Israel Study Abroad Seminar
June 1- June 17, 2018
Proposed Itinerary
(Subject to change depending upon conditions at the time)
Join Dr. Roy Blizzard, Bible Scholars and Canaan Tours for a unique and comprehensive study-travel abroad trip. We have designed a special itinerary that will allow you to see what the ordinary tourist to Israel would never have the opportunity to see. Our program is for 17 days and includes a 1 day visit to Petra in Jordan. The itinerary will be as follows below and our prices are yet to be determined but we are attempting to offer to you the lowest possible price for such a comprehensive program.
Daily Schedule
Day 1 – Departure will be on Friday, June 1, 2018 departing from New York to Tel-Aviv.
Day 2 – June 2 – Arrive in Israel and transfer to deluxe coach and to our hotel for the night.
Day 3 – June 3 – We will begin our study program at Tel Qasile which was excavated in 1968. Here we learn about the only Philistine temple ever excavated and view numerous artifacts from the excavation. From Tel Qasile, we will proceed north along the coastal plain to Caesarea to visit the magnificent ruins a site of numerous historical events. We will continue along the coast north to Mount Carmel and visit the most significant early man site in the world at the Carmel caves. We continue to Haifa through the Valley of Zebulon on to Tiberius and the Sea of Galilee where we will spend the night at the Prima Gailee in Tiberius.
Day 4 – June 4 – From Tiberius we will journey along the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee to the magnificent fortress of Gamla, also known as the northern Masada. From Gamla we proceed north to the Syrian border near Mount Hermon and stop at the beautiful crater lake known as Birket Ram. We will descent from the Golan Heights into the Hula Valley and visit the ruins of the crusader fortress of Nimrod. From Nimrod we will descend to the territory of ancient Caesarea Philippi to the head waters of the Jordan River at Banias. From Banias we will continue to Tel Dan, the northern limits of Israel in ancient times. From Dan we will proceed down the Hula Valley to return to Tiberius for the night.
Day 5 – June 5 – From Tiberius we will journey to Katzrin, an ancient city from the time of the Talmud. From Katzrin we will journey to Capernaum, the home of Peter, James and John and also for a time the home of Jesus. From Capernaum we will travel to Korazim, one of the cities cursed by Jesus, and on to Hazor. From Hazor we will journey to Safed before returning to Tiberius to spend the night.
Day 6 – June 6 – From Tiberius we will journey through the Turan Valley to Sepphoris, the traditional childhood home of Mary the mother of Jesus. From Sepphoris, we will pass through Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus, on our way to Megiddo. From Megiddo we will continue north to the ancient necropolis of Bet Shearim. From Bet Shearim, we will travel north to the ancient city of Akko and journey farther north to the Israeli-Lebanese border to Rosh HaNikra where we will visit some very interesting chalk caves along the Mediterranean Sea. From Rosh HaNikra we will return to Tiberius through the beautiful mountains of Northern Galilee.
Day 7 – June 7 – We leave Tiberius and journey south to the magnificent crusader fortress Belvoir, also known as the Star of Jordan. We will continue down the Jordan Valley to the magnificent site of Bet Shean, one of the most magnificent archaeological sites in Israel. From Bet Shean, we continue down the Jordan Valley past the Old Testament Jericho, New Testament Jericho and on to the Dead Sea. We will stop to visit in Jericho if the political situation allows. At the Dead Sea we will visit at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and proceed along the coast of the Dead Sea to Ein Gedi and to our hotel at the Dead Sea where we will spend the night Prima Oasis Dead Sea
Day 8 – June 8 – It will be an early morning departure to visit Masada, Herod’s magnificent fortress on the Dead Sea. We will continue to Ein Gedi and, hopefully, have the opportunity to climb up to the beautiful water fall descending into the Wadi David. It was here that David hid in the caves from Saul. From Ein Gedi we will proceed south through the Aravah all of the way to the Red Sea and our hotel along the shore of the Red Sea at Eilat, Prima Music at Eilat.
Day 9 – June 9 – We will have a unique opportunity to cross over into Jordan from Eilat and drive about two hours to the
magnificent city of Petra. Petra is one of the most unique and important archaeological sites in the world. We will have the opportunity to spend most of the day visiting Petra and on your return you will pass through the Wadi Rum where the movie “Lawrence of Arabia” was filmed (if time permits we might be able to stop). We will continue back to Eilat, crossing into Israel from Aqaba and spend the night back at our hotel on the Red Sea.
Day 10 – June 10 – Today will be a day for rest and relaxation at Eilat. You will have the opportunity for some optional activities: scuba diving, swimming in the Red Sea, spending most of the day on the Red Sea aboard a special yacht and/or visiting the underwater aquarium. None of these activities are included in the price of the trip as they are optional and available as you choose. You can also just spend the day relaxing on the beach on the Red Sea.
Day 11 – June 11 – Today we will leave Eilat and journey back along the Aravah to Solomon’s pillars and the ancient copper mines at Timna. We will continue on through the Wadi Paran where the tribes of Israel camped and continue north to Avadat and visit this ancient Nabataean/Roman site. From Avadat we continue through the wilderness of Tzin to Beersheva to visit the Biblical home of the Patriarchs located on the edge of the Negev. From Beersheva we will continue west through the Negev to the Philistine coastal plain and the ancient Philistine city of Ashkelon and on our way to Jerusalem and our hotel Prima Park Jerusalem
Day 12 – June 12 - From Jerusalem we will proceed south through the Shephelah, the rolling hill country, to view the magnificent tel of Lachish. From Lachish we will journey a short distance to Maresha to visit an interesting archaeological site and numerous caves and then to Bet Guvrin where we will visit a recently excavated Gladiatorial Arena. We will journey on through the rolling hill country to the Vale of Elah where David slew Goliath and continue to Jerusalem by way of Bet Shemesh where the Ark was brought from Ashkelon on a cart drawn by a milk cow. We will continue to our hotel in Jerusalem where we will stay for the remainder of our trip.
Day 13 – June 13 - We will begin our visit in Jerusalem at the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed to visit the model city of Jerusalem as it was from the time of Herod Agrippa, circa 66 CE. We will visit the Shrine of the Book
and view many of the Dead Sea Scrolls. We will continue directly to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the ancient city of Jerusalem as it appears today. From the Mount of Olives, we will continue to the Temple Mount and enter the old city through the Dung Gate. We will visit the archaeological excavations at the Temple Mount where Dr. Blizzard worked from 1968-73. We will visit the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock or the Mosque of Omar and walk down the Via Dolorosa visiting the Church of St. Anne and the Pool of Bethesda, the Ecce Homo Convent and exit the old city at the Damascus Gate. If conditions permit, we will continue to the City of David and the Pool of Siloam.
Day 14 – June – 14 In Jerusalem - Today we will begin our visit to the old city through the Joppa Gate. We will visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Citadel where we will be able to get a magnificent view of the entire old city from atop the tower of Phasaelus (Herod’s brother). From the Citadel we will continue walking along the walls of the old city and exit at the Zion Gate on Mount Zion where we will visit David’s tomb, the traditional room of the Last Supper and the Dormition Santa Maria church. We will continue walking adjacent to the walls of the old city to visit the Cardo and the Wohl Archaeological Museum and exit the city at the Dung gate.
Day 15 – June – 15 In Jerusalem - Today we journey south to Hebron to visit the Cave of Machpelah and the tomb of the patriarchs. From Hebron we will continue into the Judean desert to visit Herodian, the famous tomb of Herod the Great. Herod’s tomb was recently excavated here and, hopefully, you will have the opportunity to see the very place where Herod the Great was interred. From Herodian, we will return to Jerusalem and end our day at the Garden Tomb.
Day 16 – June 16 - In Jerusalem - Our last day in Jerusalem will begin with a visit to the traditional Garden Tomb. A short distance from the Garden Tomb are the tombs of the Kings and Tombs of the Sanhedrin. These important sites have been closed to tourists for some time but if we are lucky, we will be able to visit these unusual and important archaeological sites. In the afternoon we will visit one of the most moving of all of the sites in Israel or in Jerusalem, The Yad Vashem, the war memorial to the six million Jews who were killed during the Holocaust in World War II. We will return to our hotel in the early afternoon so you can begin to pack your suitcases and prepare to return home the next day.
Day 17 – June – 17 - In Jerusalem - Our flight is schedule for a late departure and return home, we will have time visit Nebi Samuel, the traditional burial place for the prophet Samuel. We have a late night checkout and a late dinner before our departure for the airport and our return flight home.
Please note: things not included tips guide-driver-hotel staff serving our group (a suggested breakdown will be provided). Expenses for meals not listed, beverage of any kind if not on the menu. Any service not mentioned as included. Border taxes/visa on Petra day trip from Eilat 62.00 per person these must be paid in cash no prepayment accepted.
**UPDATE**
We have managed to get 32 seats on good flights non-stop across the water:
Newark/Tel-Aviv United# 01 June 10:50p.m.- 4:20p.m. (next day arrival)
Tel-Aviv/Newark " 17 June 11:10p.m.- 4:10a.m.(arrival; 18 June)
Hotels:
15 rooms confirmed
June 02-03:Grand Beach Tel-Aviv
June 03-07:Restal Tiberias
June 07-08:Prima Oasis Dead Sea
June 08-11:Nova Hotel Eilat
June 11-17:Prima Park Jerusalem
Minimum 30 participants:$4,540.00 per person---single supplement:$1,040.00
Lesser numbers will bring us close to $5,000.00
Participants will have to ask us or purchase directly trip to/from Newark.
Inclusions:
-15 night accommodation and late check-out on the 17th!
-buffet breakfast and table d'hote dinner daily
-porterage at hotels and airport(Be Gurion)
-arrival/departure transfers from/to Ben Gurion
-one day tour of Petra
-a/c coach-entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary
Note: Visit of Hebron subject to security conditions !
Excluded:
-Visa expense at Petra payable in cash only
-border taxes and tips in Petra $65.00 per person
-local tips: to hotel staff-porters driver-guide
-expenses of personal nature
-any foodstuff or beverage which is not part of the table d'hote menu (food that is served in a restaurant as a complete meal at a fixed price but with little choice of dishes)
-any service not mentioned
We expect the tour to fill up quickly, so you should send your registration form (located at the top of this post) and $500 deposit in now.
