U.S.A. • Transatlantic flight to Amman, Jordan

We will take flights from our various home cities, make transfers, and arrive the following day at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, an ancient city of Old and New Testament times known as Philadelphia.  We will stay at Movenpick Hotel for the night.

Mount Nebo • Petra

We drive south from Amman along the 5,000-year-old King’s Highway, one of the most memorable journeys in the Holy Land, passing through a string of ancient sites. Ten minutes to the west is Mount Nebo, the traditional site where Moses viewed the Promised Land. The first city along the way from the north is Madaba, “The City of Mosaics,” which has been intermittently inhabited for nearly 3,500 years.  The chief attraction in this city is a wonderfully vivid, sixth-century Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites. From there we will proceed to Petra, arriving there in the early afternoon with time to relax before having dinner. We will be staying at the Old Village Petra Hotel for the night.

Petra • Eilat, Aqaba

The unique city of Petra, built from sandstone by the Nabateans, has beautiful temples and amphitheaters carved out of the cliffs which surround the hidden valley. Notes: There are three ways to go from the entrance of the park to the Treasury (recall Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark) and two of them require a fee from you: (a) You can take horses to the beginning of the siq, and you will have to tip them around $3–$5. (b) Carriages will cost about $30 plus tip and they will take you to the Treasury and back; you can reserve them, or (c) You can walk the distance at no cost. We will visit the Treasury and other sites as time allows.  In the afternoon we will drive to Aqaba, and spend the night at the Movenpick Tala Bay Hotel. If time and conditions allow, we will try to work in some snorkeling. 

Eilat • Masada • Ein Gedi • Jericho 

An early morning drive will take us north through the Arabah to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Here we will take the cable car to the top of Masada to see the ruins of the palace fortress built by King Herod and to recall the story of the Zealots’ last stand against the Romans. We pass Ein Gedi and arrive at Qumran, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, where we will have lunch, followed by a float in the Dead Sea. We will see the country of Jordan off to our right and then visit the Tel of Old Testament Jericho, where we will discuss the prophets Joshua and Elisha. We will stay overnight at the Jericho Oasis Hotel. 

Qasr El Yehud • Ein Harod • Beth Shean • Magdala • Galilee

We will begin our day by stopping at Qasr El Yehud (Bethabara), the possible site of Jesus’ baptism, and review some important scriptural events that took place in this area. After driving north through the Jordan Valley, as we pass by the area of Ein Harod, we’ll discuss the principle in the story of Gideon against the Midianites. We will next visit one of the most impressive archaeological excavations in the Holy Land—Beth Shean—and experience the splendor of Roman life and Hellenistic culture. This Roman city of the Decapolis will bring the opulence of the Greco–Roman world to life. Just east of the Roman and Byzantine ruins lies the Old Testament tel of Beit Shean. Here the bodies of Saul and Jonathan were hung on the wall for all Israel to see. We will end the day by going to the traditional site of Magdala, where Mary Magdalene was born, as well as the site of the earliest synagogue in Israel. We will check in to the Gai Beach Hotel located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee for two nights.

Sea of Galilee • Capernaum • Dan • Banias • Golan Heights

Our day will begin with a morning boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, after which we will see the Galilee boat. We will next visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, and the Mount of Beatitudes, where we will discuss the Sermon on the Mount. We will pass by the Canaanite city of Hazor on our way to Tel Dan.  Here Jeroboam erected a golden calf for the Israelites to worship.  The restored walls and gates give us an excellent idea of the fortifications Joshua would have faced as he conquered the land.  We will visit Banias, known as Caesarea Philippi in the days of Jesus.  This is where the Savior asked His disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?”  We then continue on to the Golan Heights which have been fought over since Old Testament times.  We will make a brief stop near the Syrian border where somewhere near here, while on the road to Damascus, Paul had his life-changing vision of Christ.  We will return to Gai Beach for our final night in Galilee.

Mount Tabor • Nazareth • Mount Carmel • Caesarea

We will begin the day by visiting Mount Tabor, where we will take taxis to the top for a discussion of the Transfiguration. Our next stop is at the historic site of Megiddo to recall how strategic this fortress was in biblical times. From there we will drive through the hills of Galilee as we journey to Nazareth, where we will visit the Nazareth Village and discuss the early life of Jesus.  After crossing the historic Jezreel Valley, we will visit Ein Herod and discuss the principle in the story of Gideon against the Midianites before returning to Ein Gev.

 Haifa • Caeserea • Jerusalem

Our travels today will take us first to the top of Mount Carmel to recount the great event here with the prophet Elijah. We continue on to Haifa to visit some sites important to this dispensation, including an important cemetery to see the graves of two missionaries who died in this city. We then continue down the Mediterranean Coast to Caesarea, where we will discuss the apostles' Peter and Paul and their relationship to Roman leaders who lived there.  We will then drive to Jerusalem and check in to the Olive Tree Hotel for the rest of our nights in the Holy Land.

Jerusalem • Model City • Yad Vashem • Bethlehem

To further understand the connection between biblical and modern Jerusalem, we will visit the famous Model City of Jerusalem, which is a scale model of the city as it looked near the time of the Savior, and then visit the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls). We next visit the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem. After driving to Bethlehem, we will enjoy lunch in a Bedouin tent. After lunch, we will visit the Church of the Nativity and visit an olive wood shop with the opportunity to purchase carvings.  Later we will visit the nearby Shepherds’ Field and have a brief Christmas service.   On our way back to the hotel, we will stop at the Mount of Olives for an overlook of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

Leaving at 7:45am, we will drive to the Old City of Jerusalem, entering through the Dung Gate to tour the Holy Mount (or Mount Moriah), the ancient site of the temples of Solomon and Herod, now occupied by the Dome of the Rock and El Aksa Mosque. We will visit the Church of St. Anne, where the Pool of Bethesda is located, to recall the events recorded in John 5.  Walking along the Via Dolorosa, we will proceed to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher through the Arab bazaar. Leaving the church, we will then proceed to the Jewish Quarter, along the Roman Cardo, and view Hezekiah’s eighth-century-BC Broad Wall. After lunch in the Jewish Quarter, we will end the day at the City of David and Hezekiah’s Tunnel, discussing the city’s historical setting as it felt the Assyrian threat. We will preview our walk by seeing a wonderful 10-minute 3-D presentation on the historical setting of the City of David.  At Hezekiah’s Tunnel we will wade through this exciting third-of-a-mile historic marvel, ending at the Pool of Siloam. There is also a “dry” tunnel for those not desiring to get wet, but which is not quite as exciting. 

 Benjamin Plateau * Shephelah * Valley of Elah * Hebron

We will begin our day on the Benjamin Plateau, where we will visit Nebi Samuel, where Solomon was promised wisdom by the Lord. On a clear day you can see the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. Also, we will be very near Gibeah, the home village of Saul, king of Israel. We will discuss Saul’s rise to power in humility and track his tragic fall and rejection by Samuel and the Lord. We will then descend the Benjamin Plateau and drive down the Shephelah to Beit Shemesh (the location where the captured Ark of the Covenant was returned to Israel by the Philistines). Continuing south, we will stop in the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath. We will pass Mareshah, where the prophet Micah may have lived. Depending on time and conditions, we hope to visit Hebron, where we will see the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their wives). This is the only Herodian building that still stands complete. We will then drive back to Jerusalem and our hotel.

Jerusalem • Last 24 Hours of the Savior’s Ministry 

We begin our study of the last 24 hours of Jesus’ ministry early by going to the Upper Room to recall the important events of the Last Supper. Our next stop is St. Peter’s in Gallicantupossible site of the midnight trial of Jesus before Caiaphas and Peter’s agony at the cock’s crowing. We will then attend sacrament meetings at the BYU Jerusalem Center. We will follow a path down to the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden, and then to the area of Gethsemane, where the great atoning sacrifice took place as well as the arrest of Jesus. After lunch on our own, we will go to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb (3:00) for a fitting conclusion to our study of the Savior’s life. The remainder of the day is yours to visit the Old City and other places of interest.  We will pack and prepare for leaving for home or Egypt tomorrow morning.  

International Flight Home

We have a midnight flight home, arriving in the afternoon—taking with us experiences and memories never to be forgotten.