Fall Holy Land - SPACE STILL AVAILABLE!

Fall Holy Land Scripture Discovery Tour

Faculty Director: Joel G. Judd, Former Jerusalem Center Faculty

October 16–28, 2010

Cost: $2475 per person in double occupancy not including transatlantic air

(see available group price at end of itinerary)

Egypt Option: October 28–November 1, 2010; Cost: $2100

Tentative Itinerary

Days 1–2: Saturday and Sunday, October 16 and 17  U.S.A. • Transatlantic Flight • Tel Aviv, Israel

We will take an afternoon flight from our various U.S.A. homes and change planes at the New York City - JFK Airport. We will arrive the following early afternoon at the Ben Gurion Airport—which is near New Testament Lydda, where Peter healed Aeneas. If time allows, we will visit Jaffa, where Peter received the important revelation about taking the gospel to the Gentiles. We will check in to the Marina Hotel, where we will have our group sacrament meeting before retiring for the night.

Day 3: Monday, October 18     Tel Aviv • Caesarea • Haifa • Muhraka • Nazareth

We will drive through Tel Aviv, the largest Jewish metropolitan area in the world, and then north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Roman New Testament seaside capital, Caesarea. Here in the ancient Roman theatre, we will study the biblical events that happened in this place. We will then drive to Haifa (modern port of Israel and center of the Baha’i faith), stop for a view, and recount some LDS Church history related to this area. We will drive along the top of Mount Carmel to Muhraka, the traditional site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal, to enjoy a view of the Jezreel Valley and talk about the importance of this valley both anciently and now.  We will then drive to the lovely city of Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, where we will visit the Nazareth Village (developed to show life as it existed at the time of Jesus) and briefly reflect on His early life. We will drive through the Beit Netofa Valley and pass by the remains of biblical Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. We will check in to Nof Ginosar Hotel on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee for two nights.

Day 4: Tuesday, October 19    Sea of Galilee • Capernaum • Mount of Beatitudes • Tel Dan • Banias • Golan Heights

Our day will begin with an exhilarating boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. Then we will visit Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, where He performed many miracles and gave many teachings, including His “Bread of Life” sermon. We will pass St. Peter’s Primacy on our way to the Mount of Beatitudes, where the important Sermon on the Mount will be discussed. We will pass Hazor on our way to Tel Dan, the ancient northern limits of Israel (“from Dan to Beersheba”), to enjoy a beautiful nature walk and to see this historic tel. We’ll continue on to Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon, which is ancient Caesarea Philippi, the site of Peter’s testimony of the Savior. This is where one of the sources of the Jordan River emerges from the foothills of Mount Hermon. We will then drive up on the Golan Heights—home of many Druze people as well as the scene of fierce fighting between Israel and Syria in 1967 and again in 1973—to enjoy a view of Mount Hermon near Har Bental. We will return to Nof Ginosar to enjoy dinner and an evening on the lakeshore.

Day 5: Wednesday, October 20     Galilee • Mount Tabor • Beth Shean • Jericho • Jerusalem

Today begins with our first stop at a Christian baptismal site on the Jordan River; then we will drive to Mount Tabor, probable site of the Savior’s transfiguration. After visiting Nain (where Jesus brought the widow’s son back to life) at the foot of Mount Moreh, we will visit the important strategic site of Beth Shean. At these impressive ruins we will experience the splendor of Roman life and Hellenistic culture.  We will then continue south down the Jordan Valley and view the meandering Jordan River and the Jordan Plateau to the east with its interesting biblical history.  We will stop at Old Testament Jericho and review some important scriptural events that took place in this area before turning west toward Jerusalem. We will next enjoy a brief stop in the historic Judean Wilderness, where we will discuss the Savior’s forty-day experience and temptations.  As we enter Jerusalem for the first time, we will behold a most fascinating city.  We will check in to the Olive Tree Hotel for our nights in Jerusalem.

Day 6: Thursday, October 21        Jerusalem

Our first full day in Jerusalem will begin on the Mount of Olives, where we can view and discuss the history of the Old City of Jerusalem.  Then we will begin a walking tour of the Old City through the Dung Gate to visit the Holy Mount and to see the outside of the Dome of the Rock, built to honor Mohammed, Islam’s founder. Later we will stop at the Western Wall, where we will observe Jews as they participate in morning prayers and bar mitzvahs at Judaism’s holiest shrine.  We will visit the Ophel to examine how it looked at the time of the Savior.  In the afternoon we will visit the Jewish Quarter to see the Broad Wall and the Cardo.  There will also be time spent in the Christian Quarter as we visit the major shrine of Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  Leaving the Old City through the Damascus Gate, we will make our first visit to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. 

Day 7: Friday, October 22            Jerusalem

As the morning begins, we visit the Yad Vashem Memorial, the Holocaust museum, in West Jerusalem.  We will drive by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) on our way to visit the Israel Museum, including the famous Model City of Jerusalem and the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls display). The afternoon will be free for shopping. We will return to the Western Wall in the late afternoon to watch the religious Jews welcome in the Sabbath. Following our experience at the Western Wall, we will return to the hotel for dinner and an evening lecture.

Day 8: Saturday, October 23         Jerusalem • Bethlehem

We will begin our Sabbath by attending sacrament meeting at the BYU Jerusalem Center with the Jerusalem Branch in the center’s beautiful auditorium, with its spectacular view of the Holy City. Following the meetings, we will travel to nearby Bethlehem, site of the Savior’s birth, and visit the Church of the Nativity. We will then visit Shepherds’ Field, overlooking Bethlehem, and review the biblical events connected with this area in a special late afternoon program before returning to the hotel for dinner.

Day 9: Sunday, October 24           Jerusalem • Dead Sea • Masada • Ein Gedi • Qumran • Bethany

An early morning drive will take us through the wilderness of Judea to the Jordan Valley and then south along the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Here we will take the cable car to the top of Masada to see the ruins of the palace-fortress built by King Herod and to recall the story of the Zealots’ last stand against the Romans.  Before leaving this desert fortress, we will visit the museum at Masada’s base. As we drive north, we will stop for a quick float in the Dead Sea and lunch at Ein Gedi, one of the areas where David hid from King Saul. Then we’ll drive on to Qumran, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and discuss their importance on the way home. We will make a brief stop in Bethany and talk of events related to Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead. Following dinner at the hotel, we will have an evening lecture.

Day 10: Monday, October 25        Jerusalem

Our day in Jerusalem will begin as we enter the Old City through Lion’s Gate and go to the site of the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne to discuss John 5. We will also visit the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden, where we will discuss the symbolism of Gethsemane and enjoy a view of Old Jerusalem. We will then proceed to the City of David to see the Jerusalem of Nephi’s time and walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a hydrological wonder of Isaiah’s time.  We will also visit the true Pool of Siloam mentioned in John 9.  We will change out of our wet clothes, and the remainder of the day will be free to walk the Old City walls, visit local museums, and visit other places of interest.

Day 11: Tuesday, October 26        Jerusalem

Today we will walk from the Mount of Olives down to Bethphage as we focus on the events of the last week of the Savior’s life, beginning with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We will proceed down the west side of the Mount of Olives and stop at a view point to discuss more of the Savior’s final week. We will continue down the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane on the way to Mount Zion and the location of the Upper Room, a reminder of the Last Supper and the ordinance of the sacrament. At St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, the possible site of the palace of Caiaphas, we will discuss Peter and the trials of Jesus. Our day will conclude at Golgotha, the place of the Crucifixion, and the Garden Tomb—where we will consider the final mortal events in Jesus’ life and His Atonement. We will have our farewell meeting following dinner. 

Day 12: Wednesday, October 27  Jerusalem • Ben Gurion Airport

Today will be a free day in Jerusalem for visiting the Garden Tomb to ponder and consider our experiences in the Holy Land, shopping, and packing for our departures.  We will leave for the airport in the early evening for our flight to the U.S.A.

Day 13: Thursday, October 28      Transatlantic Flight • U.S.A.

Those not going on the Egypt option will fly all night and arrive in New York to change planes in the early morning.  This will involve going through customs.  We will arrive home in midday.

Egypt Option

Day 13: Thursday, October 28      Israel • Cairo, Egypt

We will leave early in the morning for the airport and our flight to Egypt.  Upon arrival, we will drive along one of the canals to the pharaonic capital of Memphis to see the colossal statue of Ramses II, the Alabaster sphinx, and the Lion Couches in the ruins of the Temple of Ptah. Then we’ll see the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Mastaba of Ti (or Ptah-Hotep).  We next visit the Giza Pyramids and the 5,000-year-old Sphinx and enjoy a camel ride near these ancient structures.  In the evening, at the Heliopolis Hotel, we will discuss “Our Heritage and Ancient Egypt.”

Day 14: Friday, October 29       Cairo • Luxor

We will take an early morning flight to Luxor and then bus to the enormous Karnak Temple for a walking tour of the largest religious complex in the world, followed by a stop at the Temple of Luxor.  After checking in to the Mercure Etap Hotel, we will have some free time for shopping and carriage rides.  We will enjoy an evening felucca ride on the Nile if conditions permit.

Day 15: Saturday, October 30    Luxor • Cairo

This day will begin by our crossing the Nile to the west bank Necropolis, passing the Colossi of Memnon.  Next we will enter the Valley of the Kings to see the tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs such as Tutankhamen, Seti I, and Ramses IV. We’ll then travel on to Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple and Pit Tomb 33, believed by some to be the place from which Joseph Smith’s Abraham papyri came.  In the late afternoon we will return to Cairo and check back in to the Heliopolis Hotel for two nights.

Day 16: Sunday, October 31   Cairo

Our tour will continue past the City of the Dead as we drive to the Citadel Mohammed Ali (Alabaster) Mosque and the Anwar Sadat Memorial.  The remainder of the afternoon will include a visit to the world-famous Egyptian Museum, where the discoveries from King Tut’s Tomb are on display, as well as many other interesting exhibits from the various periods of ancient Egyptian history. 

Day 17: Monday, November 1     Cairo • U.S.A.

Our bus will leave the hotel in the morning for the airport for our daylong flight to our homes in the U.S.A.  We will arrive home late at night.

Price includes:

·         Deluxe motor coach transportation

·         Local guide

·         Hotel accommodations in moderate-class hotels

·         Sightseeing tours as outlined on the itinerary

·         Entrance fees and gratuities

·         Group Travel insurance

•   All breakfasts and dinners in country

Price does not include:

·    Round-trip air from Salt Lake City–Tel Aviv–Salt Lake City estimate $1515

• Airfare to Tel Aviv and home from Cairo: $TBA (includes Egypt option)
• Additional possible airfare from cities other than Salt Lake City
• Sightseeing not included on the itinerary
• Additional hotel accommodations
• Items of a personal nature (i.e., phone calls, room service, e-mails, etc.)
• Additional travel insurance and cancellation waiver
• Lunches
• Single supplement for Israel $850 and $250 for the Egypt option

LDS TRAVEL STUDY TOURS

Questions on money and air—contact Karen: 515 S. 700 E. Suite 1B, Salt Lake City, UT 84102

Toll Free 866-277-0900—801-483-6152—Fax 801-483-6366

kgerlach@ldstravelstudy.com

Questions on the land itinerary: call Haws Marble: 801-815-1387

hmarble@ldstravelstudy.com

11/17/09

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