Boarded the bus at 8AM for our first day’s journey. We headed north out of Tel Aviv for Caesarea which was built by Herod the Great. The ruins of Herod’s palace showed a swimming pool, wonderful mosaics, and is a marvel of architecture. The Roman amphitheater is still in use today. Got to get up close to the aqueducts, even to climb on them. Herod also had a Hippodrome built, probably modeled after the Circus Maximus in Rome. Caesarea was the official residence of the governors of Judea and was the capital of Roman administration in Palestine for 500 years. There is also a replica of a stone carving which mentions Pontius Pilate.

We then journeyed farther north up the coast to Acre (Akko) which was a Crusader port. We strolled along the seawall and walked through the market which was fairly busy. Had lunch, which was a falafel and a shwarma, in a little sidewalk restaurant.

After lunch we headed to Nazareth, which is Israel’s largest Arab Israeli city with a population of about 70,000. Water was important in the desert, so we visited Mary’s well which is where families got their water in the time of Jesus. We then visited the Basilica of the Annunciation. It marks the spot where the Angel Gabriel is said to have informed Mary that she was to be the mother of Jesus. The event has been depicted by murals on the walls from different countries. In one, Mary appears in a kimono which is made of pearls. Next door is the Church of St. Joseph which is a cavern that is reputed to be the site of the carpentry shop of Joseph. We then went a few miles up the road to visit Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine. Back on the bus to the Leonardo Hotel Tiberias in Tiberias.

Boarded bus at 7:30am for days adventure. Weather was rainy. First stop was at Hermon Stream Nature Reserve Banias. This park contains archaeological finds from the ancient city of Banias. The Temple of Pan was constructed at the foot of a 70m long, 40m high cliff which was the back wall of a giant cave. The roof collapsed which created rock terraces on which the temples and the courtyards dedicated to Pan were constructed. We then headed south parallel to the Golan Heights to the next stop of the day which was Tel Dan. This is one of the sources of the Jordan River. The tell is identified with the city of Laish captured by the tribe of Dan. It was quite a hike over wet and uneven terrain to get to the gates. On the way we saw an old flour mill. Finally reached the Israelite gate at which the king sat.

We boarded the bus and headed to the Mount of the Beatitudes which is on the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Then went to the church of the Loaves and Fishes where Jesus multiplied the fish and bread to feed a crowd of 5000. Also in the vicinity is the Church of St. Peter Primacy. We had lunch at a kibbutz.

We then boarded a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. They played the Star Spangled Banner for us when we boarded.

After the boat ride we journeyed to the town of Capernum on the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee. It was here that Jesus found his first followers, performed more miracles and preached more sermons than anywhere else. At least 5 of the disciples came from Capernum.

We were on the bus at 7:30 with luggage as it was our last night in Tiberias. First stop was the Yardenit Baptismal site which is where John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan River near where it merges with the Sea of Galilee.

We then traveled to Mount Tabor, the site of the transfiguration. We had to leave the bus in the parking lot and take smaller 9-10 passenger vans up the mountain. The road was narrow and twisty. Even had some cows in the middle of the road on the way up. The Basilica of the Transfiguration commemorates the event.

We then traveled to Tel Megiddo, which contains 26 stratified layers of civilizations and overlooks the Valley of Jezreel which is believed to be the legendary Armageddon. Our tour guide lives not far from here, so he says he’ll watch Armageddon from his balcony. The ruins contain a 4000 year old Canaanite temple, King Solomon’s stables and underground water system built by Kind Ahab 2800 years ago to protect the city’s water system in times of siege. We got to walk down into the tunnel and the well.

We then proceeded over to the coast and headed south to the ancient port city of Jaffa. This is the city that was named by Noah’s youngest son, Japheth, after the great flood. Yafo means beautiful in Hebrew. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. The Cedars of Lebanon used by King Solomon to build the Temple in Jerusalem were shipped to Yafo. This is also where the miracle of raising Tabitha from the dead by the Apostle Peter when he stayed at the Yafo home of Simon the Tanner. Finally arrived in Jerusalem. After dinner several of us walked down Jaffa St to Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall for some post prandial shopping.

Started our day with a scenic view of Jerusalem. Weather was sunny, but breezy. Beautiful view of the Dome of the Rock.

Next stop was the Mount of Olives which also has a wonderful view of the Old City, but is mainly a Jewish cemertery dating back to the biblical period and still in use today. The Church of All Nations is at the foot of the Mount of Olives. It has 12 cupolas representing the 12 nations which contributed towards its construction. Next to the church is the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was betrayed. The olive grove has been dated at 2000 years old. Next to the garden is Mary’s Tomb. Partway down the stairs are niches said to hold the remains of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anne, and her husband Joseph. Farther up the hill we went in the Church of the PaterNoster built on the traditional site where Christ taught the Lord’s Prayer. The prayer is on the walls in various languages.

We reboarded the bus and headed into Jerusalem proper. Jerusalem has 7 gates. We went in through the Dung Gate which, as the name implies, is downhill. We went to the Western Wall and passed through security. There is a men’s side and a women’s side. We were given some time to put our prayers into the cracks of the Wailing Wall or to just say a prayer. The Dome of the Rock was closed for renovation so we couldn’t get in. Had one member of our party who was "accosted" by one of the "holy men" because he didn’t think she was covered up enough. Our guide gave her his jacket to wear. We then continued along the Via Dolorosa, the way of the cross. It was uneven and uphill and very commercial, but it would have been in the time of Jesus, also. At about the 2nd station we went into a convent which has an underground chamber which is supposedly the site where Pilate judged Jesus. On the paving stones outside can be seen signs of board games played by the Roman soldiers.

We continued through the rest of the stations to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which contains stations 10-14. The church is shared by several Christian denominations, notably Greek Orthodox and Catholic. The church is built over the sites of the crucifixion and burial places of Jesus. It was very crowded and chaotic. We then had lunch at a street cafe. In the afternoon we were taken to the Garden Tomb which is also a possibility for the burial of Jesus.

We headed into the desert to Masada and the Dead Sea. Took a cable car ride up to the top. This is the spot where Herod the Great built his desert retreat. It was quite an ingenious spot. He built a 3 tiered palace complete with Roman baths and a ballroom. In AD 66 a group of Jewish zealots seized Masada from a Roman garrison which triggered the Jewish War against Rome. They lived here about 4 years until after the war in Jerusalem. The Roman 10th legion arrived about 4 years later to put an end to the revolt. The Romans built a ramp and a battering ram using Jewish slaves. When it was completed, they planned their attack. In the meantime, the zealots committed suicide rather than being captured. We had lunch at a roadside stop where we could shop for Dead Sea cosmetics along with other souvenirs.

We then stopped at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

Headed to the Dead Sea after that. I went swimming, but Randy didn’t. Water was very "minerally" and slimy, but it was fun.

Our first stop today was shopping in Bethlehem, which is under Palestinian control at this time. We had to go through a security checkpoint. According to Micki, the Christians are sort of in the middle between the Arabs and the Jews, so we went to a shop owned by Christians. There was lots of olive wood carvings, jewelry, religious artifacts. I got a new rosary and a small Jerusalem cross for Claire. We then went to the Shepherd’s Field. You could imagine sheep and shepherds being here. From here we went to the Church of the Nativity which is the only church still functioning from the time of the Crusades. It was built over a grotto that is traditionally thought to be the lodging of the Holy Family while they were in Bethlehem. The entrance is very small and low which is a defense mechanism from the time of the Crusaders. Next door is St. Catherine’s from which Bethlehem’s Christmas Eve Mass is broadcast worldwide.

One of our group was not feeling well, so we stopped at an Israeli pharmacy. Our guide spoke to the pharmacist in Hewbrew, so couldn’t understand a thing that was said and the package of meds was all in Hewbrew, also.

Since we were a bit ahead of schedule, we stopped at the Knesset building which is the Israeli parliament. Outside is a huge Menorrah with depictions from Bible stories. We had lunch at a restaurant in Bethlehem operated by the same people from shopping in the morning.

We went to the small village of Ein Kerem which is the birthplace of John the Baptist. It is also where Mary visited Elizabeth, so the Church of the Visitation is here. Our farewell dinner was held at a hotel that is owned by the tour company Nazarene Tours which Micki works for.

Our flight home was delayed for almost 2 hours, so we missed our connecting flight in Newark, NJ. The airline gave us food vouchers and put us up in a hotel. Long day. Got home about 4PM on March 4th.