in the lower level of the building, amongst a series
of chambers, is the Tomb of King David. This continues to be an important Jewish
pilgrimage site.
The Church of
St. Peter in Gallicantu is built over some 1st century caves and buildings.
According to tradition, this is where Jesus was held prisoner prior to his
trial and where Peter denied knowing Jesus when he was accused of being one of
his followers.
Day
6 - Friday, January 3
Israel
Museum to see the large model of 1st
century Jerusalem and Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls) Bethlehem -
visiting the Basilica of the Nativity and Shepherd's Field.
We will eat lunch and have a meeting
with a local Palestinian Christian group. We then return to Jerusalem and visit
the Garden Tomb.
This evening (or Saturday evening)
will include a meeting with Mushahala - an interfaith group working in the
region
Dinner/overnight in Jerusalem.
Bethlehem is the traditional birth
place of Jesus. The town is not far from Jerusalem and attempts have been made
to preserve some of the pastoral feel it must have had in the 1st century. In
the 4th century, Constantine built a church over the site of Jesus’ birth. The
church has been enlarged and rebuilt several times. A star marks the place of
Jesus’ birth in the Grotto of the Nativity.
The Field of
Shepherds commemorates the place where the shepherds learned of Jesus’ birth
and came to pay him homage.
Day
7 - Saturday, January 4
This morning we drive to the Dead
Sea and visit Ein Gedi and Masada. An opportunity to swim in the Dead Sea is possible. We return to Jerusalem for
dinner/overnight.
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on
Earth – 1348 ft below sea level. The water, rich with minerals, creates an unusual
degree of buoyancy for those who go into it. There are a number of spas in the
area where people spread therapeutic mud on themselves.
Masada was the
site of the last Jewish resistance against the Romans in 73 AD. It is an impressive fortress
built high upon a plateau. Originally, Herod had used it as a desert palace. There
are extensive ruins accessible by a gondola or, for the more athletically
inclined, by winding foot path. There are magnificent views of the desert and
the Dead Sea.
Day
8 - Sunday, January 5
This morning we will worship at a
local Presbyterian/Christian congregation in Jerusalem. We will then visit the
Pools of Bethesda and St. Anne's, the Via Dolorosa and the Holy Sepulchre. We
will enjoy some free time in the Old City.
The Pool of Bethesda consists of two
cisterns from the 8th and 3rd century BC used to collect rain water for the
city. It is believed that this is where Jesus cured a paralyzed man (John 5:1-15).
The Church of St. Anne is built over the site where Anne and Joachim, the
parents of the Virgin Mary, lived.
The Via Dolorosa is a route through
the Old City of Jerusalem that traces the path of Jesus’ journey from his trial
and flagellation to his crucifixion and burial. Christians stop at 14 stations
to remember important moments of that journey and to pray. The Via Dolorosa
ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Church of
the Holy Sepulchre was first built by Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena
in the 4th century. In the 11th century it was rebuilt and has been enlarged
and repaired over the centuries. It encloses two important sites – Golgotha,
the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and the tomb of Jesus, where he was laid to rest
after his death and where he resurrected. Disputes over access to the most
important pilgrimage site for Christians led to a resolution under the Ottoman
Turks, dividing custody among Armenians, Greeks, Cops, Roman Catholics,
Ethiopians and Syrians.
Day
9 -Monday, January 6
We arrive in Washington, DC
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