Israel, in May 2019

Arrive in Tel Aviv. Transfer to the hotel and spend the evening on your own.  That night, Cruise Lady will hold a “Welcome to Israel” meeting to go over the itinerary and meet everyone else in the group.

Today we go to gorgeous Caesarea — Caesarea Maritima, to be exact — and recall the story of Paul’s imprisonment there and of his appeal to Caesar, as well as King Agrippa’s response to the apostle:  “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Then to Muhraqa (Mt. Carmel), the site of the prophet Elijah’s dramatic contest with the priests of Baal. After a lunch stop at a local Druze restaurant, we head to Sepphoris — the place where I suspect that Joseph and the young Jesus earned their livings — and visit its beautiful mosaics. We continue on to Nazareth, the town where Jesus Christ “grew and waxed strong in spirit.” In Nazareth we explore the Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of St. Joseph’s carpentry shop, and the “Synagogue Church.” Our last stop is Mt. Precipice, where, in addition to enjoying the spectacular view over the Jezreel Valley (the “Valley of Armageddon”), we discuss the Transfiguration. We end our day at our hotel by the shores of Galilee, our home for the next two nights.

This morning we walk a short distance in the Valley of the Doves to experience a trail that Jesus and his disciples would almost certainly have traveled multiple times. We then visit Tabgha, the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, and view a fifth-century Byzantine mosaic floor. Next we visit the traditional Mount of Beatitudes and think about the Sermon on the Mount.  We will pass Tel Hazor and Tel Dan on our way to the beautiful Banias waterfall. Our lunch stop will be at a unique Lebanese restaurant near the gate into Caesarea Philippi.  After lunch we enter Caesarea Philippi, where the Savior asked his disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”  We then drive to Mt. Bental, in the Golan Heights, which offers a gorgeous and sweeping view north to Mt. Hermon and the road to Damascus and overlooking Syria. We drive by Bethsaida—home of Peter, Phillip, and Andrew before returning to our hotel. After dinner, we have a devotional.

We begin our day onboard a replica of an ancient fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee.Our next stop is the Magdala Center, where we explore a newly discovered first-century synagogue in which Jesus almost certainly taught. Next is the Church of the Primacy of Peter, followed by Capernaum — where Jesus lived and recruited His future apostles, and where the ruins of the probable house of Peter are clearly visible. After a lunch of St. Peter’s Fish (a kind of tilapia) — or, if you hate fish, of St. Peter’s Pizza — we arrive at the extensive ruins of Bet She’an where King Saul and his sons were hung from the walls after their death in battle. We end our day at our hotel in Jericho, which is our home for the next two nights.

Our day begins as we journey to Qasr al-Yahud, the traditional baptismal site of Jesus on the Jordan River, which is a richly significant location. We then head to Masada and take the aerial tram up to Herod’s mighty fortress where the Zealots made their suicidal last stand against the Romans. Following lunch, we visit the caves of Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Our last stop is Qumran Beach, where you can experience the buoyant salty waters of the Dead Sea.  (Hurry before it’s gone!)  Then we climb up to Jerusalem.

Our first stop of the day is the Mount of Olives overlook, for an excellent panoramic view of the city of Jerusalem. Next we visit Garden of Gethsemane (and Orson Hyde Park if you want to walk UP the hill) and the Church of All Nations. Here we walk among the ancient olive trees and reflect on the Atonement. At the Jerusalem Archaeological Park, we see the ancient steps leading to the Temple Mount that Christ must have climbed. (In fact, somewhat to my dismay, we and others can walk on them ourselves.)  After time for lunch and shopping, we head to the Old City and visit the traditional Room of the Last Supper. Our next stop is the traditional House of Caiaphas, where Jesus was imprisoned before His final day in mortality. After arriving at our hotel in Jerusalem for the next two nights, we enjoy dinner followed by an opportunity to explore on our own.

Today we head to the little town of Bethlehem where first we spend some time overlooking the “Shepherds’ Field.”  Next, we visit the very ancient Church of the Nativity and visit the Grotto of St. Jerome. We enjoy a unique lunch in a Bedouin tent restaurant again overlooking the Shepherds’ Field. (They serve a terrible lime drink there that you should avoid at all costs.  As a very selfless sacrifice, I’m willing to drink your portion.)  After lunch, we have some shopping time before we head to the Israel Museum. First, we see the Holy Land Model, a unique scale model of Jerusalem as it was at the time of Christ. We then visit the Shrine of the Book, the site chosen to house the Dead Sea Scrolls. We end our visit exploring the fascinating Israeli artifacts housed in the museum.

We begin our last day in Jerusalem at the Temple Mount to see, among other things, the famous Muslim Dome of the Rock. Next, we experience the incredible acoustics of St. Anne’s Church and visit the adjacent Pool of Bethesda.  Walking through the Old City, we will see the area where the Antonia Fortress once stood and where Christ was scourged. We then walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After a stop for lunch, we walk by Hezekiah’s “Broad Wall” (which was there in Lehi’s time and which is mentioned in the Book of Mormon) before stopping at the Western Wall (aka the “Wailing Wall”) and witness a few bar mitzvahs. We then go to BYU’s Jerusalem Center, with its remarkable view of the city.  Our final stop is the beautiful Garden Tomb, believed by some to be the site of Jesus’ burial. Next to the Garden, there is a limestone hill which many revere as Golgotha, site of the crucifixion. After our farewell dinner, we transfer to the airport for our return flights to the USA (or wherever).