Christmas Eve in Bethlehem, Palestine
Special Holyland Tour Dec. 14-25, 2007
12 Day Tour
DEC 14:
BEGINNING OUR EXPLORING TOUR
Depart
U.S.A. via Jet service to Tel Aviv.
DEC 15:
INTO THE LAND OF THE BIBLE
Arrive in Tel Aviv. Our agent will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Tel Aviv.
DEC 16:
ALL THE PAST YEARS WITH HISTORY
Fortress at Megiddo
Drive to Caesarea to visit the ruins of the Crusader's City.
Visit the Roman Theater, continue to Haifa and see Elijah's
Cave and enjoy the view of the city from Mt. Carmel.
Continue to Megiddo, Armageddon, a very important strategic
point on the Via Maris connecting Egypt and Damascus.
Proceed to Nazareth to visit Mary's Well and the Church of
the Annunciation, built in 1960-68 enclosing the crypt, which
is one of the largest Christian sanctuaries in the Middle East.
Drive to Cana to visit the site where the first miracle took place. Proceed to your hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.
DEC 17:
GALILEE
This morning board a boat on the calm
surface of the sea, cruising toward Capernaum. Upon landing,
visit the site where Jesus started His Ministry, the house of
Peter and the Synagogue where Jesus was teaching. Continue to Tabgha, the site of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish. See the 4th century mosaics. Drive to the top of the Mount of
Beatitudes overlooking the Sea and surrounding area. Return to your hotel, rehearsal. Dinner and overnight. PERFORMANCE IN NAZARETH.
DEC 18:
TIBERIAS / JERASH / AMMAN
Drive to Beit
Shean, an ancient city with extensive excavations have
uncovered eighteen layers of habitation in Beit Shean. The
Roman Amphitheater is one of the best-preserved in Israel.
Proceed to the Northern Bridge of Sheik Hussein and cross
into Jordan. Continue to Jerash, the "Pompeii of the Middle
East” Visit the most beautifully preserved Greco-Roman city
in existence, the grand ruins - temples to Artemis and Zeus, a
vast Roman Forum, Hadrian's Triumphal Arch and a mile long
Street of Whispering Columns. At Jerash, the newly restored
hippodrome, Circus Gerasa, with its original stone seating provides an ideal arena for a thrilling spectacle. Transfer to your hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight. PERFORMANCE IN AMMAN.
DEC 19:
AMMAN / MADABA / MT. NEBO / JERICHO / JERUSALEM
Depart from Amman this morning to Madaba,
the biblical Medeba, for a visit to the Greek Orthodox Church,
which houses the 6th century mosaics. Drive to Mount Nebo
commemorating the site where Moses saw the Promised Land
and died. Continue your drive to the Jordan Valley cross back
into Israel and onto Jericho and Tel El Sultan, ruins of one of
the oldest cities in the world. View the Mount of Temptation,
where Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Visit Elisha's Fountain before continuing to Jerusalem. Transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
DEC 20:
THE MOUNTAINS OF JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM
Chapel of the Ascension
Drive to the Mount of Olives with its
outstanding view of the city. Visit the Chapel of Ascension,
Church of Pater Noster, view the Kidron Valley, the Garden of
Gethsemane, and the Church of All Nations.
Drive to Bethlehem for a visit to the Church of Nativity; visit
the Shepherd's Fields and the Fields of Boaz and Ruth. An
afternoon drive to proceed to Herodium passing by Beit
Tamir, belonging to Sheik of the Bedouin tribe Tamareih, we
come to the west side of Jebel Foureidis (Hill of Paradise),
called Frank Mountain. Here Herod the great won a victory
over Antigonus in 42 B. C.; in memory of which he built at the
foot of the hill a town called Herodia, and on the summit a
fortress called Herodium. Herod died in Jericho but he was
buried here: there is no trace of his tomb, but within the
conical summit, partly artificial, two walls with towers can be
traced. It was destroyed by Lucillus Bassus after the fall of
Jerusalem. Visit Mount Zion, the site where Jesus accomplished His Ministry. Visit the room of the Last Supper and the Tomb of King David. Return to your hotel.
DEC 21:
JERUSALEM, THE HOLY CITY
Damascus Gate, Jerusalem
Depart this
morning towards the city walls built by Sulieman the
Magnificent enclosing the most Holy sites. Walk into the old
city through Damascus Gate and through the picturesque
colorful bazaars to the superb Temple Area, where Solomon's
Temple was built on Mount Moriah. Visit the Dome of the
Rock enclosing the Rock of Sacrifice; the Mosque of Al Aksa,
further south, the Pinnacle of the Temple and the Western
Wall or the Wailing Wall. In the afternoon, start at Saint
Stephen's Gate and back into the Old City to visit the Church
of Saint Anne, the Pool of Bethesda, the Lithostrotos, Pilate's
Judgment Hall and walk on the Via Dolorosa leading us to the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Walk through the bazaars to the Citadel and take the bus from Jaffa Gate. Return to your hotel.
DEC 22:
JERUSALEM / QUMRAN / MASADA
Masada Fortress
This
morning drive into the wilderness of Judea to visit Qumran,
the site where the Scrolls of the Dead Sea were found by a
shepherd boy. Continue on a beautiful new road that takes you
along the shores of the Dead Sea to Ein Gedi. Continue on to
Masada where the Zealots held the last foothold before they
sacrificed their lives for their liberties. The ruins of the
Roman Camps are still surrounding the fortress and the ruins speak for the visitors about the Glory of Masada and of Herod's works. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
PERFORMANCE IN JERUSALEM.
DEC 23:
JERUSALEM
Drive to the Knesset, or the House of Parliament.
Visit the Shrine of the Book enclosing the Scrolls of the Dead Sea. Visit the model of Jerusalem as it was laid out at the time of Christ.
DEC 24:
BETHLEHEM
Preparation for the return to the USA . Participate in
the festivities and prepare for the great PERFORMANCE CHRISTMAS EVE IN BETHLEHEM.
