West Hartsville Baptist Church Tour

Travel to Israel

You will be met by a representative to assist you through customs and provide transfer to your hotel!  Ben Gurion airport is near the modern city of Tel Aviv, Israel’s largest city.  It is also near the ancient seaport of Joppa where King Solomon’s ships sailed to faraway ports and where the prophet Jonah fled from the call of God. The day begins with a drive up the coast to the ancient port city of Caesarea Maritime where the ancient harbor, hippodrome, and great theatre stand. The events of Acts 12 took place there. Close by you will see the aqueducts built by Herod the Great and then view the Valley of Armageddon from the heights of Mt. Carmel where Elijah slew the prophets of Baal. Descending from there you will visit Megiddo, Solomon’s Ancient chariot city, view Ahab’s water tunnel, cross the entire Jezreel Valley and begin the climb through the lower Galilean Mountains to Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus. Finally, you arrive at your beautiful hotel on the shore of the Sea of Galilee where you will have dinner and spend the first of three nights.

You will wake to a breath-taking sunrise on the Sea of Galilee. After breakfast, enjoy a boat ride and time of worship on the Sea of Galilee as you sail to Nof Ginnosar in a replica of an ancient boat. The authentic 2,000-year-old boat of antiquity dates to the time of Christ. You will follow the steps of Jesus through the Galilee region as you visit the Mt. of Beatitudes and ancient Capernaum, Tabgha and the ancient fisherman’s landing called the “Primacy of Peter.” You will enjoy lunch by the Sea of Galilee where you will have an opportunity to eat “St. Peter’s fish,” tilapia, caught fresh out of the waters of the Galilee. The group will complete the day with the opportunity for baptism in the Jordan River. After this wonderful day, you can once again relax at your hotel on the Sea of Galilee. After dinner you may enjoy looking out over this beautiful lake to reflect on what you are already experiencing; walking where Jesus walked.

The beautiful northern mountains of Israel await you today. At Tel Dan, there is a city gate from the time of Abraham along with an altar from the days of Israel’s divided kingdom. You will get to walk through an incredible nature reserve at Dan where you will see the beginnings of the Dan River, which joins with other streams to form the Jordan River. The water is crystal-clear and pure. You will see a gorgeous waterfall as the headwaters of the Jordan River cascade into a beautiful mountain stream. Your next stop will be the site of the Apostle Peter’s confession of Christ at Caesarea Philippi. You will see the second source of the Jordan River at Banias. You will hear an explanation of Israel's incredible history from 1948 until the present as you stand upon the heights of the extant volcano peak. You can see the Golan Heights spanning from the Northern border to the Sea of Galilee and learn about the strategic importance this region has played and will continue to play to the nation of Israel. After your day in the mountains, you will retire to your hotel.

This morning you leave the beautiful Sea of Galilee, following alongside the Gilboa mountain range. At Harrod’s springs you will see where Judge Gideon tested his men before the battle with the Midianites in the valley between Gilboa and Mt. Moreh. From there you will visit the last site before your journey down the Jordan Valley, Bet Shan. While not mentioned in the New Testament, it is an Old Testament city and the best-preserved Roman city from that period in Israel today. You will have lunch, a break and then onward to Jerusalem. After passing by ancient Jericho the climb to Jerusalem begins while viewing scenery and traveling the same route the ancient pilgrims would have taken as they made their journey to Jerusalem for the great feasts of Israel. Today you finally arrive in the City of God, the City of David and the ancient and modern capital of Israel, Jerusalem. Your heart will leap with emotion as you stand on the overlooks of the Mount of Olives and see the breathtaking Mountain of Moriah. It is there where Abraham was to offer Isaac, Solomon built the first temple, and where Jesus walked, taught, died, rose again and will one day return in great glory! This is only the beginning. You check into your hotel, have dinner and enjoy your first night in your lovely hotel in Jerusalem.

You will spend an exciting morning descending to the Plains of Jericho, then on to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth. You will visit Qumran, the center of the Essenes, where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Continuing south, you will see where the ibex roam at Ein Gedi, David’s hideout from Saul. A short drive away you will be at Masada, the mountain-top fortress where the last zealots against Rome defended their freedom, and at the end, took their own lives rather than be taken as slaves. It is a heroic story many do not know. Before returning to Jerusalem there will be a stop at the Dead Sea where you may float in the waters if you like, then you will once again follow that ancient pilgrim’s path to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

These final days are spent in and around Jerusalem, the ancient capital. Once you arrive in Jerusalem, before disembarking each afternoon, you will hear the next day’s itinerary. Listed below are just some of the sights you will experience..
On day nine, the final incredible touring day, you will end at Calvary and the Garden Tomb. You will experience a poignant Farewell Celebration before spending your final night in Jerusalem.

Shepherd's Fields	Gordon’s Calvary	Robinson’s Arch	Street Market	Jaffa Gate
Garden of Gethsemane	Damascus Gate	St. Stephen's Gate	Arab Quarter	Mt. Scopus
Rabbinical Tunnel	Tomb of Absalom	Dome of the Rock	Garden Tomb	Knesset
Place of the Pavement	Tomb of Zechariah	Southern Steps	Kidron Valley	Mt. Zion
Holocaust Museum	House of Caiaphas	Western Wall	Temple Mount	Shiloh
Valley of Gehenna	Palm Sunday Road	Israel Museum	Jewish Quarter	Zion's Gate
Pools of Bethesda	Mt. of Olives	Roman Cardo	David's City	and Much, Much MORE!

You will have memories that will last a lifetime and hopefully, will make plans to bring others back with you to experience together the place God loves like no other, the land of Israel. Blessed traveling from all of us at TLC Holyland Tours.