A Journey to The Holy Land
Friday, August 5, Day 1: Depart U.S.A.
On our way to the Holy Land
Saturday, August 6, Day 2: Arrive Ben Gurion Airport/Transfer to Jerusalem
Arrival to Tel Aviv you will be met by your guide, Canon Iyad Qumri, transfer to our accommodation in Jerusalem, St. George’s Pilgrim Guest house.
Sunday, August 7, Day 3: Western Wall/Dome of the Rock/Worship at St. Andrew’s Church/Horizons of Jerusalem
We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque). St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda. Sunday Eucharist at St. Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Drive to Mount Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic setting of the Scripture.
Monday, August 8, Day 4: Old City/Church of the Resurrection
Briefing tor the Holy Sepulcher. We then walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance of the Holy Sepulcher.
Tuesday, August 9, Day 5: Shepherd’s Field/Bethlehem
We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherd’s Field, visit a first century cave dwelling. Visit Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the Oldest Church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity.
Wednesday, August 10, Day 6: Jericho/Nazareth
Wadi Qelt early morning to watch the sunrise and get the feel for the desert. Depart for Jericho to hike up Mount of Temptation and view Tell Jericho. Trip up the Rift Valley to Nazareth. In Nazareth we will visit Mary’s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus.
Thursday, August 11, Day 7: Sea of Galilee/Jordan River/Capernaum & Beatitudes
Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows. We then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, lunch is by the Sea of Galilee, followed by a visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy. Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
Friday, August 12, Day 8: Caesarea Philippi
Depart for Caesarea Philippi (Banias). “And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Phillipi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’”
Saturday, August 13, Day 9: Burqin/Nablus/Taybeh
Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave. We will visit St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery in Nablus. St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob’s well where will tour the church and drink from the well.
Sunday, August 14, Day 10: Worship at St. George’s Cathedral/Israel Museum
Sunday Eucharist at St. George’s Cathedral. We will visit the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We will also visit a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, describing the city as it would have been during Jesus’ time.
Monday, August 15, Day 11: Beth-Phage/Dominus Flevit/Gethsemane
Depart for Beth-phage and Mount of Olives. Walk down the Palm Sunday Road ending at the Garden of Gethsemane. We will visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, this church was built over the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Peter denied Jesus three time.
Tuesday, August 16, Day 12: Way of the Cross/Emmaus
Early this morning we walk and pray the Way of the Cross. Later we depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church. Transfer to the airport for our trip home.