A Basic 8-Day Itinerary
Even for groups with very limited time, it is
possible to experience the interaction between land and Bible:
Day 1
Arrival in Tel Aviv.
Day
2 We enter
Caesarea Maritima to explore this Roman bridgehead to the
East, which became the Christian springboard to the West. We ascend
Mt. Carmel, site of Elijah's confrontation with the
prophets of Baal. We then drive to the mound of
Megiddo,
har megiddo in Hebrew, which
gave its name to Armageddon. After surveying the
Plain of Jezreel, we proceed to
Nazareth, visiting part of the ancient village and enjoying
a view of Mt. Tabor. We go on to
Cana, commemorating Jesus' transformation of water into
wine. We end the day at the Arbel cliff,
which affords a view over the Lake of Galilee and the main sites of
Jesus' ministry.
Day
3 We drive along the Sea of Galilee
to Capernaum, where we visit the
synagogue and the place where early Christians remembered Peter's
house. We continue to Tabgha (short
for Heptapagon, "seven springs") to view the mosaics in the Church
of the Loaves and Fishes. Ascending the Mt.
of Beatitudes, we listen to Jesus' teachings. On an ancient
trade route, we pass Hazor and then
go on to Dan. Here we do a nature walk
and visit the high place where Jeroboam son of Nebat set up a golden
calf. We continue to Caesarea Philippi
(Banias), where Peter answered Jesus' question, "Who do you
say that I am?" Our route then takes us over the Golan Heights,
skirting Mt. Hermon, with a view toward Damascus. We end the day
with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.
 Day
4 We visit the mound of
Beth Shean, hearing the story of Saul and viewing the ruins
of Roman Scythopolis. Then we drive through the Dotan Valley, where
Joseph's brothers threw him into a cistern, and pass Samaria, Ahab's
capital. At Nablus (Shechem), we
visit the mound of the ancient city where Joshua renewed the
covenant. We stop at nearby Jacob's
Well, site of Jesus' conversation with a Samaritan woman. We
then drive through the lovely valley of Bidan and down Wadi Fariah,
the pass through which Jacob (and probably his grandfather before
him) entered the promised land. At Jericho,
we visit the tell of this oldest city and view the traditional
mountain of Jesus' temptation. Ascending the Roman road along Wadi
Qilt, we stop for a look at St. George's Monastery. Finally, atop
Mt. Scopus, we behold majestic Jerusalem.
Day
5 We start the day with an
orientation to Jerusalem from the
Mt. of Olives. We then follow the traditional Palm
Sunday route to the church known as
Dominus Flevit ("the Lord weeps"). After viewing the Golden
Gate, we walk downhill to Gethsemane,
where we take time to meditate on the Gospel text. Then we drive to
Mt. Zion: to the grounds of a church called
Peter in Gallicantu, which affords the best view of early
Jerusalem from the west. (Here, the Assumptionist Fathers propose,
was the house where the High Priest Caiaphas interrogated Jesus.)
Driving south, we visit Solomon's Pools,
Jerusalem's main source of water for almost 2000 years. Passing the
monastery of Hortus Conclusus ("the sealed garden") in Artas, we go
to Shepherds' Fields. We conclude the
day with a visit to Bethlehem,
walking through its alleys and markets to the
Church of the Nativity.
Day
6 (assumed to be a Sunday) The
morning is free, whether for worship or to explore Jerusalem on your
own. (Worship services.)
In the early
afternoon, we drive through the Judaean desert to
Qumran.
Here we view Cave # 4, which contained the greatest quantity
of Dead Sea scrolls. We continue south to
Masada. We take the cable car to the top, visiting Herod's
mountain bunker and the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against
Rome (66-73 AD). We conclude the day with a float in the
Dead Sea, then return to Jerusalem.
Day
7 We visit the
Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site. (Bar Mitzvah
ceremonies will be underway.) We ascend to the
Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest
site of Islam, located on the traditional site of the ancient
Temple Mount. We then walk the Via
Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We drive to the
Shrine of the Book, which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls, at
the Israel Museum. There we also survey an open-air model
of Jerusalem, representing the city on the eve of
the first revolt against, 36 years after the Passion of Jesus.
Day
8 We drive to the airport for
departure.
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