August 16: Depart USA
We depart the US for our overnight flight to Israel.  Sit back and enjoy the service while in flight.

August 17: Arrive in Tel Aviv, visit Neot Kedumim, lunch and transfer to Tel Aviv Hotel
Upon our arrival in Tel Aviv we will meet our tour guide who will escort us to our awaiting motor coach.  Time permitting we will make a stop at Neot Kedumim which is also known as the Biblical Landscape Reserve of Israel.  Here we will see hundreds of varieties of plants flourishing.  Vistas of striking pastoral beauty are everywhere -- and the stark and stony hills in the distance are reminders that 30 years ago there was nothing here but barren rock.  We transfer to our Tel Aviv Hotel and then enjoy our dinner and overnight.

August 18: Ashkelon- Beersheva- Omer
We begin our first full day of touring and head south to the ancient seaport Philistine city of Ashkelon.  Ashkelon was the oldest and largest seaport in Canaan, one of the "five cities" of the Philistines.  Next we visit Beersheva which is mentioned in the Book of Genesis in connection with Abraham the Patriarch and his pact with Abimelech.  Isaac also built an altar in Beersheba (Genesis 26:23–33) and Jacob had his dream about a stairway to heaven after leaving Beersheba.  We finish our day with a visit to Omer before arriving in Arad where we will enjoy our dinner and overnight.

August 19: Sde Boker & Mitzpe Ramon to visit craters, Avdat
After breakfast we enjoy a visit to Sde Moker which is a kibbutz made famous as the retirement home of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.  Next we visit Mitzpe Ramon and allow for time to visit the craters.  We conclude our day with a visit to Avdat also known as Ovdat or Obodat.  Avdat was the most important historic city on the Incense Route after Petra between the 7th century BCE and the 1st century BCE. 

August 20: Free morning in Eilat, Timna and Tabernacle- Arad
This morning we travel to Eilat, a famous Red Sea resort city.  Take time to walk along the beach or explore local shopping.  This afternoon we visit Timna Park, also known as Solomon’s Mines.  Here we will take some time to view a recreation of the Tabernacle before returning to Arad for our dinner and overnight.

August 21: Massada (museum only), Ein Gedi, St George Monastery, Jericho,  Mt of Olives
We check out of our Arad hotel this morning and travel to the Massada Museum.  Enjoy time in the museum before continuing on to Ein Gedi.  Ein Gedi is a series of springs where David hid from King Saul.  Next we visit St. George Monastery which is clings precariously to the sheer north face of the gorge it was built on.  We continue towards Jerusalem with a photo stop overlooking Jericho before coming to the Mt. of Olives.  Here we will enjoy a panoramic view of Jerusalem and get a big picture feel of the city we will visit in depth of the next few days.  We check into our Jerusalem hotel and enjoy our dinner and overnight.

August 22: Temple Mount- Western wall esplanade –Burnt House-Cardo-some Gates, view-House of Caiphas- Dominus Flevit
We begin our morning with a visit to the Temple Mount and then on to the Western Wall Esplande which is also known as the Wailing Wall.  We continue our tour with a visit to the Burnt House, Cardo and House of Caiphas before coming to Dominus Flevit.  Dominus Flevit, which translates from Latin as "The Cry of the Lord" or "The Lord Wept", was fashioned in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the tears of Christ. Here, according to the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus, while walking toward the city of Jerusalem, Jesus became overwhelmed by the beauty of the Second Temple and predicting its future destruction, and the diaspora of the Jewish people, weeps openly.

August 23: Knesset , City of David, David-Hezekiah's Tunnel-Warren's Schaft, Pool of Siloam
After breakfast we visit the Knesset which is the legislature of Israel.  This afternoon we begin our sightseeing just outside the Dung Gate on the southeastern hill below the Temple Mount in the City of David.  It was during the time of Solomon that the city limits expended past this part of Jerusalem.  We visit Gihon Springs, the original water source for Jerusalem, view new excavations including a typical Israelite four-room house, the lower city wall and the cistern where Jeremiah was imprisoned.  A highlight today will be a water walk through the incredible Hezekiah's Tunnel to the pool of Siloam, the place of Jesus' miracle in John 9. 

August 24: Herodian, Tower of David, Israel Museum, Bethlehem or Valley of Elah
We begin our day visiting the Tower of David Museum. Set in the magnificently restored ancient Citadel' first constructed 2,000 years ago by Herod the Great, the Tower of David Museum traces Jerusalem long and eventful history through state-of-the art displays and exhibits' utilizing the most advanced technologies. Next we visit the Israel Museum where we will see the Shrine of the Book and the Biblical Model of Jerusalem before continuing on to visit the Herodion. This afternoon you may choose an optional tour to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus or depart Jerusalem and travel to the Valley of Elah which is the location of the famous battle between David and Goliath.

August 25: Bethsaida- Hatzor- Tzipori
We check out of our Jerusalem hotel this morning and head north to the town of Bethsaida which was a fishing village a probably the home of the disciples, Phillip, Andrew and Peter.  Next we visit Hatzor which is the richest archeological site in Israel.  This afternoon we enjoy a visit to Tzipori which is a famous location of the Sanhedrin.  Late this afternoon we check into our Galiee hotel and enjoy our dinner and overnight.

August 26: Qazrin,  Golan Heights and Gamla
We enjoy a full day tour in the Golan area just north of the Sea of Galilee.  We begin our day with a visit to the ancient Jewish village of Qazrin located north of the Sea of Galilee.  Next we visit the Golan Heights and then the famous town of Gamla.  Gamla is mostly known as a rebel town in the First Jewish War. After a fierce fight against the Romans all its 9000 citizens were killed.  Because of this harrowing event, Gamla sometimes received the nickname "the Massada of the North." To readers of the story in Josephus' Wars it seemed that a large part of the Gamla citizens found their death when they jumped from the rock, which vaguely parallels the collective suicide in Massada. However, most scientists now put the Gamla story in a completely different perspective. Archaeology has contributed most to the change of angle on Gamla. It is now understood how a fierce fight must have taken place against the Romans; not like a suicide at all.  We return to our Galilee hotel for our dinner and overnight.

August 27: Gilgal, Gideon Spring, Muhraka & Caesarea
We check out of our Galilee hotel this morning and begin our day with a visit to Gilgal. After Gilgal visit Gideon Spring where Gideon had his soldiers tested for battle and selected only the men that cupped the water rather than lapped the water from the spring. Next we visit Muhraka and the Elijah monument before traveling along the cost of the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea where Gentiles first heard the Good News from Peter and were baptized. We’ll take time to view the Roman Amphittheater and Aqueduct before transferring to the Tel Aviv airport in time to catch our overnight flight back to the US.

August 28: Return to USA
We arrive back in the US this morning.