Holy Land Bible Study Trip 2024

Arrive in Amman, Jordan from Home Country. Depending on arrival time, tour of Amman, the ancient capital of the Ammonites and the modern capital of the kingdom of Jordan. Visit the Citadel and see the Roman Temple of Hercules.

Drive to Madaba, the “Mosaic City'' and hometown of Ruth the Moabite. View of Moab from the eastern shores of the Dead Sea. Then we climb Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land, and on it he was buried by God. Time permitting, we will use the Kings highway to see the magnificent Mujib Valley, called “the Grand Canyon of the Middle East,” with the Arnon River flowing through it. Drive to Petra.

We spend the whole morning touring Petra. The stronghold city of the Nabateans, Petra was a spectacular rock-cut ancient city, with beautiful sculptures carved into rose-red rocks—one of the seven wonders of the world. This is the land of the ancient Edomites. In the afternoon on the way to Amman, we cross the River Zered and ancient borders of Moab and Edom, passing through the Biblical cities of Heshbon, Dibon, & Aroer via the Desert Highway.

Crossover to Israel using the Allenby crossing, we drive to Jericho, near the Dead Sea. We climb the archaeological site to view the plains of Jericho where the Israelites entered the Promised Land. View the site of Jesus' Temptation. Pass by the traditional sites of Zacchaeus' sycamore tree and Elisha's spring. Follow the River Jordan north to Israel’s largest archaeological site of Beth-Shan (time-permitting), where the Philistines fought King Saul. Drive along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, to the city of Tiberias.

Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. Go to Capernaum where you will see an ancient synagogue and Peter's house. By the shore, you will visit Tabgha with the ancient mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes. There Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection (John 21). Enjoy "Peter’s Fish" by Sea of Galilee. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount is remembered. In this region, Jesus spent much of his ministry on earth. Pass by the horns of Hattim, where Saladin defeated the crusaders. Go to the top of Mount Arbel for a magnificent mountaintop panoramic view of the entire Sea of Galilee, and there view the Bible sites of Jesus’ public ministry.

Drive up north to the northernmost city of Israel in the Old Testament—and see the ruins of Dan. View the high place where wicked King Jeroboam set up a golden calf, and drive by Hazor, the ancient capital of the Canaanites. Drive to Caesarea Philippi (Banias), near where the Jordan River starts, where Peter acknowledged Jesus as “the Christ.” Visit Mt. Bental which overlooks the Golan and the valley where one of the largest tank battles in history took place in 1973 where 160 Israeli tanks withstood an onslaught of 2,500 Syrian Tanks and Artillery Pieces. Ride the Sky-life on the slopes of Mt. Hermon. Drive to Degania for Baptism-Rededication in the Jordan River.

Enter Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, and see the largest church in Israel: Church of the Annunciation. VIsit the Nazareth Village and see how Jesus lived in Nazareth for 30 “silent years” in a first-century recreation of village life in Nazareth. Proceed to Megiddo, the future site of the Battle of Armageddon. Drive up beautiful Mt. Carmel for a spectacular view of Israel’s northern region and the Jezreel Valley. Visit Mukhraka, where Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal. Drive by Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle.

Drive to Caesarea, the capital of Rome in Palestine. See Roman and Crusader remains (i.e. aqueduct) and the harbor from where Paul was taken prisoner to Rome. Visit Joppa, from where Jonah sailed for Tarshish. Nearby is Tel Aviv, the business center of Israel. Drive along the Valley of Aijalon, where the sun and moon stood still, and the Elah Valley, where David fought Goliath. Time-permitting visit the village of Emmaus, where Jesus walked with two disciples. Drive to Jerusalem.

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem and visit the Temple Area with the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Visit the Western “Wailing” Wall and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Visit the archaeological digs beside the western wall, and walk up the ancient Temple (Southern) Steps. We will take the Western Wall Tunnel Tour, this is the newly excavated 1,000-feet long underground portion of the Western Wall. Walk the streets of Old Jerusalem of King Herod’s time. See Temple’s largest building stone (500 tons)! Enter into Bethlehem and see the Church of the Nativity, the oldest church in the Holy Land. Visit the cave-stable of Jesus' birth, and the Shepherds Fields. We will also see the Herodium, the fortress and grave of Herod the Great, who slew the Bethlehem infants.

Drive to the Mount of Olives for a wonderful panoramic view of Jerusalem. See the Ascension Chapel, the Pater Noster Church (Lord's Prayer), walk down the “Palm Sunday'' road, see Dominus Flevit. Pray inside the Garden of Gethsemane, with its ancient olive trees and the serene Church of All Nations. Have Communion at the Garden Tomb, where Christians remember Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. See the Pool of Bethesda, where tradition says an angel ruffled the water, and St. Anne's Church, traditional birthplace of Jesus' mother with its beautiful acoustics. Take the Via Dolorosa Road,  from Pilate's judgment hall to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Time-permitting, shop at Jaffa Gate.

We begin the day by walking in King Hezekiah’s underground tunnel ending at the Pool of Siloam. This engineering feat of 1,500-foot-long-tunnel was cut under the bedrock of the City of David in 701 BC. Drive along the Kidron Valley to the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Peter denied his Lord. On Mount Zion, visit an Upper Room, and see the tomb of David. See the “new city” portion of Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem, the moving and powerful WWII Holocaust Memorial. Visit the Israel Museum to tour the model of Jerusalem (during Christ’s time). Visit the shrine of the Book Museum which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. See the Knesset parliament building.

Use the Jerusalem-Jericho road down to the Dead Sea. Visit Qumran, the site of the Essene community where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Visit Ein Gedi, where David hid from Saul. Then take a cable car up to Masada, scene of the last stand of the Jewish resistance to the Romans. Enjoy a late afternoon swim in the Dead Sea.

We head south and visit Timna Park and see the Tabernacle Model (actual-size) in the wilderness and point out Solomon’s copper mines. Nearby is the Gulf of Aqaba, the border between Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Cross the border into Egypt and drive to the Sinai area. Those who do not avail of the Egypt Extension will return to Jerusalem for their flight out.

Early morning wake-up to summit the 2,285-meter Mt. Sinai for a spectacular sunrise view. This is the traditional location where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Visit St. Catherine’s Monastery, the world's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery, built on the traditional site where Moses saw the “burning bush” at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Travel from the Sinai Peninsula to Cairo crossing over the famous Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia.

Drive to Giza to see the famous pyramids of Cheops, Chephran & Mycerinus. See the Sphinx, which combines the head of a Pharaoh with a lion's body. Visit one of Cairo’s Egyptian Museums, which contains 5,000 years of Egyptian history. Visit the traditional site of the Holy Family's residence in Egypt and the Citadel of Cairo built by Saladin

We drive to Saqqara to see the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, considered to be the first pyramid built in Egypt (completed around 2648 BC). Drive to the first capital of ancient Egypt, the capital city of Memphis. Memphis was the seat of power for the pharaohs for over eight dynasties. There we will see the famous Colossus of Ramses II, probably the most famous Egyptian Pharaoh. Return to Cairo to fly back to home countries with memories and inspiration to last a lifetime.