Teacher/Guide: Doug Bookman STS Student Study Trip to Israel Teacher/Leader: Clayton Schultz 1 December 2-15, 2017 Driver/Host: Nabil Kort Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30 December 1 December 1 December 2
From the USA, precede with Telephone #s: 011-972- Trip offered on Land-Only Basis Gilgal Hotel – Tel Aviv . .. . . 3 5111000 Travelers secure their own air flights Depart for Israel $2,900 Optional Early Kibbutz En Gev ...... 4 - 665-9800 Land Cost : by the flight of your choice 2 3 Masada Youth Hostel...... 8 -995322 HOTEL WEB-SITES Please read completely & carefully Departure Date and arrangement.
Gloria Hotel / Jerusalem. . . . . 2 -628-2431 Gilgal: www.hotelgilgal.com all of the information
Bookman’s Mobile ...... 052 -534-7570 (Israel Phone) En Gev: www.eingev.com on both sides of this sheet 661.713.8999 (US Mobile) Nabil’s Mobile (Guide) ...... Masada: www.iyha.org.il 05—4-924-5552 Gloria: www.gloria-hotel.com
December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 December 9
Coastal Plains & Sea of Galilee Northern Galilee Jordan Rift Arrive Negev /Shephelah Intro to Jerusalem
The Jezreel Valley Ben Gurion Airport, Kafar Kana (drive-thru) Lower Galilee Beth Shan Masada [down seige ramp] Gibeach / CBP Tel Aviv, Israel Sepphoris (Drive-by) Caesarea Maritima Chorazin Jordan River Arad / Beer-Sheva (drive-by) Geba-Michmash (over-view) Make your way to our Mt Carmel (Muhraka) Mt Arbel (Hike) Huleh Valley / Hazor [baptismal site] Lachish / Bet Guvrim Shiloh nd Magdala/Migdol OT Jericho (Lunch) hotel in Tel Aviv, on the 2 Temple Tomb Tel Dan Elah Valley / Azekah 2nd Temple Model Mediterranean4 Megiddo Church of the Beatitudes Caesarea Philippi / NT Jericho Sorek Val /Beth-Shemesh Shrine of the Book Capernaum Qumran Area / Cave 1 Introductions & Preview5 Ein Harod Banias Yad HaShmonah / Haas Promenade Tabgha/Heptapagon En Gedi / Hike (after evening meal) Jezreel / Mt Gilboa Mt. Hermon foothills Biblical Gardens Mt of Olives Nazareth Illit Boat Ride on Sea Golan Heights / Qunietra Dead Sea Swim PM: Visit to Western Wall
ON: Gilgal Hotel Tel Aviv ON: Plaza Hotel - Nazareth ON: En Gev – Sea of Galilee ON: En Gev ON: Masada Youth Hostel ON: Gloria Hotel - Jerusalem ON: Gloria Hotel
December 10 December 11 December 12 December 13 December 14 December 16 December 15
Jerusalem / OT Flight Home - Jerusalem / NT Jesus’ Final Hours Judea/Ephraim/Samaria Hezekiah’s Broad Wall Special Morning by the flight of your choice
st Upper room Focus 1 Temple Jerusalem Model Aish HaTorah (TM Overlook) and arrangement Et-Tel / Beitin / Luz st TBA (Ariel Ctr for 1 Temple Jerusalem) Walk to Gethsemane [Biblical Ai / Bethel] Southern Excavations Christ Church Important Note: FYI (Festivals – Hebrew year 5777) City of David Western Wall Tunnel Tour Shechem / Sychar Gordon’s Calvary Afternoon free Sched ule your Rosh Hashanah Sept 21, 22, 2017 COD dig site [Shukron] St. Anne’s / Bethesda [Jacob’s Well] departure time as Yom Kippur Sept 30, 2017 Warren’s Shaft/ Via Dolorosa Farewell Dinner Samaria close as possible to Tabernacles Oct 5-6, 2017 Hezekiah’s Tunnel/ Holy Sepulcher Church 7 Afternoon free midnight, Dec 14! Chanukah Dec 13-20, 20 17 Gerizim Pool of Siloam Jewish Quarter / Cardo Depart for airport8 Shiloh Purim Mar 1, 2018 Drainage Channel ½ Afternoon: Free – time per your Passover Mar 31 - Apr 1, 2018 Gibeah arrangement 6 ON: In your own bed! ½ Afternoon: Free PM: Stone Pavement
ON: Gloria Hotel ON: Gloria Hotel ON: Gloria Hotel ON: Gloria Hotel
1 Cost [Land-Only]: $2,900. Note that this is a trip of 14 days, which includes11 full study days in Israel, with guide/teacher throughout the trip, all lodging, travel, entrance fees and incidentals covered by the price above. On the other hand, understand that the cost does not cover airfare, travel from and to the airport in Israel, lunches or any personal items (gifts, snacks, personal travel, etc.). Single Room Supplement: $600.
Restrictions and Requirements: This study trip will demand more of the traveler than the ordinary tourist trip, both in terms of daily schedule and physical exertion. Darkness comes earlier in December, and thus our days will begin early and involve several hours of study and hiking. It is important that each traveler be capable of walking 6-8 miles a day, often up and down steep hills, and possibly in rainy weather. Finally, remember that you must be in possession of a valid and unexpired passport [i.e., which does not expire within six months of the return date].
Deadline Dates (for passengers covering their own costs) A non-refundable deposit of $250 asap to secure a spot; The balance paid by October 1, 2017. Cancellations: full refund less deposit & administrative costs
Registration Procedure: If you would like further information, please contact either: Ann Clampett, Shepherds Seminary, 6051 Tryon Road, Cary NC 27518; O: 919.573.1571 / e-mail: [email protected], or Doug Bookman, 115 Strathburgh Lane, Cary NC 27518 [O: 919.573.1555 ; M: 616.713.8999] ; e-mail : [email protected]
NOTE: Once accepted for the trip, in order to register please send a deposit to the underlined address above. Make the check to “Shepherds Seminary” and put “STS Israel Initiative 2017 - Deposit” on the memo line. Please be careful to include the following information: 1) the full name of all travelers (as the name appears on his/her passport); 2) complete mailing address(es); 3) phone numbers (day & evening),; 4) e-mail addresses; 5) passport number(s) & expiration date(s); 6) any questions or special concerns you may have. Note: It is REQUIRED that travelers purchase Trip Cancellation insurance for the trip. A fine company: discipleshiptravel.com (find the banner: “Need Travel Insurance”). Do not insure the land-cost, as that will be refunded to you if you are unable to go for any reason. You are wise to insure the cost of air passage, as the airlines are reluctant to refund that cost. Those policies include a measure of accident/health coverage as well, but you might want to consider specific coverage in that regard. Policies are quite affordable, and they do provide thorough and accessible coverage. An American company which provides policies primarily for Christian workers is MissionaryHealth.net. Phone: (800) 647-4589; e-mail [email protected]; website: www.missionaryhealth.net. A fine Israeli provider is Chacoty Sasson General & Life Insurance Agency, www.chacoty.co.il. Click the American flag for English, then Options, then Insurance for Tourists; download, print and complete the application form and submit it by fax. Allow at least two weeks to accomplish this.
2The group will gather at the Gilgal Hotel in Tel Aviv on SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3. However, if you would like to have a day to recoup, you are welcome to arrive a day (or more, for that matter) early. The hotel will be alerted that some travelers may choose to arrive early, but you must make those arrangements yourself. The contact information is as follows: Address: Nes-Ziona St. Tel Aviv 63904 Website: http://www.hotelgilgal.net E-Mail: [email protected] Phone: +972 3 5111000 // Fax: +972 3 5167291; Note: Mention that you are with the STS/ Bookman Study group.
The Gilgal Hotel is about a ten-minute walk from a very nice Mediterranean beach. The price of a regular room for Sunday night (the 1st night of our tour) is built into the cost of the trip; if you choose to arrive early, you will need to cover the charge for the additional night(s).
3Arrival in Israel on Sunday will mean departing the US on Saturday. Select any carrier you like, but be careful to schedule your arrival sometime on (or before) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3. The earlier you arrive, the more time you will have to gather yourself before we start out early Monday morning.
4 There are two ways to reach the first night’s hotel: taxi & pre-arranged shuttle service. Either is direct and simple. To secure an individual taxi, after passing customs and picking up your luggage, proceed through the Greeters Hall and exit at Gate #3; turn left at the sidewalk, find the dispatcher’s station and ask for a taxi to the Gilgal Hotel in Tel Aviv. (Have the address available,) NOTE: Taxi drivers are required by law to use the meter on all trips. Unless you know the accepted rates, do not be tempted to set a price beforehand. For long trips, the driver must charge passengers according to the Ministry of Transport price list posted in all taxis. Further, a 25% surcharge for night trips is in effect from 9:01pm – 5:29am (from 4pm on Fridays & holiday eves). Trips out of Ben Gurion Airport are charged an additional NIS 5.00, and passengers pay approximately NIS 3.00 for each suitcase. To secure a pre-arranged shuttle, contact either: 1) Rami Mishriky ([email protected] – cell # = 054-819-4996), an Arab Christian who has a ministry in Israel, underwrites that ministry with a shuttle service – dependable, a bit cheaper, adequate (if not plush) van; or 2) www.israel.airport-shuttle.com – a pre-paid service (you will be asked to pre-pay by credit card, a voucher will be sent you via e-mail, and the driver will be waiting for you in the reception hall at Ben-Gurion Airport with an appropriate sign). Either service will drive you directly to the hotel. The price/person is dependent on the total number in the group; they range from $15 – 30/person.
Please do not be intimidated by this, as it is very simple and entirely dependable. Further, note that the cost of getting to the hotel is not covered in the cost of the trip, so you will have to pay for this yourself. The trip has been arranged in this way in order to provide maximum flexibility for the traveler, and to keep your cost at a minimum. (By booking your own flight, you will very probably save 10 – 20% of what a group rate would cost.)
Even at that, it might be wise to travel with a cell phone which is useable in Israel just in case there is any sort of issue. (The numbers you will need can be found on the calendar/itinerary.) On the other hand, if you do not have a mobile phone, it will not be hard to find a phone to use. The tour guide will be carrying a cell phone and will be accessible at any time. If a plane is delayed or missed, he should be notified as soon as possible. It will not be difficult to make arrangements to get the traveler to the group, regardless of what delay might occur.
5We will regularly gather in the evenings to review the day’s travels and learning, to preview the region we will be exploring the next day, and to consider lessons to be learned regarding life and ministry.
6Students will be required, others encouraged, to visit suggested sites on free afternoons, report on those visits (as part of grade for students). 7One important stop not on our itinerary is Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in West Jerusalem. This would be a good day to take a taxi to the museum and spend 2 or 3 hours thinking through the exhibits.
8Please schedule your departure as close to midnight as possible on Thursday night (Dec 14), or as soon after midnight as possible, very early on Friday (Dec 15). Several airlines have departures close to midnight, which works best as it gives us a full day on Thursday, saves us paying for a room for Thurs night. (If your departure time does necessitate keeping a room for Thursday night, you will be responsible for that additional cost.) Your room will possibly be available to you as late as you need it on that Thursday; we’ll settle this when we are there. Once we know the various departure times, we will work to arrange either taxis and/or a bus to get us to the airport in plenty of time for the various departure times.