Discovery Expeditions and Adventures

Israel Itinerary

Days 1-2: Wednesday and Thursday, USA-Transatlantic Flight - Tel Aviv
You will take a morning flight from your home city, and then change at various International Airports for a flight to Tel Aviv. You will arrive the following day in the late afternoon at Ben Gurion Airport near the New Testament Lydda, where Peter healed Aeneas. You will be met by Jim Gee after you collect your bags and go through customs. We will board a shuttle, and will then observe various Old and New Testament sites as we make our way to the historic city of Jerusalem. Upon arrival, we will check in to the Grand Court Hotel for six nights. After check in we will be served dinner. After dinner we will hold a group orientation meeting.

Day 3: Friday, Jerusalem - Masada
An early 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 see the new displays at the bottom of Masada and take a cable car to the top to see the ruins of the palace-fortress built by Herod the Great and to recall the story of the Zealots' last stand against the Romans. As we drive north, we will have 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. Then we will stop in Bethany to review the raising of Lazarus by the Savior. We will return to the Western Wall to watch the Jewish people welcome in the Sabbath.

Day 4: Saturday, Jerusalem
We will begin our Sabbath with a visit to the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden to talk about some of the interesting history of this mount, both from the Bible and this dispensation. We will then attend services with the Jerusalem Branch in the beautiful BYU Jerusalem Center, with its spectacular view of the Holy City. After sacrament meeting we will visit Bethlehem, the town of the Savior's birth. We will have lunch in a Bedouin Tent near the Shepherds fields. We will visit the Church of the Nativity. At Shepherds' Fields overlooking Bethlehem, we will review biblical events connected with this area. Back to Jerusalem for dinner. After dinner we will do late night shopping on Bed-Yuda-Street.

Day 5: Sunday, Jerusalem
Our day begins with a visit to the Western Wall where we will enter the tunnel excavations and follow the ancient temple wall north to the Antonio Fortress. At the Western Wall, we will observe Jews as they participate in morning prayers at Judaism's holiest shrine. As time allows we hope to visit the Holy Mount, where the Dome of the Rock and the El Aksa Mosque (currently non Muslims cannot enter them) are located and which is tied to so much sacred and secular history. We will continue from the Dome of the Rock to the Pool of Bethesda and then visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Then follow the 14 Stations of the Cross the Via Delrosa through the alleys of the Old City. Then through the Jewish Quarter of the Old City and then the South wall excavations and the Ophel Archaeological Park and see how this site looked at the time of the Savior. We will then visit the Upper Room, a reminder of the Last Super and the ordinance of the sacrament. We will have some free time to enjoy the shops and alleys of the Old City of Jerusalem. After dinner we will enjoy a concert at the BYU Jerusalem Center and a view of the Old City at night from the Mount of Olives.

Day 6: Monday, Jerusalem
Today, we will begin with a visit to St. Peter in Gallicantu, the possible site of the palace of Caiaphas, we will discuss Peter and the trials of Jesus. We will then walk through the City of David ruins, which will give us and idea of the Jerusalem that Nephi knew. Then to Hezekiah's Tunnel from the time of Isaiah, 700 BC through which we will wade through the ancient tunnel and come out at the pool of Siloam. We will then drive down to the Dead Sea, for a quick float. From there to the ancient city of Jericho to see the fallen walls of Jericho.

Day 7: Tuesday, Jerusalem
An early visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial-Holocaust Museum. Then to the Mount of Olives to discuss the last week of the Saviors Ministry. Walk down the Palm Sunday Road and into the Garden of Gethsemane, where we will discuss the Savior's atoning sacrifice and His arrest. Our day will conclude at Golgotha, the place of the Crucifixion, and the Garden Tomb- where many believe the body of Christ was interred and from which He rose the Easter Sunday so long ago.

Day 8: Wednesday, Beit Shean - Megiddo - Nazareth - Galilee
After checking out of the hotel, we will drive east down to the Jordan River Valley. We will see the see the ruins of the Old Testament Jericho, where we will discuss the prophets Joshua and Elisha. We will drive north up the Jordan River Valley to Beit Shean, where we will see the impressive ruins of the New Testament and later periods. We will then drive up the Ein Herod Valley to visit Megiddo with its 22 levels of occupation. Our drive takes us across the historic Jezreel Valley on our way to Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, where we will reflect on the Savior's early life as we visit the Nazareth Village. Departing from Nazareth, we will travel through the hill country of Galilee, passing Cana on our way to the Sea of Galilee area. We will over-night in Tiberias(built by Herod Antipas and named in honor of the Roman emperor) We will check into Caesar Resort Hotel on the shores of the Sea of Galilee for the next 2 nights.

Day 9: Thursday, Galilee - Capernaum - Jordan River
Today begins with an exhilarating boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to a boat dock near Capernaum. 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. Then we will continue on to the Yardenet Baptism Site, which is one of the possible sites of the Savior's baptism. It is a beautiful setting along the Jordan River. We will then drive back to Tiberias to overnight.

Day 10: Friday, Mount Tabor - Caesarea - Jaffa - Tel Aviv
We will check out of the Hotel and drive to Mount Tabor, where we will take taxis to the top to see the probable site of the Savior's transfiguration. We will continue on to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Roman New Testament seaside capital, Caesarea. In the ancient Roman Theater, we will review the biblical events that happened in this place. From Caesarea we will then proceed to Jaffa, where Peter was when he received the vision about the Gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. From there to Tel Aviv for a Farewell Dinner to end our tour of the Holy Land. We will then be transferred to the Airport for a late night flight back to the USA.

Day 11: Saturday Arrive in the USA