Day 1 - Sunday, October 19: Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Jerusalem
Upon your arrival in Israel, a representative of Homeschool Travel / Diesenhaus-Unitours will meet and assist with your arrival. As we ascend to Jerusalem, the City of Gold, think of the thousands upon thousands of people before you who have also "gone up" to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem

Day 2 - Monday, October 20: Jordan
After an early breakfast we proceed to the Jordanian border and travel to Bethany, the village of John the Baptist not to be confused with the village of Bethany near Jerusalem, this is the site of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. We continue to Machaerus and south to Petra for check in at the hotel. Dinner and overnight Petra

Day 3 - Tuesday, October 21: Jordan
This morning we tour the city of Petra, lost to the world for centuries, the Rose-Red City half as old as time, lay hidden in the mountains of southern Jordan. We travel part of the way on horseback and the rest on foot through the deep and narrow passages. The Treasury finally appears magnificently and immediately in front of us after we emerge from what seems like a hundred turns in the ravine. The most adventurous will be invited to hike up to the spiritual “High Place”, site of the sacrificial alter which offers a spectacular view of the ancient city and environs. We drive north to Madaba for dinner and overnight in Madaba

Day 4 - Wednesday, October 22: Dead Sea
We will be picked up at the border and travel to the area of the Dead Sea the lowest point on the face of the earth. We will pass the place presumed to be biblical Gilgal where the Children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River. We climb the cliffs of Ein Gedi and swim in the beautiful waterfalls, and arrive at the cave where David cut off part of Saul's cloak. In the early evening we walk through Mount Sodom a mountain made entirely of salt and discuss the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Dinner and overnight on the Dead Sea

Day 5 - Thursday, October 23: Dead Sea
We arise early and climb to the top of Masada watching the sunrise over the Mountains of Moab, across the Dead Sea. We will attempt to understand why King Herod would build such a fortress and discover how the Romans finally captured it after two years, only to find a great surprise awaiting them. Back to the hotel for breakfast, we spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel, swimming in the Dead Sea the lowest body of water on the face of the earth, or visiting one of the famous spas. Dinner and overnight on the Dead Sea

Day 6 - Friday, October 24:Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee
After breakfast we leave the Dead Sea and travel through the Jordan River Valley. On the way we will discuss many of the people of the Bible: David's flight from his son, Absalom; Jacob wrestling with an angel; the hometown areas of Elijah and Elisha and Mount Gilboa to relive the stories of King Saul and his son Jonathan. We will end our day at Yardanit, where the Jordan River flows from the southern end of the Sea of Galilee and which is a possible site of Jesus' baptism. You will have the opportunity to baptize your children (or be baptized) in the River and may also take some Jordan River water home with you if you wish. Dinner and overnight on the Sea of Galilee

Day 7 - Saturday, October 25: Sea of Galilee
After a late breakfast Jerry and Jean will lead us as we travel around the Sea of Galilee and become intimately acquainted with the towns of Jesus' ministry in the Gospels. We visit Bethsaida, Capernaum, where Peter's house has been discovered along with the synagogue where Jesus taught. You may sit in the "Seat of Moses" a stone chair probably used by Jesus, when we visit the village of Korazim. We will read about Tabgha and the Mount of Beatitudes. Then we proceed to the Yigal Alon Museum in Kibbutz Ginosar and see the 2,000-year-old boat discovered near the kibbutz. Dinner and overnight on the Sea of Galilee

Day 8 - Sunday, October 26: Golan
We climb to the Golan Heights stopping at Gamla the Jewish stronghold where 5,000 fought bravely but in the end succumbed to Roman tyranny. We’ll explore the site of the oldest synagogue and see the nesting places of the largest birds in Israel. Security permitting we’ll visit an army base where we can give support to the young men and women defending Israel’s borders. Traveling north we visit Banias (biblical Caesarea Philippi) where we will learn what Jesus meant when He spoke of "the gates of hell." Dinner and overnight on the Sea of Galilee

Day 9 - Monday, October 27: Galilee
After breakfast we drive to the area of Mount Tabor we will visit an unusual enterprise of bees and silk and then climb the mountain where Deborah and Barak fought and which is the traditional site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Our next stop of our day is Kfar Kedem where we can ride on donkeys, bake pita bread and learn what it was like to live in a village 2,000 years ago at Kfar Kedem a special surprise awaits us. In the early evening we will watch the sun set over the Sea of Galilee as we sail on a replica of a boat from the time of Jesus. From the Sea we will have a fisherman's view of the entire shoreline where we can point out the sites from Jesus' ministry. Dinner in a local restaurant, overnight on the Sea of Galilee

Day 10 - Tuesday, October 28: Galilee
After breakfast and check out we drive through the Galilee stopping at Ein Harod (a special place for the kids and which must remain a secret until we get there), we continue on the ancient caravan route to the well-preserved archaeological site of Har Megiddo where the Battle of Armageddon will one day take place. Continuing east we stop at Mount Carmel for a retelling of Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal. Our last stop of the day is the charming village of Zichron Yaakov where we will tour one of the oldest wineries in Israel. Dinner in a local restaurant overnight in Netanya

Day 11 - Wednesday, October 29: Samaria
Today we drive to the area promised to the tribe of Ephraim. Security permitting we continue to Mount Gerizim (home to the remnants of the Samaritan people). Here we overlook Shechem, where God first appearance to Abraham in the Promised Land. In the modern community of Bethel where we will visit the studios of Arutz 7 and then continue to Shiloh, where Joshua placed Moses' Wilderness Tabernacle and where it stood for the next 369 years during the time of Eli the high priest and Samuel the prophet. Our last stop of the day is Maale Levona where we will be able to enjoy dinner with some of the local residents of the community. Overnight in Netanya

Day 12 - Thursday, October 30: Along the Coast
Our first stop of the day is Caesarea built by King Herod and site of the prison that held the apostle Paul and it was here that Pontius Pilot ruled. We will sit in the arena and walk the floor of the great Hippodrome where chariot races were held. We will have the late afternoon to swim in the Mediterranean then we visit the Hannah Senesh Museum. We travel to Tel Aviv, established on sand dunes in 1909, Tel Aviv was the first all Jewish City in modern times. Our first stop is the Independence Museum where David Ben Gurion dramatically declared the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. We continue to Jaffa, the oldest port town in the world. Here Peter was staying with Simon the tanner when he received his vision to speak to the Gentiles in Caesarea. We will read the book of Jonah as we stand in the very place where Jonah fled from the call of God. We ascend to Jerusalem, the City of Gold. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem

Day 13 - Friday, October 31: Jerusalem
We will spend the next few days in Jerusalem, we will study Jerusalem from the time of the First Temple until its destruction by the Romans. We enter the City of David and walk over the area of King David's palace and then take out our flashlights for a walk through one of the marvels of King Hezekiah's reign: the Water Tunnel. Leaving the Tunnel, we will dip our feet in the recently discovered Pool of Siloam. Then we will have the unique privilege of working alongside archaeologists as we sift through soil from beneath the Temple Mount looking for ancient Temple-era artifacts. Traditional Shabbat dinner and overnight in Jerusalem

Day 14 - Saturday, November 1: Jerusalem
Today we visit the sites of Jesus' life that occurred in and around Jerusalem. Our first stop is Bethany where we will see the tomb of Lazarus and then climb to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. We cross the Kidron Valley to Mount Zion, traditional tomb of King David where we will see the Hinnom Valley. We continue to the Garden Tomb, possible site of Jesus' burial. As Jerusalem becomes alive again after the Shabbat we can have dinner on our own and shop at the Ben Yehudah outdoor mall. Overnight in Jerusalem

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