Israel Tour with Jeff Zaremsky - April 2024

Itinerary

Day by Day

• 1

  

  Monday

  Depart USA

  Arrive on your own. For most people they will spend a portion of two different days traveling to Israel (leaving their local airport on Monday April 29th) arriving at the Ben Gurien Airport (TVL) sometime on day 2, Tuesday April 30th, before 10:40 AM (preferably earlier). Our bus will leave the airport at 11:30 (or earlier if everyone arrives earlier).
  

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• 2

  

  Tuesday

  Tel Aviv, Lachish, Beersheva, Dead Sea

  Lachish, Be’ersheva, Dead Sea.
  Excitement begins as we are in the Holy Land! We start with an exciting day of touring ahead of us. We meet our Israeli tour guide and bus driver and load onto our luxurious tour bus and leave the airport by 11:30 AM (hopefully earlier) and drive to archaeological site Lachish. Then we go across the country through the Negev desert to Beersheba: This is the capital of the Negev desert and one of the places Avraham lived (Gen 37:2). Ya‘akov (Jacob) also lived here and the Scriptures speaks of him twice leaving here for Haran and then to Egypt. Several Bible texts refer to it as the southernmost part of Israel (1 Sam 3:20). Masada: Time permitting we will travel to the top of Masada and the location of Sodom to feel the ashes and burn sulfur rocks. Dead Sea: We end the day at our Dead Sea resort hotel and have time for a relaxing float in the Dead Sea, which is 3 times saltier than the ocean, an amazing experience. The salt water and medicinal mud will make you feel 30 years younger (don’t quote me on that). Delicious all you can eat dinner buffet:

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• 3

  

  Wednesday

  Ein Gedi, Qumran, Jerusalem

  Masada, Sodom & Gomorrah, Ein Gedi, Qumran, Mt. Olives, Jerusalem, Ben Yehuda St.
  After a wonderful all you can eat Israeli buffet breakfast we will begin our travel from the lowest spot on earth, the Dead Sea, 1300 ft. below sea level, and make our way up to the highest spot (spiritually) on the earth – Jerusalem. Along the way we stop at Masada (if we did not visit the day before): ascending by cable car to the magnificent ruins of Herod’s desert fortress where from 70 to 73 AD Jewish zealots made their last stand in the Judean revolt against Rome. We see the remains of storehouses, cisterns and a synagogue. We proceed to Ein Gedi and walk the path to see the waterfall in the desert and take a swim in one of the pools where David camped out when hiding from King Saul. It is amazing to swim in the very same pool that David swam in over 3,000 years ago. We continue to Qumran where the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. We see the caves where God’s word was preserved for close to 2,000 years. As we drive past Jericho we recount the many Biblical events that took place there. We enter Jerusalem the Holy City and drive to the top of the Mt. of Olives where Y’shua made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey and where He later ascended into heaven. We take a moment to reflect back to that day and time while you gaze upon the panoramic view of the Holy City. The presence of God is all about, cast your eyes toward the Eastern Gate, and envision the triumphant return of our Lord in all His glory. arrive at our Leonardo Boutique Hotel in Jerusalem, for an all you can eat buffet dinner. In the evening enjoy the night life and shopping on Ben Yehuda St.
  
  

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• 4

  

  Thursday

  Southern Wall, City of David, Hezekiah's Tunnel, Yehuda Market, Yad Vashem

  City of David, Gihon Spring, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Pool of Siloam, Southern Wall, Yad Vashem, Knesset, Mahaneh Yehuda Market, view of Bethlehem, Mt of Olives.

  Breakfast at the hotel. We start our day with a visit to the City of David. The story of the City of David began over 3,000 years ago, when King David left the city of Hebron and conquered the well fortified hilltop city known as Jebus. A tour through the City of David brings visitors face to face with the personalities and places of the Bible. We descend under the city of original Jerusalem to the Gihon Spring where Solomon was anointed as king. The Gihon Spring is the start of the amazing Hezekiah’s Tunnel, chiseled from each end through solid stone to protect Jerusalem’s water source. We walk through this amazing water source (ankle deep in cool fresh spring water) ending at the Pool of Siloam where a man blind from birth received his sight after Y’shua placed mud on his eyes. From there we cross the street to the Southern Wall to see an amazing computerized animation of what it was like to visit the temple. We then visit some of the mikvah pools that very possibly were used to immerse the three thousand people on Shavuot (Pentecost). We also see the remains of the ancient shops for buying and changing currencies. We walk on the steps that Y’shua would have used to enter the Temple area and would have taught from and where Peter and John prayed for a lame man to walk. Next we visit the Mahaneh Yehuda market in Jerusalem for some shopping and to experience life in Jerusalem today. We stop at Yad Vashem: The home for the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes. While heading to our next destination we will pass by the Government Center and the Knesset – Israel’s Parliament. A View of Bethlehem – from Jerusalem. We look across the fields where the angels spoke to the shepherds announcing the Messiah’s birth and look toward Bethlehem the city of Naomi, Ruth, & Boaz as well as of the birth place of David and Y’shua.
  Dinner & Overnight:

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• 5

  

  Friday

  Mt. Zion, Upper Room, Garden of Gethsemane, Garden Tomb, Western Wall Shabbat Service

  Mt. Zion, Upper Room, David’s tomb, Kidron Valley, Garden of Gethsemane, Pilate’s Judgment hall, Golgotha, Garden Tomb, Western Wall Shabbat Service.
  Breakfast at the hotel. We start this most exciting day on Mt. Zion with an early morning mini-Passover in the upper room, where Y’shua had his last supper. We visit the tomb of David and cross the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane for prayer under the olive trees as the Lord did nearly 2,000 years ago. We continue following the last hours of Y’shua’s life by traveling to Pilate's Judgment Hall/Lithostrotos where Y’shua was sentenced and beaten by Roman soldiers. We follow the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, the hill of the scull where Y’shua was hung and to (Gordon’s) Garden Tomb where Y’shua was buried and resurrected. We end this powerful day with a walk through the Zion Gate into the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. We stop and see a portion of the wall that Nehemiah built over 2,500 years ago. As we make our way to the Western Wall we see families preparing for the Shabbat. We come to the Western Wall while hundreds of worshippers are praying and dancing – an experience that makes the entire trip worth it.
  Dinner & Overnight:

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• 6

  

  Saturday

  Jordan River, Tiberias, Jericho

  Jordan River near Jericho, Gideon Spring, Mt of Feeding the 5,000, Jordan River Baptism, Galilee, Tiberius
  Breakfast at the hotel & check out. We drive down the road to Jericho past the good Samaritan Inn and we stop at the Jordan River near Jericho, the site where Yeshua was immersed by Yochanan (John) and where the children of Israel crossed into the land of Canaan after 40 years in the wilderness. This is also the area where Eliyahu (Elijah) and Elisha struck the Jordan with their cloak and parted the waters so they could pass over on dry ground! then northward along the Jordan River up towards Galilee. Gideon Springs: This spring is in the Jezreel Valley at the foot of Mt. Gilboa. This is where Gideon’s army was tested before their battle with the Midianites. A wonderful and breathtaking view of the Sea of the Galilee from the Switzerland Forest where we recount the story of the loaves and the fishes. And we stop at another site on the Jordan River before entering Tiberias.
  Dinner & Overnight: Caesar Hotel Tiberias.

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• 7

  

  Sunday

  Boat ride Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt. of Beatitudes, Decapolis

  Boat ride Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Mt of Beatitudes, site of last breakfast, Magdala, Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, View Mt Hermon, Israeli Bunker, Gamla
  Awake to a sunrise over the Golan Heights and Sea of Galilee. Grab a seat on the patio and enjoy your all you can eat Israeli breakfast as you enjoy the cool breeze and view of the Sea of Galilee. We walk down to the pier just outside our hotel and board our boat for a relaxing and spiritual sail across the beautiful Sea of Galilee as we recount the many miracles that happen on this very lake. Many people have found this to be the highlight of the tour. We land on the northern side of the lake at Capernaum and walk into a synagogue where Y’shua preached and healed, and to the Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given. We stop on the shore of the lake and recount where the risen Messiah appeared to His disciples and ate one of His last breakfasts with them as He gave His commission to Peter. We drive to Magdala, the place where Mary once lived to see some recent amazing archeological discoveries. From there we go north to the most northern part of ancient Israel, Tel Dan: An ancient city and the source of one of the largest branches of the Jordan River. It is now located in 100 acres of a glorious nature reserve. The impressive walls of the ancient city still remain. Caesarea Philippi (Banyas) where Peter made his great profession of faith. Driving to the foot of Mount Hermon we ascend onto the Golan Heights for a magnificent view of upper Israel and visit an Israeli bunker. From there we go to Gamla in the Golan Heights where we see the ruins of an ancient city destroyed during the first Jewish Revolt by the Romans in 67AD. There are ruins of a synagogue that Yeshua more than likely taught in. Listen to the distant waterfalls and marvel at the large vultures and eagles that soar on the heights above. Dinner & Overnight:

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• 8

  

  Monday

  Cana, Nazareth Village, Tel Megiddo, Mt. Carmel

  Cana, Nazareth Village, Nazareth Cliff, Tel Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea, (shopping Nazareth Village, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel)

  Last sunrise and breakfast on the Sea of Galilee. This morning we drive through Cana, the town where Y’shua preformed his first miracle at the wedding. We visit Nazareth Village: In this village we see a quarry, wine press, and grape tresses that date back to the time when Y’shua grew up here. We see houses, a synagogue, an olive press and a well built to look like it did 2,000 years ago. We see grape vines, olive trees, pomegranate trees, sheep, goats, rams, donkeys, and people dressed in the garments of 2,000 years ago. Also in Nazareth we stop on top of a cliff from where we will have a panorama view of the Jezreel Valley, Mt. Gilboa, where Saul and Jonathan were killed, and Mt. Tabor where the prophetess Deborah defended Israel. We travel down the Plain of Jezreel to Tel Megiddo and the excavations that unearthed 20 different civilizations including Solomon’s stables. We drive up Mount Carmel where Elijah stood down the prophets of Baal. From there we go to the Mediterranean coastal city of Caesarea, capital of the Roman procurators of Judea where Paul was tried in court before King Agrippa & Bernice and where Peter ministered to the first Gentile believer. Visit the Roman theater and coliseum plus the amazingly engineered aqueduct.

  From their we drive to the airport for our late night flight back home.

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• 9

  

  Tuesday

  Home

  Flying home with memories of a lifetime.

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