Strength and Dignity

Strenght and Dignity Israel Tour

10 April – 17 April 2024

Genesis 12:1-3

Now Adonai said to Abram, “Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Day 1: (Wednesday 10 April 2024)

Departure to Israel

Day 2: (Thursday 11 April 2024)

Jaffa, Netanya, Mt Carmel – Jezreel – Megiddo Valley, Nazareth, Mt Precipe

The Bible stories comes alive as we start our journey reading the Scriptures. We visit Jaffa the oldest port in the world with its charismatic and beautiful ancient city that dates back thousands of years. Here we read about Peter when he had his vision on the rooftop of the House of Simon the Tanner and raised Tabitha from the dead. Jonah set sail to Tarshish from Jaffa and King Solomon built his port on the Mediterranean there. We visit Mt. Carmel where Elijah challenged King Ahab and the prophets of Baal and experience a view of the Jezreel Valley and Megiddo valley, the Armageddon Battlefield. We visit Nazareth where Yeshua spent his boyhood years before beginning his ministry at the age of 30.  Time to explore the Nazareth Village. Yeshua returned to Nazareth after his baptism and read in the synagogue from the scroll a chapter in Isaiah which led the Nazarenes attempt to throw  him over the cliff, but “he passed through the midst of them and walked away” (Luke 4:29-30).

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner. Overnight:  Nazareth

Day 3: (Friday 12 April 2024)

Cana , Mt Tabor Transfiguration, Mount Beatitudes, Sail on Galilee Boat, Tabgha, Capernaum

This morning we travel to Cana of Galilee where Yeshua performed His first miracle at the wedding. We visit Mount Precipice, where Yeshua escaped the attempt of throwing him off the cliff. We’ll stop for a short while to appreciate the view.  We ascending Mt. Tabor for a spectacular view, the place of transfiguration and ascension of Yeshua. We enjoy special time at the Mount of the Beatitudes, the site of the Sermon on the Mount and for a beautiful view of the entire Galilee. We continue our journey with a spectacular finding of the ancient Boat located at the Nof Ginnosar Kibbutz and enjoy a relaxing Cruise on the Sea of Galilee. We visit Tabgha the site of the multiplication of loaves and fishes. We descend for a visit to Capernaum (The Town of Yeshua) which form the “evangelical triangle” where most of Yeshua’s miracles in Galilee were performed. Here we find the ruins of an ancient 1st century synagogue and location that Yeshua taught with a view of Peter’s home

Meals: Breakfast, and Dinner. Overnight:  Nazareth

Day 4: (Saturday 13 April 2024)

Judean Desert, Bethabara –Jordan River, Jericho – Wadi Qilt, The Wilderness (Voice in the Wilderness)

We take a journey through the Judean desert to the Baptism Site, the Biblical place Bethabara. A place that played an important role in the life of Jesus, as he returned there many times after his baptism. He went there, for example, after his rejection in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication, “He went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.” (John 10.40) We continue to Jericho, the place where God had an awesome plan for the battle of Jericho. The scriptures describes the Israelites being led by Joshua and crossing the Jordan into Canaan where they laid siege to the city of Jericho. There, God spoke to Joshua telling him to march around the city once every day for six days with the seven priests carrying ram’s horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times and the priests were to blow their ram’s horns. We visit the Mount of Temptation where Yeshua was tempted by Satan after fasting 40 days & 40 Nights. We visit a Sycamore Tree where Zacchaeus climbed up into a to see Yeshua passing by. Next is Wadi Qilt where we will spend some time in prayer. David’s flight from Absalom (2 Sam 15-16), Zedekiah’s flight from the Babylonians (2 Kgs 25:4), the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and Yeshua travelled from Jericho to Jerusalem (Luke 19:28).

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.   Overnight:  Jerusalem

Day 5: (Sunday 14 April 2024)

Bethlehem, Shepherd Field, Qumran, Masada, Dead Sea

We start with an early morning travelling to the Shepherds field and Bethlehem. Yeshua was born in Bethlehem, which were a fulfilment of prophecy (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-7) and also the place of death and burial for Rachel.  The name Bethlehem actually means “house of bread.” Bethlehem was also the birthplace of David (2 Sam 23:24; 1 Chr 11:26). The Shepherds’ Fields identified since ancient times where the shepherds seen the Star. (Luke 2:8-10).  We head towards Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We travel to Masada for a Cable car ride to the mountain top fortress of Masada where we will learn about the history of the famous zealot stand Afterwards we proceed to Ein Gedi, “Spring of the Goat,” an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea where David hid from Saul, and where God defeated the enemies of the Israelites by praise and worship led by King Jehoshaphat. Our day ends with a relaxing float in the Dead Sea.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner.   Overnight:  Jerusalem

Day 6: (Monday 15 April 2023)

Mt Zion, Last Supper Room, Tomb of King David,Walls of Jerusalem, Cardo, Jewish Quarters, Western Wall, Southern Wall, Golden Gate, Mount of Olives, Dominus Flevit,  Palm Sunday road , Church of All Nations, Garden of Gethsemane

We start at Zion Gate and visit the Upper Room (Luke 22) the traditional site where Yeshua instituted the “Last Supper” – Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-23; John 13:1-17:26.  Visit the Tomb of King David and walk through the historic Jewish Quarter, down the Cardo. On our way we see the Golden Lamp Stand and enjoy prayer time at the Western Wall. We exit the Dung Gate to view the Southern Wall Excavations and the Temple Stairs. We walk pass the Mercy Gate to the Golden Gate. We head to the top of the Mount of Olives to stand where Yeshua had a breathtaking view of the city across the Kidron Valley to the Eastern Gate where the Prince of Peace will enter (Ezekiel 44) also the place where He ascended into heaven (Acts 1). We walk pass by Pater Noster Church and Dominus Flevit where “the Yeshua wept” as he beheld the Holy City and walk down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane and see 2,000 year old olive trees that date back to the time of Yeshua. We visit the Church of All Nations.  We spend time praying in the Garden. We enjoy time exploring the night light in the old city of Jerusalem

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner. Overnight: Jerusalem

Day 7: (Tuesday 16 April 2024)

Caiaphas House, Pools of Bethsaida, Stations of the Cross, Golgotha, Garden Tomb,  Ein Kerem, Abu Gosh

We visit the house of Caiaphas where Yeshua was kept during the night. Our day continue with the way of the cross starting at the Lions gate as we continue to the Pools of Bethsaida John 5:2-9  Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades, also known to have supplied water to the First and Second Temples until Herod the Great’s time. These very baths are where the healing miracle of Yeshua took place. We visit Ecco homo (“behold [the] man” John 19 where the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe. We continue to the Stations of the Cross starting where  Yeshua was condemned to death(Mark 15: 1-15, Matthew 27:23-31), Yeshua takes up the Cross (John 19:13-17, John 19: 5),  Yeshua falls for the first time (Isaiah 53: 4-7, Matthew 11:28-30). Yeshua meets his Mother (John 19: 25-27), Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his Cross, (Mark 15: 21), Yeshua consoles the women of Jerusalem, (Luke 22: 28-32), Yeshua stripped of his garments (John 19: 23-24), Yeshua nailed to the Cross , (Luke 23: 33-43), Yeshua dies on the Cross (John 19: 28-37, Matthew 27: 50), Yeshua taken down from the Cross, (John 19: 38-40), Yeshua is laid in the Tomb (Mark 15: 46-47) . We end at Golgotha (Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, John 19:17) and the Garden Tomb, Our journey continues to Ein Kerem a pilgrimage site where John the Baptist was born. Next we will have a visit to the village of Abu Gosh, it was known in Biblical Times as Kiryat Ye’arim, and was a ceremonial center where the Ark of the Covenant was placed. The biblical Kiryat Ye’arim, from where King David brought the Holy Shrine back to Jerusalem.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8:  (Wednesday 17 April 2024)

Home

We on our way home with mind and hearts filled with a new and revived passion of Faith. We say goodbye to our new friends and Jerusalem remains on our lips.