Biblical Israel

12/13 DAYS JUNE 12- 24 2020

A Unique Biblical Journey

Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers,consider well her ramparts, view her citadels,

that you may tell of them to the next generation.Psalm 48:12

2020

The Itinerary

Sydney/AmmanPetra

DAY 1/Friday 12th JuneOutward Flight

Depart Sydney International airport via Dubai to Amman Jordan.

DAY 2/Saturday 13th JunePetra, The Lost City

The Morning.On arrival, travel by private coach south into Edom and the hotel at Petra.The Afternoon.

Match me a marvel, save in eastern clime,the rose red city, half as old as time !

Explore this secret ‘lost city carved out of the living rock’ – the biblical “Sela” of the Edomites, later the tombed city of the Nabatean Kingdom, then later still, a city of the Roman Empire. Petra became a Christian city in Byzantine times.The Siq - a stroll through the narrow entrance.Treasury - the stunning site at the end of the Siq.Roman Theatre - impressive acoustics/well preserved seats.Temples/Tombs - carved in a blaze of natural colours.The Cardo - a walk on the ancient main street.High Place - a climb for a grand view.The Monastery - an option to go further in exploration.

Dinner & Overnight in PETRA

DAY 3/Sunday 14th JuneKerak -North to stop in ‘Ruth’s city’ and a short visit to the Crusader Castle that dominates the area.Madaba –Up to the Christian town with its famous and oldest mosaic map of the Holy Land created from over 6 million ceramic cubes.Mount Nebo -To the summit where Moses viewed the “Promised Land” and was buried. On a clear day, the Oasis of Jericho and the spires of Jerusalem are visible.

Dead Sea -To the shores and the hotel for room allocation.

Dinner & Overnightby the DEAD SEA

King’s HighwayEdom/Moab

Mount Nebo

Promised LandJericho

DAY 4/Monday 15th JuneBethany-beyond-the-Jordan -To the banks of the Jordan River where Joshua crossed, Elijah’s ascent to heaven, and where John baptised.Into the ‘Promised Land’ -Cross the Jordan at the Allenby bridge ancient crossing point.Jericho Oasis -Explore the city’s ‘fallen walls’ with orientation of the town that Jesus passed through.Beth Shean -North by the hills of Samaria and Gilead to stop at the city by Mount Gilboa where Saul’s and his sons fell in battle.

Sea of Galilee -On to the shores and the hotel for room allocation.

Dinner & Overnightby GALILEE.

Jordan River

DAY 5/Tuesday 16th JuneSailing Blue Galilee -From Tiberias to the northern Gospel shores in a private wooden boat of the kind that the disciples would have used - stopping the boat midway for a demonstration of fishing techniques.Mary Magdalene -Dock and visit Magdala - the lakeside fishing village home of Mary.Blessed are....To the hillside and traditional location where Jesus taught the ‘Sermon on the Mount’.Fishers of Men -Stop by the seashore at Tabgha - the location where Jesus fed the multitude and made breakfast for the disciples in his resurrection appearance.

Capernaum -Time in the seaside centre of Jesus’ Galilean ministry.Bethsaida -Follow the shoreline to stop at the home town of Philip, Andrew and Peter and see the well preserved features of the town.Gadara -On to the eastern shores to the location where the demonic was healed by Jesus.

Dinner & Overnight by GALILEE

Gospel GalileeLakeside

Sea of GalileeNorthern Shores

Golan/BashanMt. Hermon

DAY 6/Wednesday 17th JuneDan, the Biblical Capital -North to visit Israel’s ancient capital on the borders of Phoenicia where Abraham rescued Lot. Stroll through the nature reserve to see the ancient gates and Jeroboam’s High Place of sacrifice.Caesarea Philippi -On to the nearby slopes of Mount Hermon and the city that hosted the Phoenician god Pan and the region where Jesus took the disciples and possibly the region of the Transfiguration of Christ,.Paul’s ‘Road to Damascus’ -Cross the Golan Heights to Mt. Bental for a fine view of the region and the area of the ancient road to Damascus.

Galilee Overview -On through the Druze villages to the “Peace View” - a high point overlooking the Sea of Galilee where all the contours of the sea can be seen..

Dinner & Overnight by GALILEE

Biblical Dan

Jordan River

The Via MarisCaesarea

Caesarea Maritima

DAY 7/Thursday 18th JuneThe Carpenter’s Town -Into Nazareth - the home town of Joseph, Mary and Jesus and visit the Church of the Annunciation - built over the original village of Gospel days.The ‘Nazareth Village’ -A guided tour of this helpful ‘living museum’ set in a landscaped area with many reconstructions reflecting rural and village life in ancient days.Mount Precipitation -On to this high observation point overlooking the great Jezreel valley where some five biblical battles took place.Megiddo (Armageddon) -A visit to Solomon’s chariot city overlooking the great Armageddon plain. Enter the city gates to the grain silo and secret water tunnel.Caesarea Maritima -South on the Mediterranean coast to visit Herod’s massive sea port and capital - visited by Peter; where Paul was imprisoned and Cornelius served in the Roman army. Explore the Amphitheatre, walk the shoreline and stop by the impressive Roman aqueduct.Jerusalem -Through the Judean hills to Mount Scopus for a first sight of the Old City - then to the hotel for room allocation.

Dinner & Overnight in JERUSALEM

Yad Vashem

Bethlehem Region Olivet

The Herodium

DAY 8/Friday 19th JuneJerusalem Model -A helpful construction on a scale of 1-60 of Herod’s Jerusalem with a scale model of the Temple.Shepherds and Angels -Round the Old City walls to stop in the Shepherds Fields associated with Ruth & Boaz, Samuel & David and the birth of Christ.Bethlehem -A stop in Bethlehem’s Manger square and the Church of the Nativity.Herod’s Palace -On to the Herodium where Herod’s mountain-top palace which once dwarfed Bethlehem and where Herod was buried.

Mount of Olives -To the summit for a unique view of the Old City and hear something of its great his-tory. Stroll down the hillside on the Palm Sunday path.Gethsemane -Close the day in the gardens by the Church of All Nations.

Dinner & Overnight in JERUSALEM

New Testament Jerusalem

Garden Tomb

DAY 9/Saturday 20th JunePools of Bethesda -Enter the Old City gates to stop by the pools where the cripple was healed by Jesus.Pilate & Jesus -In underground Jerusalem to see the Judgement hall where Jesus was tried.The way of the Cross -Through the narrow streets, markets and bazaars for a stop at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre by the Jaffa Gate.The Upper Room -Amble through the Christian and Jewish quarters to Mount Zion and the Room of the Last Supper.

Caiaphas & Jesus -See the underground excavations at St. Peter’s Church and the cave-prisons where Jesus was tried by the high priest.Garden Tomb -Visit the tranquil gardens and see a rolling-stone tomb and ‘Gordon’s Calvary’ nearby - private communion service to conclude the day.

Dinner & Overnight in JERUSALEM

Old Testament Jerusalem

Garden Tomb

DAY 10/Sunday 21st JuneMount Moriah -Ascend and walk across the vast Temple Mount where Abraham offered Isaac, the Jewish Temples stood and Jesus taught.Western Wall -Opportunity to witness Jewish prayers and traditions.Temple Gates -To the southern Temple walls with its - Rabbinical Teaching steps Paul would have been taught here,Ancient Temple Gates Where the money-changers sat,Mikveh Baths Probably used by Mary and Joseph,Temple Pinnacle Where Jesus was tempted by Satan.David’s City -A visit to the origins of Jerusalem to see the location of David’s Palace, Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the newly excavated huge Pool of Siloam.

Underground Jerusalem -After Dinner, enter the Western Wall Tunnel system: view a model of Mount Moriah, Jerusalem’s Jewish Temples, and walk Solomon’s streets.Dinner & Overnight in JERUSALEM

DAY 11/Monday 22nd JuneMasada -Into the Jordan Valley and along the Dead Sea shores to ascend by cable-car Herod’s mountain-top fortress of Masada. Here, Jewish Zealots withstood the Roman Army after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.Dead Sea Float -Time by the shores to experience the unique medicinal waters of the sea.Crossing Jordan -Recross at the Allenby bridge and to Amman Citadel where Uriah fell in battle having been sent by David from Jerusalem.

Dinner in Amman before checking in at Amman airport for the return flight.

Dead Sea Masada/Amman

DAY 12/Tuesday 23rd JuneFlight Departure -Depart Amman airport in the early hours via Dubai to Sydney -Arrive back early morning.

DAY 13/Wednesday 24th JuneAustralia Arrival -

Amman/ Sydney

A Visitor to The Holy Land 1483/1484

21st July 1483

From the Mount of Olives, we beheld the entire Holy City glittering joyously in the sunlight. I was never

able to satiate myself with gazing upon the city for it somehow calls out a man’s affections and it is not

without cause that Jerusalem is called the ‘vision of peace’.

24th August 1483

I have never been happier in any place in the world than in Jerusalem, and I have spent exceeding

pleasant hours and days there.

12th July 1484

When we beheld with our eyes the long-desired Holy City, we straightway dismounted our asses and

greeted it thus: ‘Hail Jerusalem, city of the Great King, glory and crown of the whole earth, joy and

delight of the believer’s soul’.

Old CityJewish Quarter

New TestamentIsrael

PLANNED HOTELS

PRACTICALITIES

PETRA/GUEST HOUSE

Subject to final numbers, hotels may change but if so, they will be of the same quality

GALILEE/ RON BEACH HOTEL

DEAD SEA/RAMADA HOTEL

JERUSALEM/ LEONARDO HOTEL

Petra, JordanThe city of Obadiah’s prophecy

Obadiah 3