Jordan & Israel

Price Per person double occupancy

Date	Price	Single Supplement
January 20 – February 5, 2023	$4,979*	$1,450
*Includes roundtrip airfare from San Francisco. Reservation Due: October 12, 2022 Final Payment Due: November 21, 2022

Included

Estimated roundtrip airfare from San Francisco (taxes and fuel surcharges are subject to change), 15 nights lodging at four-star Jordan and Israel hotels, Breakfast and dinner daily at hotel, bag lunch on Day 8, 4 bottles of water, per day for each passenger, Full time professional English-speaking tour guide, All entrances as appear on itinerary, Tips to guides, drivers and hotel staff, Whisper Headphone Systems, Israel only, Baggage handling at hotels (one piece), Services of long-distance deluxe motor coach as appear on itinerary, Border taxes and Jordan visa, 1 Group Airport Arrival Transfer / 1 Group Airport Departure Transfer, Pilgrim Payment Processing (including check or credit card payments)

Not Included

All lunches & drinks with meals, Additional Private Transfers on Arrival & Departure ($60.00/person, per transfer), Optional Travel Insurance (US Residents Only) – 7.95% or 10.85% of tour cost, Testing for COVID-19 or any other related expenses

As Simpson University moves into its second 100 years, we are celebrating by inviting Alumni and friends of Simpson on this journey of a lifetime.

Day 1: Friday, Jan. 20 - Depart USA

Depart California this afternoon for the flight to Amman, Jordan.

Day 2: Saturday, Jan. 21 - Arrive Amman, Jordan

Arrive in Amman late at night. After meeting our Jordanian guide, we will overnight at the Bristol Hotel.

Day 3: Sunday, Jan. 22 – Amman, Petra

Enjoy breakfast at your Amman hotel. Later this morning we will have a driving tour of Amman. After lunch we will drive along the Desert Highway to Petra. Dinner and overnight are at the Petra Guesthouse.

Day 4: Monday, Jan. 23 - Petra, Jordan

Today is spent visiting the rose red city of Petra. For hundreds of years, Petra was forgotten until it was rediscovered in 1812. Petra may only be entered, on foot, horseback or by horse drawn carts. The ancient Nabateans carved breathtaking temples and monuments, 800 in number, out of the multi-colored sandstone. See the 3,000 seat theatre, the Palace Tomb, and the Treasury which is the most famous carved structure there, having appeared in one of the Indiana Jones movies. The Treasury is the first structure seen as one exits the siq and provides a dramatic first view of the city. During the time of Jesus, Petra was a busy and important trading center. Depart Petra for the Ramada Resort located along the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight. Enjoy a swim in the Dead Sea, the world’s lowest point at over 1,300 feet below sea level. It’s impossible to sink, because of the high salt density!

Day 5: Tuesday, Jan. 24 - Jordan to Israel

Depart the hotel this morning for a trip to Madaba to visit the Church of St. George to see the Madaba Map. This map is a mosaic made up of thousands of tiny pieces of stone and is the earliest religious map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land to survive antiquity. Continue to Mt. Nebo to visit the site where Moses beheld the Land of Promise before his death (Deut. 34:1–4). This spot lies directly across from Jericho, the next stop after crossing the border via the Allenby Bridge. Visit the ancient Tel of Jericho (Joshua 6) and see St. George’s Monastery. Continue along the Wadi Qelt, the famous road between Jericho and Jerusalem before arriving at Mount Scopus for a magnificent view of Jerusalem (Ps. 125). Dinner and overnight will be at the Olive Tree Jerusalem hotel.

Day 6: Wednesday, Jan. 25 - Jerusalem / Bethlehem

Begin the day at the Mount of Olives for an overview of Jerusalem and an introduction to the geography and history of the city (Ps. 122, Luke 19). Descend to the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26) and visit the Church of the Agony. Continue to the Church of St. Peter of Gallicantu where it is believed Peter denied Christ three times before the cock crowed. See the gravesite of Oskar Schindler, a man who is responsible for saving many Jewish lives from the Holocaust. Leave Jerusalem and pass by the Shepherds’ Fields, the area visited by the Heavenly Hosts to announce the birth of Christ. Continue to Herodian, a fascinating structure with a double wall covered by earth, creating an artificial hill. According to the historian Josephus Flavius, Herod wanted to be buried in Herodian. Stop at Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity, built over the site believed to be the birthplace of Jesus (Matt. 2). Return to the Olive Tree hotel with time to relax before dinner.

Day 7: Thursday, Jan. 26- Jerusalem

After breakfast, visit the Western Wall and cross to the Temple Mount Complex to see the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque (you will not be able to enter these buildings). Continue to the Ophel Excavations south of the Temple Mount, including the Temple Steps, on which Jesus and His disciples would have climbed to visit the Temple complex. Visit the Western Wall tunnel and walk along the huge foundation stones of the temple. Before leaving this area, walk down into the cavernous ancient system below the streets of the city and walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, an amazing feat of construction which brought water into the city even during the time of siege. Return to the Olive Tree Hotel with time to relax before dinner.

Day 8: Friday, Jan. 27 - Judean Shephelah

Begin the day on the northwestern outskirts of Jerusalem. Visit the traditional tomb of the biblical prophet, Samuel, at Nebi Samuel (Judges 19–21, 1 Sam. 8). Drive to the Judean Shephelah, an area of low hills and valleys between the Judean mountain range and the Mediterranean coast. Stop at the ancient town of Bet Guvrin to see the intricate bell-shaped caves. A boxed lunch will be provided today to eat on the bus. Drive to the Valley of Elah, where David encountered Goliath (I Sam. 17). Visit the ruins of Beth Shemesh (1 Sam. 6–7), the most important Israelite city in the Sorek Valley, from which travelers approaching from both the east and the west could be seen. Return to the Olive Tree Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Saturday, Jan. 28- Dead Sea Area

Travel southwards this morning through the Judean Wilderness to Masada, to the top of Herod’s mountain bunker and the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against Rome (AD 66–73). Continue to Ein Gedi, the region where David fled from King Saul and cut off a part of his robe in a cave (1 Sam. 24). Some may choose to hike over the rocks to the waterfall at Ein Gedi Nature Reserve or relax in the park and watch the hyraxes and ibex. Continue north through the Judean Desert to Qumran. View Cave #4, which contained the greatest quantity of Dead Sea scrolls. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight at the Olive Tree Hotel.

Day 10: Sunday, Jan. 29 - Free Day, Jerusalem

Today is free to explore Jerusalem on your own. You may wish to begin your day by attending a worship service at Christ Church or Garden Tomb before you set out to bargain for olive wood, pottery, jewelry, and hand-made items in the Old City. If you don’t wish to shop, you may wish to walk along the rampart walls, explore the four quarters of the city, or visit several of the museums in or near the Old City. This evening, some may wish to visit Ben Yehuda Street. Dinner and overnight are once again at the Olive Tree Hotel.

Day 11: Monday, Jan. 30 - Mediterranean Coast to Sea of Galilee

Depart from Jerusalem this morning. Travel westward to Caesarea Maritima to explore this Roman bridgehead to the East, which became the Christian springboard to the West (Acts 10; 12:19–24, 25). Continue northwards to Mt. Carmel, the site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:20–46), for an excellent view of the Jezreel Valley. Drive to the mound of Megiddo (1 Kings 9:14–16) Har Megiddo in Hebrew, giving its name to Armageddon (Rev. 16:12–16) Stop to visit Beth Shean (Scythopolis) and climb the tel to view the setting for the death of Saul (1 Sam. 31). Survey the magnificent Roman and Byzantine ruins: the theatre, bathhouses, ancient rest rooms, market areas, and colonnaded streets. Continue north to Magdala, the hometown of Mary Magdalene to see the excavations there. Dinner and overnight at the Magdala Hotel along the Sea of Galilee near Tiberias.

Day 12: Tuesday, Jan. 31 - Sea of Galilee

Follow the paths of the Galilee ministry of Jesus, beginning with events that happened on the eastern side of the lake (Luke 9:10–17). Visit Gadara, where Jesus exorcised the evil spirits, allowing them to enter into a herd of swine, which then ran into the Sea of Galilee (Luke 8:26–39). See the ruins of Kursi, a Byzantine Monastery dating from the 5th century, memorializing two of Jesus’ miracles. Drive to Korazin, one of the towns cursed by Jesus for refusing to repent (Luke 10:13–16) and see the remains of a Jewish town from the Byzantine period. Continue to Capernaum (Matt. 4:12–25) to visit the synagogue and the place where early Christians remembered as the location for the home of Peter’s mother-in-law. After visiting the chapel and time for meditation on the Mount of Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1–12), walk downhill to Tabgha to visit the Church of the Loaves and Fishes and the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy at the northwestern shore (John 21; Mark 6:30–52). Stop at the Yigal Alon Museum where the remains of a first century fishing boat is on display. Then, sail on the Sea of Galilee in a boat modeled after the first century vessels. Dinner and overnight at the Magdala Hotel.

Day 13: Wednesday, Feb. 1 - Golan and Upper Galilee

Drive up to the Golan Heights for an overview of the Sea of Galilee basin. See Caesarea Philippi (Banias), a source of the Jordan River at the foot of Mt. Hermon where Peter confessed his recognition of Jesus as the Christ (Matt. 16:13–23). Visit the Banias Spring that feeds the Jordan from Mt. Hermon’s melted snow. Enjoy a nature walk along the Jordan at Tel Dan (Ps. 42–43) and visit the high place where Jeroboam, son of Nebat, set up a golden calf (1 Kings 12:25–33). Return to the Magdala hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 14: Thursday, Feb. 2 - Nazareth

This morning, visit Zippori (Sepphoris) where Jesus and His father, Joseph, may have found work as carpenters. Continue to Nazareth Village, a recreation of a first-century village to learn how life may have been during the life of Jesus. Drive to Mt. Precipice, where the townsfolk tried to throw Jesus off of the cliff (Luke 4:16–30). View the northeastern part of the Jezreel Valley, where Deborah and Barak won a great victory (Judges 5–6) and Elisha and Jesus restored young men to life (2 Kings 4:18–37; Luke 7:11–17). Visit En Harod, where Gideon chose his 300 men to battle the Midianites (Judges 7:1–8). Return to Jerusalem and the Olive Tree Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 15: Friday, Feb. 3 - Jerusalem

This morning begins with a visit to Yad Vashem, the Jewish Memorial to the Holocaust. Drive to the Israeli Museum compound to see the museum, the Shrine of the Book which houses some of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem. This model represents the city as it may have looked around 70 AD before the destruction by the Romans as they put down the Jewish revolt. Visit the traditional site of the Upper Room (John 13; Luke 22:1–38; Acts 1:12–2:13). Return to the Olive Tree Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 16: Saturday, Feb. 4 - Jerusalem

The morning begins with a visit to St. Stephen’s Gate in the Old City and St. Anne’s Church which is believed to be built over the site of the home of Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Known for its spectacular acoustics, there will be an opportunity to sing a hymn. Continue to the Pool of Bethesda, the site of one of Jesus’ healings (John 5). Stop at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Visit the Garden Tomb to explore the site and enjoy a time of Communion. The afternoon is free for exploration on your own. Dinner will be at the Olive Tree Hotel.

Day 17: Sunday, Feb. 5 – Home

An early morning departure for the Tel Aviv Airport for our flight homeward will allow for arrival home by late afternoon.

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