"The Expanded Holy Land" Tour

10 Exciting Days in Jordan & Egypt

June 3-12, 2009

For the third time, this tour will be led by John Hodges (Van), who has visited much of the Middle East the last 12 years, including numerous visits to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, and has been a student and teacher of the Bible, Biblical history, and Bible prophecy for 36 years. This is an excellent tour for laypersons, retirees, students (high school, college, seminary), and pastors.

Some call Jordan and Egypt part of The Holy Land as the Israelites, and Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Jeremiah, Mary and Joseph, Jesus and the Apostle Paul all spent time in these lands. Besides studying the ancient history and ruins of these two countries on this tour, there will be a focus on seeing the places where the Israelites traveled and temporarily inhabited. These places played a major role in their Biblical history, but are not part of the “Promised Land” that the Bible teaches they will inherit in the future for eternity.

Itinerary subject to change while touring for the best interest of the group

Day 1, June 3: Departure 
Today we embark on our overnight flight. Prepare yourself for a life-changing experience, as tomorrow you will be arriving in the Holy Land.

Day 2, June 4: Arrival
We arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel. Our transportation takes us north through the Biblical Sharon Valley to our hotel in Netanya, perched on beach sand cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We enjoy a relaxing dinner and overnight stay.  
              
Day 3, June 5: Gadara, Pella, Jerash, Amman, Bethany beyond the Jordan 
An early departure from our hotel takes us to Sheikh Hussein Bridge. After meeting our guide and completing passport formalities, we enter the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. By motor coach we travel to a scenic overlook of Pella, where the Jerusalem Church fled in 65 A.D. We then continue to Jordan’s northern border to the ancient ruins of Gadara, the mountain top hometown of the Gadarene Demoniacs, and from there we will be able to view the nearby Sea of Galilee where Jesus had His encounter with them. We head back south to ancient Jerash, one of the best preserved and most complete provincial Roman cities. Jerash, Gerasa of Roman Times, was one of the cities of the Decapolis, a confederation of 10 Graeco-Roman cities dating from the 1st century BC situated in Jordan, Syria and Israel. Known as the Pompeii of the East for its extraordinary state of preservation, the ruins indicate human occupations at this location for more than 2,500 years. The most well known monuments include the colonnaded street, the Temple of Zeus, the Forum, and Hadrian’s Arch.  Next, we drive further south through the area that once was settled by the ancient Ammonites and later became part of ancient Israel where 2½ tribes settled. We cross over the Jabbok River where Jacob wrestled with God, then past the present capital of Amman, which once was the Decapolis city of Philadelphia and Old Testament Ammonite city of Rabbah. We finish the day with a visit to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where John The Baptist did some baptizing and possibly where he baptized Jesus. It was also in this vicinity that the Prophets Elijah and Elisha did some ministry, and where Joshua and the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land through the parted Jordan River. We arrive at our luxurious hotel spa by the Dead Sea with an optional swim in the Sea or the hotel pools.

Day 4, June 6: Mt Nebo, Medeba, Arnon River, Petra 
This day follows the reverse path of the Israelites on their way from the wilderness to the promised land. We ascend to Mt. Nebo where it is believed Moses saw the Promised Land and was buried in the adjacent valley. The mountain commands a spectacular view of Jericho, the Jordan Valley, and the Dead Sea. The drive continues to the town of Madaba, the biblical Medeba, 30 kilometers south of Amman. Madaba is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics and the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, where the earliest original surveying map of the Holy Land is pictured on a mosaic floor. Next we drive south onto the Biblical King’s Highway to the ancient border of Moab at the Arnon River canyons, for a scenic view, and then on to Petra. There we walk through the “Siq”, an immense crack in the Nubian sandstone, to the city of ancient Petra. 2000 years ago the Nabateans carved this city out of the rose red rock. The Treasury, El Khazneh, is one of the most elegant remains of antiquity. Beyond El Khazneh we are surrounded on both sides by hundreds of Petra’s carved and built structures. We overnight in Petra.

Day 5, June 7: Red Sea, Taba, Nuweiba
Our time in Jordan ends as we head south from Petra into ancient Midian, where the fugitive Moses settled for forty years, and we arrive at Aqaba, Biblical Ezion Geber, on the Red Sea or Gulf of Aqaba. We board a ferry and cross over the sea, disembarking at Taba, Egypt and then we travel by bus south to Nuweiba to enjoy a relaxing time at our beach hotel and optional swim in the Red Sea. It is possible the Israelites crossed the Red Sea from this beach and where the water covered Pharaoh’s army over three millennia ago. Many call Egypt part of The Holy Land as Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, Israel, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Jeremiah, Joseph, Mary and Jesus lived there.

Day 6, June 8: Mount Sinai
We drive a short distance to the traditional Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God, where Moses received the Ten Commandments, Jewish Laws, and Tabernacle Plans. Elijah fled from Jezebel and King Ahab to a cave there. At its base our tour begins with St. Catherine Monastery that stores some of the oldest manuscript copies of the Greek New Testament in existence today. For those who are able, the group will ascend to the 7,507-foot summit of the second highest mountain in Egypt either by camel or by walking. After a terrific view of the Sinai desert and hidden patches of grass used by grazing flocks, we descend back down the mountain.

Day 7, June 9: Sinai Desert, Suez Canal, Cairo
We leave Mount Sinai for our long drive in an air conditioned motor coach across the Sinai Desert, or Wilderness of Shur, the path the Israelites possibly used when fleeing Egypt during the Exodus. Our visits along the way are at the traditional stops of the Israelites at the Oasis of Elim, the site of many springs and palm trees, and Marah Springs, where bitter waters were turned sweet for Israelite consumption. We continue on and cross under the manmade Suez Canal connecting the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea. Passing through the Southern edge of the Land of Goshen where Joseph settled his family and Hebrew brethren, we arrive in the capital Cairo for three nights stay. After dinner we see the Sound and Light Show at the Giza Pyramids.

Day 8, June 10: Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara, Abusir, Dahshur
This day is spent around Cairo where we travel next to the Nile River, the centerpiece of Egypt’s long history. We see busy boat traffic, then lush vegetation, palm trees and hearty crops created by millenniums of irrigation knowledge and methods. Suddenly the vegetation stops and is contrasted by totally barren desert and the presence of the majestic pyramids and tombs. These were built as early as 2560 BC and have intrigued engineers ever since on how they did it. Our first stop brings us to the nearby ancient capital of Memphis that dates back to 3100 BC. We see a female Sphinx carved out of Alabaster Stone and the famous Colossus of Ramses. Our bus then takes us to neighboring Sakkara where we view the Step Pyramid built in 2650 BC, which is the oldest of the 97 Pyramids found in Egypt. The morning is finished with visits to the many Pyramids and tombs at Sakkara, Abusir, Dahshur and Abu Ghauob. We then head north to see the Giza Pyramid Complex and the Great Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops, originally at 482 feet, was the tallest human structure on the Earth until the 1800’s AD. It is the only remaining structure of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Renovations now allow entrance to this ancient tomb in the heart of the Pyramid through original tunnel shafts. Next to the large Giza Pyramids, we visit the famous male Sphinx statue with a lion’s body and human face. This mammoth statue was carved out of the original bedrock as early as 2550 BC. Though the Sphinx has been covered numerous times by the desert sand, it is completely exposed today for our enjoyment.

Day 9, June 11: Egypt Museum, Pharaonic Village
Our final day of touring begins at the famous Egyptian Museum which has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the world. Realistic statues of Pharaohs are there with eyes that make them look alive. Ancient weapons of war and expensive items laden with gold, gems and ivory are on display, plus many well preserved mummies. Most of the items were recovered from Pyramids and tombs. In the afternoon we visit the Pharaonic Village to see displays and live demonstrations about ancient Egyptian life, plus take a short sailing cruise on the Nile River.

Day 10, June 12: Return flight home
We leave the ancient sites in our memories and return to modern times by departing from the Cairo airport for our return flight home

 

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Deposit: $300 per person is required to secure a reservation.
Final Payment: 60 days before departure.

Price Includes: Airfare from Chicago (discount airfare available nationwide), Lodging in 4 star hotels, full time tour escort, breakfast & dinner daily, gratuities, Egypt and Jordan visa & border taxes, all guides, entrances, and transportation as appear on itinerary, services of long distance deluxe motorcoach as appear on itinerary.

Not Included:  Air taxes (based on airfare purchased), lunches, optional travel insurance, payment by credit card for land portion (additional 3% surcharge)

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