Jerusalem-Bethlehem-Sea of Galilee-Nazareth-Caapernaum-Cana
A short distance from Capernaum (Jesus' headquarters) on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee is the Mt. of Beatitudes. It was here that Jesus preached what we call the "Sermon on the Mount". Much time and energy has gone into the debate about how many people could be in the spot at one time and still hear one man speaking. The acoustics have be evaluated and used as the basis of more than one doctoral thesis. But when you stand on the spot and soak in the beauty, the tranquility, there will be no arguing that the words of Jesus can still be heard today.
Come and start your Journey of a Lifetime. Come and walk where Jesus walked, where John The Baptist preached the coming of Jesus. Walk the Via Dolorosa "the way of the cross" and stand in reverence at the church of the Holy Sepulchre. Stand atop the Mount of Olives as Jesus did overlooking the city of Jerusalem before he ascended into Heaven 40 days after the Resurrection.
After Visiting the Holy Land, the next time you hear any of the sites mentioned in the Gospels or when you read the Bible you will have a different perspective having been there yourself.
With prices starting as low as $2098.00 pp plus applicable taxes, all of the following is included. Round Trip Airfare from NY, Deluxe Motorcoaches, Guided Sightseeing, Entrance Fees to Sites Visited, First Class and Superior First Class Hotels and Buffet Breakfast and Dinner Daily. You can make this the trip of a lifetime. Each tour contains only 30 people for a more relaxed trip. Get a group together and receive 1 free fare for every 9 fully paid fares.
Visit the Franciscan Wedding church, where the first miracle of Christ is remembered (John 2). Those couples wanting to have their vows renewed may do so here.
The modern town of Cana is 4 miles northeast of Nazareth. It is believed by some that a Franciscan Church is built over the site of Jesus' first miracle, the changing of water into wine. Stone waterpots, similar to those used in Christ's time, are shown.
Gethsemane means "oil press". The current garden contains over half a dozen ancient olive trees. Josephus tells us that Titus had all trees in and around Jerusalem cut down in 70 A.D. Did these trees escape the ax or did they grow again from the trunk that remained? Either way, it is a fitting image for the Christian faith in such significant place. For it was here we remember how Jesus prayed on the night he was arrested (Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-49; Luke 22:39-53).
Perhaps this is the one place in Israel where Jesus would still recognize the landscape were He to return today. Out on a boat, away from the shore line, it is possible to drift into the first century and forget our modern life altogether. Hotels, waterside, guests houses, restaurants... these all fade into the shoreline haze. And waves -- sometimes calms, sometime brutal -- caress your vessel as you travel the same waters that Jesus traveled.
The Sea of Galilee is Israel's largest freshwater lake. Located in the Great Rift, it is approximately 33 miles in circumference, about 13 miles long and 8 miles wide. It is fed with both underground springs and the Jordan River from the north. It is over 600 feet below sea level and is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth. It is not a sea by normal definition, but the Bible describes it as a "sea." It has other names like Lake Galilee and Lake Tiberias. In the Old Testament, it is also called the Sea of Kinnereth (derived from harp in Hebrew).
The Sea of Galilee was near the strategic Via Maris which linked Egypt with the empires to the north. Flourishing towns were all around the Sea during the time of Christ.
The Sea of Galilee throughout history was known to teem with fish. Josephus described 230 fishing boats working on the sea in his writing
Jesus came to the Mt of Olives each year during Passover. Many families stayed on this mountain next to the city. It is seperated from Jerusalem by the Kidron Valley.
On the night he was betrayed, Jesus once again was on the Mount of Olives, this time to pray. It was again Passover. Knowing his life was in danger, he wrestled with the knowledge that a quick ten minute walk up and over the Mount of Olives would have led him into the dark of Judean Wilderness and out of danger. But he chose to stay and face the cross.
This is the view from the Mt of Olives today.
