13-DAY TOUR OF EGYPT, JORDAN AND ISRAEL
HOSTED BY : PASTOR ROBERT FETTERHOFF
DAY 01 - APRIL 5, 2010 - MONDAY - DEPART USA
Our journey of a lifetime begins with a late afternoon departure from Cleveland on a Delta Airlines wide body jet. We change aircraft in New York and depart on our flight to Cairo.
DAY 02 - APRIL 6, 2010 - TUESDAY - ARRIVE CAIRO
We arrive in Cairo, Egypt, in the afternoon where we are met by our agent who assists though customs and security. Transfer to the Cairo Marriott for dinner and overnight.
DAY 03 - APRIL 7 - 2010 - WEDNESDAY - CAIRO/EGYPTIAN MUSEUM/PYRAMIDS & SPHINX
Our sightseeing tour starts with a visit to the world famous Egyptian Museum which hosts the treasures of King Tutankhamen. Before lunch we visit the "Hanging Church" which commemorates the flight of Joseph and Mary into Egypt. We move on to the unforgettable Pyramids of Giza where we visit the Great Pyramids and see the Sphinx. The day concludes with a dinner cruise on the Nile River in Cairo before returning to the Cairo Marriott for overnight.
DAY 04- APRIL 8, 2010 - THURSDAY - CAIRO/TABA/AQABA
After breakfast we depart Cairo and drive south for Egypt's Taba border with Israel. After border crossing formalities we proceed to Eliat. We stop in Eliat to visit the underwater observatory before we proceed for our border transfer to Jordan. We arrive in Aqaba, where we are met and transferred to the Moevenpick Hotel in Aqaba for dinner and overnight.
DAY 05 - APRIL 09 - FRIDAY - AQABA/PETRA
In the morning we depart Aqaba and drive to Petra, the ancient Edomite and Nabatean capital, and "Rose Red City half as old as time." We'll see the spectacular "city of the dead," with its famed gorge, ancient streets, temples, dwelling places and tombs carved in solid rock. Our visit includes a two-mile journey on horseback or a walk through the famous Siq (the natural gorge) to arrive at the Treasury. We can see Roman temple ruins of the Roman City, the Nabatean Judgement Hall, palace tombs, famous Unr Temple and the Roman Amphitheater. A climb of several steps to the "high places" might appeal to the adventurous. Dinner and overnight at Petra Moevenpick Hotel.
DAY 06 - APRIL 10, 2010 - SATURDAY - PETRA/MADABA/MT NEBO/ BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN/DEAD SEA
Drive north along the historic and biblical King's Highway to Madaba and view the 6th century mosaic map of the Holy Land. A few kilometers away is Mt. Nebo, where Moses stood to view the Promised Land. We proceed to the baptismal site where John baptized Jesus at Bethany Beyond the Jordan at Wadi El-Kharrar. Drive to the Dead Sea Marriott for dinner and overnight.
DAY 07 - APRIL 11, 2010 - SUNDAY - KING HUSSEIN BRIDGE BORDER CROSSING/JERICHO/ MT. OF TEMPTATION. BEIT SHAN/GAN HASHLOSHA/TIBERIAS
Early in the morning, we cross the King Hussein Bridge into Israel and head for the tel of Jericho - a favorite spot for archaeologists. We enjoy an excellent view of the Mount of Temptation. Jericho is an excellent location to buy world-famous Hebrew pottery. Following a stop for shopping and lunch, featuring eighteen layers of civilization where Saul and his sons were nailed to the city wall. We depart for Gan Hashlosha, near Gideon's Spring, which feeds the Jordan for our baptism in late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Gai Beach Hotel in Tiberias.
DAY 08 - APRIL 12, 2010 - MONDAY - CAPERNAUM/GOLAN HEIGHTS/MOUNT HERMON/CAESAREA PHILIPPI/KUNEITRA/MOUNT OF BETITUDES/BOAT RIDE ON THE SEA OF GALILEE
Today we follow some of the stories of Mark 4-6 about the ministry of Jesus. Our stops include the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. We move on to Capernaum, our Lord's hometown for two years (Mark 4:13) and marvel at the multitudes that were attracted to the miracles performed by Jesus. We move into the Golan Heights where we arrive at the base of Mt. Hermon, Banyas, the Ceasarea Philippi of the Bible, is a main water source for the Jordan River. Here Peter made his great declaration about Jesus (Mark 8:27ff). When we approach Kuneitra, we are only 36 miles from Damascus, on the same road Saul of Tarsus used during his encounter with Christ (Acts 9:1-19). Our day concludes with a memorable boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Return to the Gai Beach Hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 09 - APRIL 13, 2010 - TUESDAY - CANA/NAZARETH/MEGIDDO/CAESAREA BY THE SEA
An early walk along the shore provides a spectacular memory of sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. After breakfast, we drive past the city of Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle and arrive in Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus to visit the Church of the Annunciation & Mary's well. We stop at Nazareth Village for lunch and a tour of the village. We move on to the ruins of Megiddo, one of Joshua's victories, which dates to 4,000 B.C. We then head toward Caesarea by the Sea. This ancient seaport, built in honor of Caesar Augustus by Herod the Great, was the Roman capital in the Holy Land for nearly 500 years. We view the majestic ruins of this great site and the nearby Roman aqueduct. Then to the Grand Court Hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10 - APRIL 14, 2010 - WEDNESDAY - EIN GEDI/MASADA QUMRAN/BETHANY
This morning, we cross the Judean wilderness toward the Jordan Valley. Our first stop is a visit to Ein Gedi where David hid from King Saul. Enjoy moments of worship in this desert oasis or watch the Ibix follow their rock paths, along the mountainside. We move on to Masada where we observe the two palaces of King Herod and remember the account of Josephus concerning the capture of Masada by the Romans in A.D. 70. Our day concludes with a stop at Qumran, home of the Essenes, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We return to Jerusalem by way of Bethany, the home of Mary and Martha the close friends of the Lord.
DAY 11 - APRIL 15, 2010 - THURSDAY - YAD VASHEM/ISRAEL MUSEUM MODEL OF THE CITY/WAILING WALL/BETHLEHEM/CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY/SHEPHERDS' FIELDS
After an early breakfast we enter the Old City through the Dung Gate and head to the holiest site in the modern Jewish world - the Wailing Wall. The Temple Mount is home to two of Islam's holiest sites - the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque. The history of this area includes the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22), Solomon's Temple and Herod's Temple. Later, we move across Jerusalem and turn our attention to Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Museum) to be reminded of the recent tragedies of Jewish people and the rebirth of the modern State of Israel are displayed, as well as an outdoor scale model of Jerusalem as it looked in Jesus' time. We conclude the day in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity and the Shepherds' Fields, where God first saw a manger through human eyes. We make time for shopping before heading back to our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
DAY 12 - APRIL 16, 2010 - FRIDAY - MT. OF OLIVES/GARDEN OF GESTHESAMANE/POOLS OF BETHESDA/VIA DOLOROSA/CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE/GORDON'S CALVARY/THE GARDEN TOMB/TEL AVIV
We begin our final day in Jerusalem with a visit to Gordon's Calvary and the Garden Tomb for communion and worship. We ascend to the top of the Mt. of Olives to view the Church of the Ascension. We then follow the path Jesus took during His "Palm Sunday" ride into Jerusalem. We view the city from from the courtyard of the Church of All Nations where Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. We enter the Old City through the Lion's Gate and make our way to the Sisters of Zion convent to see the Pavement, the level of Jerusalem in the days of Christ. We visit the Pools of Bethesda, which remind us of the healing recorded in John 5. Through the crowded streets, we follow the "Way of Sorrows," the Via Dolorosa, to Calvary and to the tomb of Christ at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Our afternoon concludes with shopping on David Street or optional visits in the Old City before we proceed to the Ambassador Hotel to freshen up before our farewell dinner; then on to the Tel Aviv airport for our early morning flight.
DAY 13 - APRIL 17, 2009 - SATURDAY-TEL AVIV/USA
Our flight departs early morning and we arrive in New York for a change of aircraft. We arrive in Cleveland this morning, with life-changing memories of what it was like to walk in the footsteps of Christ.
Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org
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