Israel-Palestine Jordan 2019

A Program of pilgrimage and discovery Israel-palestine Jordan 2019 ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE: SEPTEMBER 19 TO 30, 2019 JORDAN EXCURSION (OPTIONAL ADD-ON) OCTOBER 1-5, 2019 Facilitators: The Rev. Dr. Richard LeSueur Nedal Junaidi, Specialist Guide Itinerary Summary : Jerusalem (5 nights) Sea of Galilee (4 nights) Jerusalem (3 nights) Petra (2 nights) Wadi Rum (1 night) Tel Aviv (1 night) 16 nights, 17 days ________________________________ Accommodation: Contact Phone Numbers Jerusalem Sept 19-24 Olive Tree Hotel, Jerusalem 23 St. George Street, Jerusalem Phone: +972 2-541-0410 Sea of Galilee Sept 24-28 Kibutz Ein Gev Phone: +972-4-665-9800 Jerusalem, Sept 28-30 Notre Dame Pilgrim Centre 3 HaTsanhanim Road, Jerusalem Phone: +972 2-627-9111 Petra, Jordan Oct 1-3 Petra Guest House, Jordan Wadi Musa, Petra Phone: +962 3 215 6266 Wadi Rum Oct 3-4 Milky Way Camp Wadi Rum, Jordan Tel Aviv Oct 4-5 Leonardo Art Hotel, Tel Aviv Eliezer Peri Street 9 Phone: +972 3-521-1777 2 Land Agency NETours Mount of Olive Road #17, Jerusalem Phone: +972 2-532-8720 Meals indicated B – breakfast / L – lunch / D – dinner Modest Dress (M) Men : long pants or zip-ons to cover legs Women : knees, shoulders & elbows covered __________________________ Thursday, Sept 19 Day 1 Arrival at Ben Gurion Olive Tree D You arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport and are transferred to Jerusalem for a restful first night. Check into Olive Tree Hotel 5:30pm Group reception and welcome 6:30pm Dinner Friday, Sept 20 Day 2 Introducing Jerusalem & Bethlehem Olive Tree BLD The day begins with an orientation briefing over coffee. We then travel around the walls of the Old City and onto the Mount of Olives to overlook the city. “Walk about Zion, go round about her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, that you may tell generations yet to come.” Psalm.48:12,13 We then enter the Old City to pray at the place holiest to Jews, the Western Wall, and then ascend the monumental staircase that once led up into the Temple in the 1st century. For lunch we drive south of Jerusalem into Bethlehem where we pass through the “Wall of Separation” in order to pray in the Basilica of the Nativity. “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to your word. For my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people.” Nunc Dimitis – ancient liturgical text Luke 2:29-31 Briefing: Orientation to Pilgrimage / Geographical Context of Jesus’ Ministry Jerusalem: Journey Around the Walled City: Mt Scopus, Mt of Olives Western Wall (M) Archeological excavations south and west of the Haram (Ophel) Lunch: Tent Restaurant, Beit Shour Bethlehem: Basilica of the Nativity, Grotto of St. Jerome (M) Milk Grotto Road Hafrada Wall (“wall of separation”) & Walled-Off Hotel Saturday, Sept 21 Day 3 The Judean Desert Olive Tree BLD The day begins with an early departure into the silence of the Judean wilderness with a visit to the Monastery of St George, Wadi Qelt. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil and he fasted forty days and forty nights.” We drive down onto the Jericho plain to stop at the Jordan River near the place where John baptized. “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness.” Mark 1:2-3 After lunch at Qumran we visit the remains of the “Qumran community” and the region where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Wadi Qelt / meditation in the wilderness Overview St. George of Choziba Monastery (M) Jordan River: Baptismal site, Meditation and Renewal of Baptism Vows Qumran (Dead Sea Scroll discovery) lunch and visit the excavations Free time: Ibrahim’s Shop, Palestinian Pottery Shop Guest Speaker: The “Not-So-Holy-Land” of Contemporary Experience 3 Sunday, Sept 22 Day 4 Day of Sabbath Olive Tree BLD Sunday worship is with Arabic Anglican congregation at the Cathedral Church of St. George the Martyr, or the setting of your choice. After lunch we drive across the city into West Jerusalem to the Israel Museum to visit the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit and a model of first century Jerusalem. Quieter morning St George Cathedral – worship at 9:30am Meeting the ‘living stones.’ Lunch: Askadinya Restaurant Israel Museum: Model of 1st c. Jerusalem, Dead Sea Scrolls 6:00 Briefing: Holy Sepulchre (group check-in) 7:00 Dinner Monday, Sept 23 Day 5 The Way of Christ Olive Tree BLD We then walk the ancient “Way of the Cross” to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Time will be given for some shopping in the Christian Quarter. Lunch is at a Lutheran pilgrim centre. In the afternoon we continue through the Arab souk, out the Damascus Gate to consider an example of a 1st century rolling- stone tomb “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed.” John 20:1 7:00am Departure for Devotional Pilgrimage “Way of the Cross” (via Herod’s Gate) Holy Sepulchre : Coptic & Ethiopian Community (M) Lunch: Marionite Convent Guest House Free afternoon: Shopping and exploring the Old City 5:00 Tea and discussion with the Dean Hosam Naoum, Cathedral of St George 7:00 Dinner . and pack for the Galilee From Jerusalem to Galilee Tuesday, Sept 24 Day 6 Travel North to Galilee En Gev Kibbutz BLD We travel north to the pastoral region of the Galilee via the ancient coastal city of Caesarea Maritima. From the heights of Mount Carmel we overlook the Jezreel Valley and the hills which shelter Nazareth. We travel on to spend the next four nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. “Jesus came to the Sea of Galilee, and as he was walking along the shoreline he saw two casting their nets into the sea, and he said to them, ‘Follow me.’” Matthew 4:18-19 Caesaea Maritima Lunch at Port’s Café Caesarea Muhraqa – Mt. Carmel (M) Arrival at the Sea of Galilee Kibbutz En Gev Wednesday, Sept 25 Day 7 Nazareth En Gev Kibbutz BLD The day begins at the recent excavations of what was once a vast city near Nazareth, and yet never mentioned in the Bible. From Sepphoris we raise more questions than answers as we journey back to Nazareth to visit its ancient churches and other subterranean discoveries. “(Sepphoris) the ornament of all Galilee.” Josephus A.J. 18:27 “They returned to their home town of Nazareth in Galilee. The child grew and became strong; he was full of wisdom and God's blessings were upon him” Luke 2:39 Sepphoris Nazareth : Church of Annunciation / Sisters of Nazareth Excavations (M) 4 Lunch in Nazareth (Awtar) Mount Tabor : Devotional on Mt of Transfiguration (M) 6:30 Dinner 7:30 Evening Group speaker: The Kibbutz: An Evolving Communal Way Thursday, Sept 26 Day 8 The North Shore of the Lake En Gev Kibbutz BLD The day is spent on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum, Tabgha and on the sea. Lunch is at the Mount of Beatitudes overlooking the lake, followed by a boat cruise on the sea of Galilee. The afternoon ends with a quiet hillside walk and Communion service above the lake. “Jesus went out and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him .. and he told them many things.” Matthew 13.1-3 Capernaum, Tabgha, Mensa Christi, Mount of Beatitudes (M) Lunch at Beatitudes Magdala (village of Mary Magdalene) The Galilee Boat discovery Boat trip on the Sea of Galilee Late afternoon reflection on hillside Friday, Sept 27 Day 9 Hula Valley & Upper Galilee En Gev Kibbutz BLD We travel north to the headwaters of the Jordan River below Mount Hermon, and the place of Peter’s pronouncement at Caesarea Philippi. Turning east we proceed up into the Golan past the fortress of Nimrud. Lunch is at a Druze Village. “Then Jesus asked, Who do you say I am? and Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16.15 Tel Dan Caesarea Philippi / Banias Lunch – Birket Ram (Druze region) Free time back at the Sea of Galilee From the Galilee to Jerusalem Saturday. Sept 28 Day 10 Travel to Jerusalem via Samaria Notre Dame BLD We travel south through the central highlands of Samaria to Sychar / Nablus and an ancient well to consider a special meeting between a woman and Jesus. After lunch we continue south past Shiloh and Taybeh. “A Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ John 4:7 Jacob’s Well Taybeh Check into Notre Dame, 7:00 Dinner Sunday, Sept 29 Day 11 Hope of Peace Notre Dame BD The day begins making a devotional walk along the route of Palm Sunday; from the Mount of Olives to Gethsemane. In the afternoon we make a solemn visit to the Holocaust Memorial. Palm Sunday devotional walk (M) Bethphage, Dominus Flevit, Gethsemane Lunch in Ben Yahuda Holocaust Memorial (Yad va Shem) 5:30 Guest Presentation: Kids4Peace: A Way of Hope Dinner 5 Monday, Sept 30 Day 12 Jerusalem the Golden Notre Dame BD We begin the day with a visit the Haram esh Sharif (the Temple Mount) and places of Christian significance north of the Haram. After free time in the Old City we travel along the route to Emmaus for a special act of worship and thanksgiving.

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