October 29, Sunday: Depart New York – Fly Tel Aviv

October 30, Monday: Arrive Tel Aviv
Upon arrival at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport, you will be met by TUTKU representative with a “BAS – TUTKU” sign. After collecting our luggage, we will head to meet our Tour Guide Dr. David McCabe and then drive to hotel in Tel Aviv for dinner and overnight. (D)

October 31, Tuesday: Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, Mt. Tabor – Tiberias
After breakfast, drive to the ruins of Caesarea, a large port city built by Herod the Great to honor Caesar Augustus. His city included a theater, a hippodrome, and an aqueduct system stretching from the springs of Mt. Carmel to Caesarea. The Book of Acts refers to Caesarea as the city Peter visited (Acts 10). Continue to Mt. Carmel where we visit the Carmelite Monastery of Muhraka to survey the site where God caused Elijah to defeat the priests of Baal, and also take in a wonderful view of the Jezreel Valley. On to Megiddo where archaeologists uncovered 20 civilizations built one upon another. At this site, King Solomon built his vast stables and, in 609 BC, King Josiah died in battle. Drive to Mt. Tabor. Take a taxi to the top of the mountain and visit the Church of the Transfiguration. Enjoy an outstanding view of the Jezreel Valley where the battle of Deborah and the Canaanites took place (Judges 5). Continue on to the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 1, Wednesday: Hazor, Dan, Banias – Caesarea Philippi, Golan Heights – Evening Lecture
Travel north to visit Hazor, one of the largest biblical sites in Israel (and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). We will then proceed to Dan, on the northern border of the biblical kingdom of Israel. There we will walk to the headwaters of the Jordan River and visit the extensive excavations. A short drive will take us to Banias/Caesarea Philippi, the place where Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ (Matthew 16:16). From there, drive up to the Golan Heights and get a view into Syria (if local conditions permit). Time permitting, visit Katzrin where there is a well-preserved synagogue and reconstructed houses. After dinner, we will have a special lecture by Prof. Motti Aviam, Kinneret College. (B,D)

November 2, Thursday: Visit a Dig Site in Northern Israel
Today we will join Prof. Motti Aviam to tour an ongoing archaeological excavation in northern Israel. We will have in-depth explanations regarding the excavation site and the opportunity to learn firsthand about new discoveries and progress made in the field. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 3, Friday: Sea of Galilee, Jesus’s Ministries
Begin our day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, visit the first-century fishing boat that is now in a museum, and continue on to the well-preserved first-century synagogue at Magdala. We will then visit the Mt. of Beatitudes and Capernaum, Jesus’s “home” for a good portion of his ministry. We will visit Corazim with its reconstructed synagogue. Return to Tiberias for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 4, Saturday: Sepphoris, Nazareth Overlook, Jericho, Jordan River – Jerusalem
Visit Sepphoris, just north of Nazareth, with its beautiful mosaic floors. Continue to visit Mt. Precipice where we will have a wonderful view of the Jezreel Valley. We continue on to visit the site of Jezreel, where Naboth had a vineyard that was coveted by the Israelite King Ahab. We will then drive south through the Jordan Valley and visit ancient Jericho where the “walls came tumbling down.” End our day at the Jordan River where the Israelites entered the land of Canaan and where John performed his baptisms. Continue through the Judean hills to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 5, Sunday: Mt. of Olives, Gethsemane, Old City, Holy Sepulcher, Garden Tomb
We begin our day with a spectacular view of Jerusalem from the top of the Mt. of Olives. As we walk down the mount, we will stop at Dominus Flevit, the church that commemorates Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, and the Garden of Gethsemane—the site of Jesus’s Passion. We will view the Kidron Valley and afterwards enter the Old City at the Lion’s Gate. We will visit St. Anne’s Church and the Pools of Bethesda continuing on the Via Dolorosa to Umariyah Boys’ School for a view of the Temple Mount/Noble Sanctuary and then to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher—the traditional site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. End our day at the Garden Tomb and Gordon’s Calvary. Dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 6, Monday: Bethlehem, Mt. Zion, Western Wall , Albright Institute
Start our day and drive to Bethlehem where we will visit the Church of the Nativity and have some time for shopping. Return to Jerusalem to visit the room of the last supper and King David’s tomb at Mt. Zion. Walk through the Jewish Quarter to view Judaism’s holiest site, the Western Wall. In the afternoon, visit the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research located in East Jerusalem. It is the oldest American research center for archaeology and biblical studies in the Middle East.
Jerusalem for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 7, Tuesday: City of David, Wohl Museum, Yad Vashem, Israel Museum
We start our day at the City of David where we will visit Warren’s Shaft, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, and the Pool of Siloam. Be sure to bring a flashlight and waterproof shoes to walk through the tunnel. Anyone wanting to stay dry can walk through the dry Canaanite tunnel. Continue to the Wohl Museum. Then drive to visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and Museum. Afterwards, continue on to visit the Israel Museum where we will see the Dead Sea Scrolls, a model of Jerusalem’s Second Temple, and other highlights of the Israel Museum. After dinner, enjoy a special lecture by Prof. Aren Maeir, Bar-Ilan University. (B,D)

November 8, Wednesday: Dead Sea, Masada, Qumran
Drive east from Jerusalem to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. Visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. Afterwards, drive to Masada, a natural fortress with majestic ruins overlooking the Dead Sea.Take a cable car to the top of the plateau for a tour. Jewish zealots held the rock for several months in 73 AD under siege by the 10th Roman Legion. The Romans finally took the fortress by building a massive attack ramp that has survived to the present day. Then drive back north, stopping at Kalia Beach on the Dead Sea for a possible float in the water. Continue to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

November 9, Thursday: Departure
You will be transferred to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport for your flight back home.