USA to Tel Aviv

We will take a flight from our various home cities, change planes in New York, and arrive the following afternoon at the Ben Gurion Airport, which is located near New Testament Lydda, where Peter healed Aeneas. Our first visit will be to Joppa, where Peter received his important revelation about the gospel going to the Gentiles at the home of Simon the tanner. It was from Joppa that Jonah embarked for Tarshish. We drive into Tel Aviv (the largest all-Jewish city in the world) and check in to the Metropolitan Hotel for the night.

Tel Aviv • Caesarea • Haifa • Muhraka • Magdala • Sea of Galilee

We leave Tel Aviv and drive north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Roman New Testament seaside capital, Caesarea. Here in the ancient Roman Theater, we will study the biblical events that occurred in this place. We will then drive to Haifa (modern port of Israel and center of the Baha’i faith), stop for a view, and recount some LDS Church history related to this area. We will drive along the top of Mount Carmel to Muhraka, the traditional site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal, to enjoy a view of the Jezreel Valley and talk about the importance of this valley both anciently and now. We will then travel toward the Sea of Galilee and stop at Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene, to see a synagogue that was in use at the time of Christ. We will check in to Nof Ginosar Hotel for three nights.

Mount Tabor • Nazareth Village • Megiddo • Nain

Today begins at Mount Tabor (8:00 a.m.). From this high point we will discuss biblical events associated with Gideon, Deborah, King Saul, and the Savior’s transfiguration. Next, we will travel to the lovely city of Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, for an appointment with Nazareth Village 11:00 a.m., developed to show life as it existed at the time of Jesus and briefly reflect on His early life. After lunch in Nazareth, we will visit Tel Megiddo, with several of its 20 levels of occupation open to view, and talk of its importance—past, present, and future. We will make a brief stop at Nain to reflect on the Savior’s ministry there. We’ll enjoy dinner and evening at the hotel.

Sea of Galilee • Capernaum • Mount of Beatitudes • Tel an • Banias • Golan Heights

Our day will begin with an exhilarating 8:00 a.m. boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, where He performed many miracles and gave many teachings, including His “Bread of Life” sermon. We will pass St. Peter’s Primacy on our way to the Mount of Beatitudes, where the important Sermon on the Mount will be discussed. We will pass Hazor on our way to Tel Dan, the ancient northern limits of Israel (“from Dan to Beersheba”), to enjoy a beautiful nature walk and to see this historic tel. We’ll continue on to Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon, which is ancient Caesarea Philippi, the site of Peter’s testimony of the Savior. This is where one of the sources of the Jordan River emerges from the foothills of Mount Hermon. We will then drive up on the Golan Heights—home of many Druze people as well as the scene of fierce fighting between Israel and Syria in 1967 and again in 1973—to enjoy a view of Mount Hermon near Har Bental. We will return to the hotel to enjoy dinner and an evening on the lakeshore.

Beit Shean • Jordan Valley • Qasr El-Yehud • Old Testament Jericho

We first visit the impressive ruins of Beit Shean and experience in retrospect the splendor of Roman life and Hellenistic culture, which was Beit Shean, one of the cities of the Decapolis. Here the bodies of King Saul and his sons were hung by the Philistines. We will then travel on down through the Jordan Valley and view the meandering Jordan River and the Jordan Plateau to the east with its interesting biblical history. We will stop at Qasr El Yehud, a special place, the possible biblical site where John baptized Jesus; this stretch of the river is also where Joshua led the Israelites to cross the river Jordan into the Promised Land. The Prophet Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven from this location. Next we will visit the Old Testament site of Jericho. Then we will check in to the Oasis Hotel for the night.

Dead Sea • Masada • Ein Gedi • Qumran • Bethany • Jerusalem

Our morning drive will take us south along 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. As we drive north, we will stop at Qumran, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, for a walk-through and discuss the importance of the finds there. On the way to Jerusalem, we will stop for a quick float in the Dead Sea. If there is time, we will stop in the historic Judean Wilderness, where we will discuss the Savior’s 40-day experience and temptations. We will make a brief stop in Bethany and talk of events related to Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead. As we approach Jerusalem, we will contemplate its long history before we check in to the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem for the remainder of our nights in the Holy Land.

Shephelah • Jerusalem

Our first stop this morning will be on the Mount of Olives for a view of Jerusalem to briefly review Jerusalem’s history. We will then drive to Nebi Samwil, where we will view the Benjamin Plateau, the area where many important Old Testament events took place. We will then proceed down to the low hills west and south of Jerusalem called Shephelah. We will stop atop ancient Beth Shemesh, where Israel received the lost Ark of the Covenant back from the Philistines. We’ll continue on to the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath, and to the ancient Tel Mareshah and the interesting caves and structures in the area. Our next stop is at Tel Lachish, the ancient biblical fort city, before returning to Jerusalem.

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 lunch we drive to Bethlehem, where we will visit the Church of the Nativity. We will then visit Shepherds’ Fields, overlooking Bethlehem, and review the biblical events connected with this area in a special late afternoon program before returning to the hotel for dinner.

Jerusalem • Old City

Our first full day in Jerusalem will begin as we enter the Old City through the Dung Gate. We will begin a walking tour of the Old City by visiting the Holy Mount to see the Dome of the Rock, built to honor Mohammed, Islam’s founder. Later we will stop at the Western Wall, where we will observe Jews as they participate in morning prayers and bar mitzvahs at Judaism’s holiest shrine. We will visit the Ophel to examine how it looked at the time of the Savior. We will have lunch in the Jewish Quarter and then see the Broad Wall and the Cardo on the way to the Christian Quarter. We will visit the major shrine of Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Leaving the Old City by way of the Via Dolorosa we will stop at the site of the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne to discuss John 5. We will pass through Lion’s or Stephen’s Gate and end the day at the City of David and Hezekiah’s Tunnel, discussing the city’s historical setting at the Prophet Isaiah’s time. At Hezekiah’s Tunnel we will wade through this exciting third-of-a-mile historic marvel, ending at the Pool of Siloam.

Footsteps of Jesus • Last 24 hours

Today we will walk from the Mount of Olives down to Bethphage as we focus on the events of the last week of the Savior’s life, beginning with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We will proceed down the west side of the Mount of Olives and stop at a view point to discuss more of the Savior’s final week. We will continue down the Mount of Olives to the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden where we will discuss the Savior’s last hours of suffering. Next we will stop at today’s Gethsemane on the way to Mount Zion and the location of the Upper Room, a reminder of the Last Supper and the ordinance of the sacrament. At St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, the possible site of the palace of Caiaphas, we will discuss Peter and the trials of Jesus. After dinner those who would like to do so will go to the Western Wall to join others welcoming in the Sabbath.

Footsteps continued

We will begin our day with a visit to the BYU Jerusalem Center to review the events of its building. At 10 a.m. we will attend sacrament meeting at the Center. At 12:00 pm we will then visit the Garden Tomb for a fitting conclusion to our study of the Savior’s life. The remainder of the day will be yours to visit the Old City and other places of interest. In the late afternoon we will have our farewell meeting and dinner before preparing for our flight home.

Early morning flight to the U.S.A.

We will bid a very early morning farewell to the Israel as we depart from the Ben Gurion International Airport for the U.S.A. We should arrive home sometime in the afternoon.