(New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, Boston or San Francisco) - You will fly Turkish Airlines to ISTANBUL and transfer for your flight from Istanbul to Ben Gurion Airport in TEL AVIV.

Arrive Tel Aviv airport. After going through customs at Ben Gurion Airport, we meet our TUTKU representative who will be holding a “THE JESUS TOUR – TUTKU” sign. We get our luggage, meet our Jewish tour guide, and drive from the airport to our hotel for dinner and to spend the night. (D)

After breakfast we depart Tel Aviv and drive 30 miles north along the Mediterranean Coast to the large archaeological site of CAESAREA. Built by King Herod the Great, Caesarea is a Roman port city named for Caesar Augustus and includes a theater, hippodrome, and Herod’s palace. It was in Caesarea that the evangelist Philip made his home (Acts 8, 21:8), Peter visited Cornelius (Acts 10:1-11:18), and Paul was imprisoned for approximately two years (see Acts 24:27) before being sent to Rome for his trial (Acts 26:30- 32). From Caesarea we drive drive 40 miles to spend considerable time in NAZARETH, the hometown of Jesus. In Nazareth we will experience the “Nazareth Village,” and visit the large Church of the Annunciation. From Nazareth we drive 20 miles to Ramada by Wyndham Nazareth on the shore of Lake Galilee for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

After breakfast we drive 45 miles to CAESAREA PHILIPPI in northern Israel at the foothills of Mount Hermon, which was probably the location of the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1). Caesarea Philippi was the thriving capital of Herod Philip at the headwaters of the Jordan River. It was originally called Paneas because it was here the god Pan and other pagan gods were worshipped. Herod the Great built a white marble temple here to the Roman emperor. It was here that Peter declared that Jesus was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13). From Caesarea Philippi we drive 45 miles to the PLAIN OF BETHSAIDA on the northeastern coast of Lake Galilee, where Jesus supernaturally fed 5,000 men (Matthew 14:15-21). The town of Bethsaida was build by Herod Philip, and today is probably the excavated mound called el-Tell. Bethsaida was the hometown of Peter, Andrew, and Philip. Jesus condemned Bethsaida for rejecting him and his miracles (Luke 10:13-16). After driving through the Plain of Bethsaida we visit the archaeological site of KURSI located on the eastern shore of Lake Galilee at the foothills of the Golan Heights. Kursi is the location where Jesus cast demons out of a wild demonized man and sent the demons into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8:28-34). A large Byzantine church and monastery was built here in the 400s. From Kursi we drive south around Lake Galilee and return to Ramada by Wyndham Nazareth for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

After breakfast we take a BOAT RIDE on Lake Galilee, and then we visit the Ginosar/Gennesaret Museum that houses the remains of a first century fishing boat called the “JESUS BOAT.” This is the type of boat used by Jesus and his disciples when traveling across Lake Galilee. After viewing the Jesus Boat we drive a few miles to spend a considerable amount of time visiting CAPERNAUM. The excavated biblical site of Capernaum was the headquarters of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4:13-16). It has a white limestone synagogue built over the black basalt first-century synagogue where Jesus ministered. Near the synagogue is a modern church built over the house of Peter. Next to the Capernaum site is the beautiful grounds of the Greek Orthodox Church called the Church of the Twelve Apostles. This Church represents Jesus choosing his Twelve Apostles. From Capernaum we drive to nearby TABGHA, where seven springs flowing into Lake Galilee. Tabga is a spacious region that was uninhabited during the time of Jesus and was a fishing area. It is the location where Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow him (Matthew 4:18-22). At Tabgha we visit the Church of the Primacy of Peter that commemorates Jesus meeting his apostles after his resurrection (John 21:1–14). From Tabgha we drive to visit the MOUNT OF BEATITUDES and the Church of the Beatitudes. It is the location of Jesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12; Luke 6:20-23) and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:13-7:29, Luke 6:24-49, 9:1-5, 12:22-32). It is also probably the location where Jesus chose his Twelve Apostles and gave them the Great Commission after his resurrection (Matthew 28:16-20). From the Mount of the Beatitudes there is a beautiful view of the four-mile long fertile Plain of Gennesaret where Jesus ministered to large crowds of people (Matthew 14:34; John 6:21). We drive back to the Ramada by Wyndham Nazareth for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

Our conference day takes place in the CHURCH OF MAGDALA that is dedicated to the women disciples of Jesus. Magdala was probably the home of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2). This beautiful church contains a replica of a first century fishing boat. The excavated biblical town of MAGDALA has a first century synagogue where Jesus taught, and there are remains of a prosperous fish processing industry. During his ministry, Jesus’ boat landed on the Plain of Magadan (Dalmanutha) (Mark 8:9-10).

The teaching schedule and the tour of Magdala is:

Dinner and Overnight at Ramada by Wyndham Nazareth (B,L,D)

After breakfast we depart Galilee and drive 45 miles down the Jordan River Valley to the BAPTISMAL SITE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST on the Jordan River. It is located across the river from the modern nation of Jordan, and is near Bethany in the biblical region of Perea. Today it is called Qasr el-Yehud (Castle of the Jews). This is the area where Israel entered the Promised Land (Joshua 3:1-5:12), and where Jesus was water-baptized (Matthew 3:13-17).
If tour participants are interested, we can baptize you in the Jordan River.
From the baptismal site we drive six miles to visit JERICHO, where Jesus was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-2), Jesus healed Bartimaeus (Matthew 20:29-34), and ministered to Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). From Jericho we drive 20 miles up a steep road through the Judea Wilderness to the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem. The geographical context of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) is located on this steep road. On our way to Jerusalem we visit the town of BETHANY located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Bethany is the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:7- 44). We visit the Tomb of Lazarus from which Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:1–44). We then drive a few miles to the Leonardo Hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

After breakfast we drive around 60 miles down to the MASADA NATIONAL PARK on west coast of the Dead Sea. Here we take a cable car up to visit Herod the Great’s Masada Fortress. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple during the First Jewish-Roman War in AD 70—an event that Jesus prophesied would happen (Luke 19:41-44)—the Romans sieged Masada from AD 73-74 to kill the last remaining Jewish rebells of the War. From Masada we drive 35 miles to visit the archaeological site of QUMRAN NATIONAL PARK. Qumran was the home of the isolated Jewish Essenes religious community at the time of Jesus, and is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 12 caves from 1946-1956. From Qumran we drive 30 miles back to Jerusalem and the Leonardo Hotel for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

After breakfast we begin our day with a spectacular view of Jerusalem from the top of the MOUNT OF OLIVES. After walking down the hill toward Jerusalem we visit the CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS (Church of Agony) and the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE (Matthew 26:36). It was in Gethsemane where Jesus prayed and was arrested (Matthew 26:36-50). After walking across the Kidron Valley we enter the OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM at the Lion’s Gate and visit the Pools of Bethesda where Jesus healed a crippled man (John 5:2-9). From there we walk the mile-long Via Delorosa—the traditional “Way of the Cross”—that ends at the Eastern Orthodox CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER. Although the Holy Sepulcher is filled with incense and is an overbearing religious atmosphere for some, it is probably the area where Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection took place. After the Holy Sepulcher we have FREE TIME to explore the Old City of Jerusalem as couples or in small groups. Then you will walk back to the Leonardo Hotel for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

After breakfast we drive six miles to BETHLEHEM where we visit the SHEPHERD’S FIELD (Luke 2:8-20) and the CHURCH OF NATIVITY (Luke 2:6- 7). From Bethlehem we return to Jerusalem and walk through the Jaffa Gate to view KING HEROD THE GREAT’S PALACE (Tower of David). It was here where the the Magi met with King Herod (Matthew 2:7-8) and the Roman trial of Jesus took place under Pontius Pilate (Matthew 26:57-68). From King Herod’s Palace we walk through Zion Gate to MOUNT ZION and visit the traditional sites of the Upper Room of the Last Supper (Luke 22:14-16) and King David’s tomb. We then walk down the hill to the CHURCH OF SAINT PETER GALLICANTU (Rooster’s Crow). It was here where the Palace of the High Priest Caiaphas was located, Peter denied Jesus, and where the Jewish trial of Jesus took place (Matthew 26:62-66). Then we walk along the wall of Jerusalem down the hill to oversee the City of David (1 Chronicles 11:7). Entering the Dung Gate into the Old City, we visit the WESTERN (Wailing) WALL of the TEMPLE MOUNT. From the Western Wall we drive a few miles to the traditional Protestant site of Jesus’ death and resurrection at GARDEN TOMB and GORDON’S CALVARY, where we will end our tour by taking communion together. After communion we take a short walk back to the Leonardo Hotel for dinner and to spend the night. (B,D)

After an early breakfast, we drive 35 miles to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport for our flight back home. All services of the tour ends here.