Join Pastor Dirk Currier In The Homeland of Jesus of Nazareth February 22 -March 04, 2012

Tour Highlights:
Roundtrip Air from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel
One of Israel's top tour guides and drivers will be with you the entire trip. All breakfasts and dinners as per the intinerary.
Deborah Hotel (Tel Aviv), Colony Hotel (Haifa), Royal Plaza Hotel (Tiberias), Leonardo Hotel (Jerusalem)
Visit the Shepherds' Field, the Haas Promenade, Jerusalem, the Old City Walls, Mount Moriah, the Kidron Valley,
the Valley of Gehenna, the Mount of Olives, the Temple Mount, and the Dome of the Rock.
Pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, see Mount Zion, the Upper Room, King David's Tomb, and the Pool of Bethesda
Sing a hymn in the Church of St. Anne, walk the Via Dolorosa, "The Way of The Cross", see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,
Herod's Antonia Fortress, Cardo, The Southern wall excavations,, Western Wall, Masada, the Dead Sea, Qumran,
view the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ein Karem, pray at the Garden Tomb, An inspirational Fun Filled Tour and Much, Much, More!!!

  Itinerary

February 22,2012 - Depart United States

February 23. Arrival
Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. Met by a CHT representative and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight Tel Aviv.

February 24. Jaffa / Caesarea / Mount Carmel / Druze Villages / Acre
After breakfast, visit the ancient Joppa (Jaffa): here was the house of Simon the Tanner (Acts 10: 9-16) and the place of the Miracle of the resurrection of Tabita (Acts 9: 36-43). After the visit drive North to Caesarea Maritima. Visit the Roman Theater, the Herod's Palace, the Palace of the Roman Procurator (Acts 23: 23 and Acts 26: 23 - Paul; Acts 10: 20-48 - Peter and Cornelius), the Amphitheater and the Crusaders' City and Harbor. Proceed to Mount Carmel to visit the Monastery of the Muhraka, where Elijah fought with the Baal priests. From the roofs of this Monastery, we have a beautiful view of the Jezreel Plain.Through the Druze villages, Daliyat el Carmel and Usifiya, we proceed to Acre to visit the old city with its city walls, the Knights' Halls and the Harbor.
Proceed to Haifa for dinner and overnight.

February 25. Megiddo/ Kehillat Carmel / Nazareth
After an early breakfast, we travel to Megiddo, named also Armageddon - the place where the last battle of mankind is due to take place (the Apocalypse of St. John) - for a brief visit to this 5,000 year old city with the Gates from the times of King Solomon, the old Canaanite temples and the water tunnel from the time of King Ahab. We then spend time in a visit and Sabbath worshipping with Kehillat Carmel (10:30- 13:15). We then continue to Nazareth to visit the Church of Annunciation (Luke 26: 28) and Nazareth Village, where the Bible comes to life. We then drive to Cana and visit the church that stands on the spot where Jesus performed his first miracle (latter visit is time permitting).
Proceed to the Tiberias for dinner and overnight.

February 26. Galilee/ Yardenit/ Banyas
After breakfast, we drive to the Mount of Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 7) where we shall visit the heptagonal church that was built by the Italian architect Berluzzi. Proceed to Tabgha, for a visit of the Church of the Loaves and the Fish (Matthew 14: 14-34). We continue along the Northern shores of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, the town of Jesus, where he lived in the house of Peter performing from there his miracles and healings (Matthew 4: 13, Matthew 8: 14-15). We return to Ginnosar to visit the Ancient Boat from the time of Jesus that was found nearby (time permitting). We then board a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus walked on the water (Matthew 14: 22-23). The ride will end at Ein Gev, where we will enjoy a delicious lunch of St. Peter's fish. We then proceed to the Yardenit Baptismal site near the southern part of the Sea of Galilee. We then drive through the Golan Heights to the Banyas, the ancient Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16: 13-20) one of the main sources of the Jordan River.
Return to the hotel for dinnerand overnight.

February 27. Galilee / Beit Shean
Proceed to the ancient town of Beit Shean with its new excavations of the Roman and Byzantine periods. Drive on to Gideon Springs, where Gideon gathered the sons of Israel to fight the Medianates (Judges 7: 1).
Proceed to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.

February 28. Jerusalem-the Old City
After breakfast, ascend the Mount of Olives for a wonderful panoramic view of the Old City of Jerusalem with the Temple Mount. Walking down the Mount of Olives, we shall reach the Church of Dominus Flevit (Luke 19: 41-44) for the visit and proceed to the Garden of Gethsemane, the place where Jesus was arrested (Matthew 26: 36-58), to see the old olive trees and visit the Basilica of the Agony. Driving through the Kidron Valley, we shall reach the Dung Gate and enter the Old City to visit the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall) - the holiest place for the Jews - walk the Via Dolorosa and, via the exotic bazaar, get to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Afterwards, visit St. Anne's Church and Bethesda Pools. Proceed through the newly rebuilt Jewish Quarter and the Roman Cardo to the Mount Zion to visit the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Visit the Temple Institute to learn about Jerusalem in the time of the Holy Temple. Visit the City of David to experience an incredible ongoing archaeological excavation and peek into the past to experience hands on David's Jerusalem. Tour the Rabbincal Tunnels. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

February 29. Jerusalem-the New City / Bethlehem*
After breakfast, drive to Yad Vashem, the Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Next, drive to the Israel Museum with its Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea scrolls are kept, then see the Menorah in front of the Knesset - the Israeli Parliament - and proceed to Bethlehem* to visit the Church of the Nativity (Luke 2: 1-7).
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

March 1. Abu Gosh / Jerusalem
After breakfast, drive to Abu Gosh, the biblical Kiryat Ye'arim, from where King David brought the Holy Shrine back to Jerusalem. Driving past Emmaus (Latrun) (Luke 23: 39-44) proceed to Beit Shemesh and the Elah Valley, where David fought with Goliath. Return to Jerusalem via Ein Karem.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

March 2. Masada / Dead Sea
After breakfast drive to the mountain fortress of Masada, stronghold of the Jews in the war against the Romans. Ascend to the fortress by cable car to visit the palaces of Herod the Great with its Roman baths and pools. On the way back to Jerusalem, stop in Qumran- the city of the Essenes-where the Dead Sea scrolls were found in a cave by a shepherd.
Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

March 3. Free Day
Enjoy a day of free time for exploration in Jerusalem. Then we proceed to our farewell dinner in Abu Gosh and leave for airport for our flight back home.

March 4. Arrive Home

* visit subject to availability

*Itinerary Subject to Change