Escorted by Bishop Paul & Mrs Anita Barnett
Day 1: Thu 26 Sep: Depart Sydney
Depart Sydney this evening at 2110 on Emirates flight EK413 to Dubai, arriving at 0540 (27 Sep). Transfer to EK901 for our flight to Amman departing at 0725.
Day 2: Fri 27 Sep: Arrival Amman, Mt Nebo, Madeba proceed to Petra
Arrive into Amman this morning at 0930. Visit Mt Nebo from where Moses viewed the Promised Land and is buried. Visit Madeba to view the ancient mosaic of Jerusalem. Enjoy lunch at AI Haret Jdoudna in Madeba. Proceed to Petra via the desert highway. Overnight in Petra.
Day 3: Sat 28 Sep: Petra
Enjoy a full day to explore "the rose - red city" of Petra which, from 300 BC was inhabited by Nabateans. Take a horse ride through the dramatic "ciq" or canyon. See the Treasury, carved in the pink stone, and continue past the Roman theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and Palace Tomb to the Roman road. If time permits, climb up to the High Place or the Deir or Monastery. Enjoy lunch inside Petra. Dinner and overnight in Petra.
Day 4: Sun 29 Sep: Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Arava border, Dead Sea
Drive to Wadi Rum, scene of Lawrence of Arabia's triumph; meet some Bedouin and see the outstanding scenery. Drive to the port of Aqaba on the Red Sea. After lunch, we cross the border into Israel. Drive up through the Negev desert to our hotel beside the Dead Sea for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Man 30 Sep: Bethany, Jericho, Qumran, Dead Sea, Masada
Start the day with a swim at the hotel then visit to Masada the last stronghold of Jewish resistance to the Romans. Continue to visit Ein Gedi with time to dip in the bitter waters of the Dead Sea. Drive on to Qumran where the Essene enclave was and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden. Drive up through the Judean hills to Bethany, home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. See the wine-press. Enjoy dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
Enter the Old City. See the Pool of Bethesda where the angel ruffled the water, and St. Anne's Church, traditional birthplace of Jesus' mother. Visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, pass the Stations of the Cross to the Church of The Holy Sepulchre. Leave the Old City through the Bazaars. Drive to the Mount of Olives for a wonderful view of Jerusalem.. See the Place of Ascension and the Pater Noster Church, and view the Palm Sunday road. At the foot of the hill see the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees and the Church of All Nations. Overnight: Jerusalem.
Day 7: Wed 02 Oct: Mt Zion, Citadel, Bethlehem
Visit the Tomb of the Kings on Mount Zion visit the tomb of David, the Upper Room and the Church of the Dormition. Continue with visit to the Citadel, Jaffa gate and Museum at Entrance to Western Wall. Drive southto the Nativity Church the birth place of Jesus Christ Continue to the Shepherds' Field and the Milk Grotto.Overnight: Jerusalem.
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore the Old City or relax and rest Suggest voluntary visit to Garden Tomb and Christ Church, Jaffa Gate. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 9: Fri 04 Oct: New City of Jerusalem
Continue to the New City and, passing the Hebrew University and the Knesset, visit the Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book and then to the 2nd Temple Model of Jerusalem. Proceed to Yad Vashem to see the Museum of The Holocaust. Return to our hotel for overnight in Jerusalem.
Day 10: Sat 05 Oct: Nablus and Sebaste (West Bank)
We leave Jerusalem along the road north to Samaria. We pass Shiloh where the Ark of Covenant was kept then drive through the beautiful Levonah Valley, referred to in Judges as the Valley of the Dancers. We then see the Twin Mountains of Mr Gerizim and Mt Ebal, known in the Old Testament as Mt Blessing and Mt Cursing. Mt Gerizim is today the home of the few remaining Samaritans and you will be able to view their new Temple atthe top of the mountain. We then go to visit Jacob's Well. It is hewn out of solid rock and measured to be 135feet deep (41 metres) in 1935 but is now about 75 feet deep because of debris. Because it is has been manually dug outit is almost certainly the same well mentioned in the Gospel of John. The water at the bottom of the well is fed by flowing water which is why ancients gave it the name of "living water". It is at this well that Jesus met the Samaritan woman and said to her: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." We will continue to Sebaste, former capital of the northern Kingdom of Samaria and see the largely untouched ruins. Lunch in Sebastia. Return to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Sun 06 Oct: City of David - Western Wall - Temple Mount - Jewish Quarter
Start the day with a visit to City of David Museum and Pool of Siloam - Enter the Dung Gate to visit the Western Wall, the Temple Area with the AI-Aksa mosque and the Dome of the Rock where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son. Enjoy time to visit the Jewish Quarter. See the Cardo, the Burnt House and the Herodian Mansion. Conclude the day with a visit to the Davidson Museum and explore the Southern Wall Excavations. Overnight in Jerusalem.
Drive to Caesarea, once the capital of the Roman province, and see the aqueduct, theatre, Herod's Palace and the harbour from which St. Paul was taken to Rome. Continue to Haifa and from Mount Carmel have a wonderful view of the area. Proceed to Mukhraka, the site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal. Continue to Megiddo overlooking the Jezreel Valley and considered the Armageddon of the New Testament. Drive to Tiberias for overnight.
Day 13: Tue 08 Oct: Sepphoris, Cana, Nazareth, Bet Shean
Start with a visit to Sepphoris, home town of Anne, mother of Mary. Visit Cana, scene of the first miracle and visit the Church of the Wedding. Then go to Nazareth and see the oldest Church of the Annunciation with Mary's Well. Proceed to Bet Shean, biblical Scythopolis to visit the Roman theatre, paved road and the excavations. Overnight in Tiberius.
Free Day at leisure to relax and rest. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.
Visit the 1 st century "Jesus Boat" found at Kibbutz Nof Ginosar. Take the boat from Tiberias to Capernaum; there you will see an ancient synagogue and St. Peter's house which was later converted into a church. Also by the shore you will visit Tabgha site of the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount is remembered. End the day with a splendid view of the Sea of Galilee from the Golan Heights beside Yarmuk River. Return to your hotel in Tiberias for dinner and overnight.
Head up the Golan Heights to the Springs of Banias, also known as Caesarea Philippi where Peter said "Thou are Christ". Continue to Tel Dan. Returning towards the Sea of Galilee we will visit Kursi and Korazim. Transfer to Sheikh Hussein Bridge. Cross the border back into Jordan. Overnight is in Amman.
Drive down onto the Jordan Valley to visit Bethany Beyond the Jordan, one of the most recent archaeological and religious discoveries. The five springs here form a tributary of the Jordan River and believed to be the Baptismal site of Jesus by John the Baptist. Drive to the fortress of Machaerus where Salome is reputed to have danced for the head of John the Baptist. Overnight in Amman.
Visit Jerash before returning back to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure. This afternoon we will have an orientation tour of Amman, the capital of Jordan. This evening we have a farewell festive meal at a wonderful restaurant with a Beduin theme in Amman. Overnight in Amman.
Enjoy the morning for independent sightseeing or shopping before transferring to Queen Alia International Airport for your departure flight, EK904 from Amman to Dubai, departing at 1715. Arrive in Dubai at 2110. Connect to EK414 departing Dubai at 0150 bound for Sydney.
Day 20: Tue 15 Oct: Arrive Australia
Arrive back to Sydney this evening at 2230 with wonderful memories of a fabulous journey.
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