Be at the Portland Airport at least 3 hours prior to your departure for international check-in procedures. Meals and inflight services are per airline policies.

In Europe change aircraft and fly nonstop flight to Cairo. Upon arrival proceed through passport control into customs to meet your escort. He will transfer you to your hotel.

Visit the Cairo Museum of Antiquities. Explore two galleries of the King Tut exhibit, in addition to other ancient artifacts of Egyptian culture. Continue to the pyramids of Giza (Cheops). Ride a camel to the Sphinx (keep a $3 tip hand for the trip's end). View the pyramids and the adjacent Sphinx. Visit a nearby Papyrus Factory. Depart for Memphis (the ancient capital of Egypt from 3000-2700 BC), and proceed to the Step Pyramid, the oldest in Egypt (funerary for King Djoser). Return to your Cairo lodging.

Depart Cairo for the Nile delta region (biblical Land of Goshen) and the Suez Canal. Continue to explore the traditional Exodus route of the Israelites to Mt. Sinai. Proceed via Ein Musa, Wadi Suder, Ain Hawarah, Wadi Gharundel, and Abu Zeneimeh. Continue via Wadi Feiran, Plain of Rahah, the Feiran Oasis, view Mt. Serbal, and arrive Mt. Sinai.

Ascend in the dark to the top of Mt. Sinai (Bedouins provide camels and donkeys for the 2 1/2 hour ascent up Mt. Sinai for $15 plus a small tip). Watch the sunrise and we recommend walk down for breakfast. Visit St. Catherine's Monastery. Depart via the Watiya Pass (the "Manna trees") to Neuweiba. Speed across the Red Sea by speed boat (self-porterage) to Aqabah for an arrival in Jordan, and continue to lodging at Petra.

At Petra walk for 2 1/2 miles via the Siq to the ruins of the Rose City. The Nabataean ruins include hundreds of burial chambers and the famous Treasury House. Nearby, the Roman theater seats 3000. Ascend the ancient High Place of Sacrifice, over viewing the Roman theater below. Return to the Petra hotel for lodging and dinner.

Depart the Rose City for the Kings' Highway (5000 years old). Pass biblical Zered (Wadi Hasa), Kir-hareseth, biblical Arnon (Wadi Mujib), and continue to Mt. Nebo for Moses' view of the Promised Land. Continue to Madeba. Lodging is at Amman.

Depart Amman for a ridge overview of the Jabbok River (Jacob wrestles the angel of God), is named Israel. Continue to Jerash to view the impressive ruins of the Cardo Maximus, the Forum, and more. Attend RACE, the dramatic staging of 40 Roman soldiers, 20 gladiators and a stable of 20 horses in chariot races. Continue northward to Umm Queis (Gadara). Consider the presence of the cities of the Decapolis. Descend Wadi Yarmuk. Follow the Jordan River to Pella where Christians fled after the Jewish revolt. Cross the Sheik Hussein Bridge into Israel. Proceed to the Sea of Galilee for dinner and lodging.

Circle the sea visiting sites of Jesus' ministry. Depart for the Yarmuk River and ascend the Aphek Plateau for an unobstructed view of the Sea of Galilee from Kfar Haruv. Continue past Kource ("demons into the swine") to Bethsaida, home of Peter, Philip, Andrew. Visit the Mt. of Beatitudes, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). Optional is a foot descent to the seaside of Tabgha. Visit Capernaum, the center for Jesus' Galilean ministry. Optional is a lunch-break to sample St. Peter's fish. Sail the sea in the Jesus Boat, a double-scale replica of a Roman fishing boat. Visit the modern baptismal site of the Jordan River.

Depart the Sea of Galilee for Tel Beth-shean. From the ruins of Scythopolis consider the demise of Saul, Israel's first king. View ruins of the only Decapolis city west of the Jordan. Visit the Spring of Harod, Jezreel and Mt. Gilboa. Depart for the Mt. Arbel cliffside overview of the center of Jesus' operations at Galilee.

Depart for Nazareth to visit Jesus' hometown and Mary's Well. Descend the Nazareth ridge into the Jezreel Valley and continue to Megiddo, the NT Armageddon of Rev. 16. At the site visit the excavations and the water tunnel. Proceed to Muhraqa on Mt. Carmel (Elijah encounters the prophets of Baal). Continue to Caesarea Maritima , Acts 10, the encounter of Peter with Cornelius, a "god-fearer". Recall Paul standing before Festus and Felix. Continue for an overview of the recent excavations, the theater, port and Roman aqueducts. Depart directly for Jerusalem, a first view of the Old City from Mt. Scopus and an ancient

Genesis welcome.

Visit the Mt. of Olives for orientation to Jerusalem's Old City (Ps. 122). Walk the traditional Palm Sunday route past the Dominus Flevit Church to the Garden of Gethsemane. Proceed to the Dung Gate and enter the Ophel Ridge to walk on the Herodian street that Jesus walked on, and view the Temple foundation. Walk to the Temple steps from Jesus' time, the one place where we know Jesus walked and taught (Lk. 19-21). Depart for the Judaean Hills and Bethlehem. From Manger Square walk uphill to Tarajmeh Street (guide's street). Turn left and visit Second Temple caves at the Lutheran church. Walk through the shuq (market) to the Manger Square and visit the Church of the Nativity. Also visit the caves beneath the St. Catherine's Church, including the cave of St. Jerome. Take time for some olivewood shopping before returning to Jerusalem.

Enter the Dung Gate to visit the Western Wall (Bar Mitzvahs this morning). Ascend the Temple Mount to view the Dome of the Rock. Continue to the intact St. Anne's Crusader Church (hymn-sing?), the Pools of Bethesda, and the Ecce Homo Arch. Walk the Via Dolorosa through the market place into the Jewish Quarter. Enter the Wohl Archaeology Museum for the underground exposure to Upper Jerusalem of Jesus' time. Continue to the Zion Gate, Mt. Zion and the Upper Room. Visit the Israeli Museum to view biblical artifacts: the Davidic inscription from Tel Dan, the Holy of Holies from Arad, the ossuary of Caiaphas the High Priest and the Shrine of the Book.

At the Damascus Gate ascend the wall surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City. Walk the wall around the Christian Quarter to the Jaffa Gate. Descend the wall and walk through the Armenian Quarter to the Dung Gate and the City of David. Enter the Gihon Spring and walk by candlelight through the ancient Hezekiah’s Tunnel (bring old shoes for the knee-deep water). At the end of the tunnel awaits the Pool of Siloam and the Jn. 9 story of the man who was blind at birth. At noon proceed to the Jerusalem Garden Tomb for a private tour and communion. After sharing, the balance of the day is at leisure for personal interests in Jerusalem.

Depart Jerusalem for Masada. Motor beside the Dead Sea to the fortress. Ascend by cable car. View the ruins of the Zealots last stand against Roman forces, including the siege ramp and the synagogue. Swim in the Dead Sea and continue to Ein Gedi (David and Saul). Walk the path to the waterfall. Depart for Qumran to view the caves. Return to Jerusalem.

DAY 17 Mar 30 Sun  DEPARTURE FOR USA

Region: Coast of Sharon

Transfer to the Tel Aviv Airport for the return flight to the USA. Fly while reliving the experiences of having traced the Exodus journey, and walked and learned the land of the Bible. Clear customs upon arrival at the USA.