2 or 3 days round trip (3rd day in Jerusalem)
To many visitors Israel is the Holy Land, home of Jesus and venue of the most important events in Christianity. This is reflected in the vast number of pilgrimage tours that are offered.
“In the footsteps of Jesus” is a guided tour not only for Christians, but also for visitors who are interested in the history of the country 2,000 years ago. We are going back to the time of Jesus and follow his path, as we know it from the New Testament as well as from some contemporary sources. In doing so we recall the historical and geopolitical environment of that period in history, trying to get a better understanding of what it must have been back then.
1st day: Departure from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Haifa and drive to Sepphoris (Tzipori or Diocaesarea) where Jesus probably worked as a carpenter at Herod Antipas’ construction projects. From there we drive to ancient fishing village Capernaum (Kfar Nahum) where we visit the “house of Simon Peter” and the ancient synagogue. Last stop is Banias (Caesarea Philippi). Lodging in a (Kibbutz) hotel, guest room or apartment in northern Galilee, Rosh Pina, or at the Sea of Galilee (Kinereth).
2nd day: Drive to Kursi near the Sea of Galilee, probably the location where Jesus drove out the demons into the swines. From there we drive along the Sea of Galilee and turn into the Jordan valley toward Jericho. We stop at Qasr el-Yahud, the traditional location where John the baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan river. From there we continue towards the Dead Sea to Qumran, ancient center of the Essenes, where the oldest surviving scrolls of the bible have been discovered. Our route takes us via the “Good Samaritan” to Jerusalem, our final destination on this trip.
3rd day (optional): Drive to the Mt. of Olives with a fantastic panorama of the Temple Mount, followed by a visit to the Pater Noster church. We then drive to Mt. Zion and continue on foot to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. Next to the temple mount we enter the Davidson Center with the archaeological park and the Ophel. From here we walk to the Room of the Last Supper (Cenacle), underneath which – according to tradition – lies the Tomb of David. Next stop is St. Peter in Gallicantu. Afterwards we drive to Yaffa gate and walk to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We end the day at a coffee shop or restaurant of your choice for a summary and discussion.
Prices
Please contact me for a detailed quote.