3 activitati in Jerusalem Region, ISRAEL

Our tour starts on the Mount of Olives were we visit the Church of the Ascension. The church marks the spot where Jesus ascended to heaven and there is a rock with an imprinted footprint thought to be where Jesus stood before his ascension (Luke 24:50 – 51). The original church built here was in 390 but most of the chapel building we see today is from the Crusader period (1150). Nearby is the Church of the Pater Nostre (Sanctuary of the Eleona), on this spot Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer. There are plaques on the walls with the Lord's Prayer written in more than a hundred languages. We see a Crusader cloister and the grotto where Jesus would have taught. This is also where Jesus told his disciples of the eminent destruction of Jerusalem and the 2nd coming. From the Mount of Olives we look out over the City of Gold across the ancient Jewish cemetery and to the Old City and Temple Mount beyond. We begin to descend the mount pausing at the Dominus Flevit (the Lord Wept). It was here that Christ cried as he envisioned the destruction of Jerusalem. The Dominus Flevit was designed by architect Antonio Barluzzi to resemble a teardrop. Through the window above the altar we can see the Old City where the Second Temple once stood. A little further along we get to the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Gethsemane. It was here that Jesus prayed before his arrest (Mark 14:32-46). The church was funded by a number of nations which each have their coat of arms displayed in decorative glass on the ceiling. The entrance is through tall columns which support a mosaic showing Jesus as the connection between God and man. We cross the Kidron Valley and arrive at the Lion's Gate of Jerusalem's Old City. We see the pools of Bethesda as mentioned in the Gospel of John. We visit the Crusader Church of Saint Anne constructed above a grotto thought to be where Jesus' mother Mary was born. In the Convent of the Sisters of Zion we enter the cellars to see the water cistern dating back to the Second Temple era. We see the Lithostratos, engraved Roman flagstones, which are part of extensive archaeological findings beneath the convent. It is believed that here Pontius Pilate stood in judgment of Jesus in the courtyard of Praetorium. From here we set out along the Via Dolorosa retracing the route Jesus took as he carried his cross towards his crucifixion. We see the Stations of the Cross where Jesus stopped along the Way of Sorrows and finally we reach the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. It was here that Jesus was crucified on Golgotha and Christ's burial tomb is within the church. The vast Byzantine basilica has many alters and five of the Stations of the Cross are within the church. Languages English

We begin our tour by traveling passed Herzliya and Natanya and continue north along the coastal road parallel to the Mediterranean, we turn inland and drive through the Valley of Armageddon (Revelations 16:6), from here we can see Megiddo. On our way towards Nazareth we visit the Mt of Precipitation (Luke 4:28-30). In Nazareth we visit the Church of Annunciation which was constructed on the spot where Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her she would soon be with child (Luke 1:26). Next door we find the Church of Saint Joseph built on the site where Jesus' father, Joseph had his carpentry. We depart Nazareth and travel to the Sea of Galilee on the way we pass Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. (John 2:1-12). At the foot of the Mount of Beatitudes we visit Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here we see the home of Peter and the Church of the Multiplication. (Mark 6:30-44) We travel along the shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the sea and walked on water. (Mark 4:35-41, 6:45-52)Across the water we can see the Golan Heights forming a beautiful backdrop as we pass the city of Tiberias which was settled more than 2000 years ago and named after the Roman Emperor Tiberias. We reach the southern region of the Sea of Galilee where the Jordan River flows into the Sea of Galilee and where Jesus may have been baptized. Here it is possible to participate in a baptismal ceremony in the very same river that Jesus did so many years ago. (Mark 1:9-11) As we head south on our return journey we see Mount Tabor where the Transfiguration took place. (Matthew 17:1-9) Start/opening time From Sunday to Thursday: 9am - 9:40am Friday and Saturday: 8:45am - 9:15am End/closing time 5pm - 6pm Languages English guide will be available on Monday , Wednesday and Saturday Spanish guide will be available on Wednesday and Saturday German and French guide will be available on Monday

Journey down from Jerusalem descending below sea level through the Biblical wilderness towards the Dead Sea. On the way we can see the Inn of the Good Samaritan and stop on route to look out across the desert as we pass the point marking "sea level". The ancient city of Jericho can be seen in the distance where Joshua's troops caused the walls to fall (Joshua 6) and where Jesus healed the blind (Mark 10:46-52). We reach the shores of the Dead Sea encrusted with white salt and follow the shoreline towards Masada. Although it's possible to climb the ancient Snake Path up Masada as the Romans did 2000 years ago, we take the convenient cable car up to the mountain top plateau. It was here that King Herod built a fortified palace complete with every convenience, a swimming pool, water cisterns, two palaces, store rooms and even a synagogue. Following Herod's death, the mountain top was the last outpost of Jewish zealots when the Romans tried to rid the land of Jews in the First Jewish-Roman War of 66-73AD. It was on Masada that the first parchment from this era was discovered in an Israeli archaeological excavation. On the parchment was the prophesy of Ezekiel "…I will take the children of Israeli from among the nations…and bring them into their own land…" (Ezekiel 37). Heading back to the Dead Sea we pass the desert oasis of Ein Gedi where there is lush foliage and gorgeous waterfalls and where David hid from angry King Saul. We also pass by Qumran were the 2,000 year old Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in a number of hillside caves. To end off a perfect day we stop at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth and a contender for the title of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. People come from across the globe to enjoy the therapeutic mineral rich waters. And don't worry if you don't know how to swim, the high salt content will keep you afloat. Opening/ Start time Sunday-Thursday: 9-9:40am. Friday and Saturday: 8:45-9:15am. End time 5-6pm.