Christmas in the Holy Land 2020

This morning we step back in time to when the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. This area is also important to such Old Testament incidents as the battle of Gideon and Deborah, along with the prophesied Battle of Armageddon. Our drive from Mount Carmel will take us to Nazareth, Jesus’ boyhood village, and the Church of Annunciation. We will then continue to Galilee and visit the Sea of Galilee Boat Museum where we will view an ancient fishing boat from the 1st Century AD, like those used by the fishermen in the Gospels. Enjoy a sunset boat trip on the Sea of Galilee before we check-in at our hotel.

Overnight: Sea of Galilee

Today we will visit many sites important to Jesus’ ministry including Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ activities in Galilee. Here, Jesus taught in the local synagogue and it was the hometown of the apostles Peter, James, Andrew, John, and the tax collector Matthew. A short stop in Tabgha, site of the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, will take us to St Peter’s Primacy where Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.
We then travel to Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount before we explore the ruins at Caesarea Philippi and Peter’s mother-in-laws home. A pivotal point in Jesus’ ministry came at Banias when Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do people say I am?”

Overnight: Sea of Galilee

A very special start to our day as we visit the River Jordan and a traditional Baptism site – if you wish to be baptised in its holy waters we would be most happy to oblige. We will pass Mount Tabor, the traditional Mount of Transfiguration and follow the Jordan Valley to Jericho. Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and it is where Jesus healed a blind beggar. When we visit the Holy Land, we make sure we go “up” to Jerusalem, and excitement mounts as we drive into this very special city with an overview from Mount Scopus.

Overnight: Jerusalem

A morning view to make your heart sing – yes, you are in the Holy City at Christmas time! From the Mount of Olives, we will enjoy an eye-opening moment overlooking Jerusalem before visiting the Church of the Pater Noster, the site on which Jesus taught his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. To commemorate the Ascension, Emperor Constantine built a church over a cave here in the 4th Century and today we can see it partially reconstructed. Together we will walk the Palm Sunday Path and visit the little teardrop shaped Church of Dominus Flevit, recalling the Gospel incident when Jesus wept over the future fate of Jerusalem. We will visit the Garden of Gethsemane where our Lord prayed, and his disciples slept the night before his crucifixion. The Basilica of Agony enshrines a section of the bedrock where Jesus prayed before his arrest. We enter the Old City through the Lion’s Gate and visit the Pools of Bethesda. We then walk the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa. We will be inspired by Christendom’s holiest of sites, the Church of the HolySepulchre, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. From here we go to Mount Zion and marvel at the Cenacle or “Upper Room”, the site of the Last Supper, before visiting the beautiful Dormition Abbey. What a truly wonderful day.

Overnight: Jerusalem

This morning we visit the Western Wall and the Cardo in the ancient heart of Jerusalem. We will view the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, before visiting the Israel Museum. See a model of Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book. This afternoon we make a guided visit of the Garden Tomb and we finish the day with the dinner in the Old City before enjoying the Tower of David Sound and Light Show in the evening.

Overnight: Jerusalem

We step back in time as we travel to Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Lord Jesus, to see the Church of the Nativity. Bethlehem has a large Christian community so there are decorations everywhere, a huge Christmas tree in Manger Square and Christmas music can be heard on the streets. We will then sit in an area overlooking The Shepherd’s Fields – despite the growth in housing around them, these grazing pastures have changed very little since the time of Jesus’ birth. Singing Christmas Carols will never be the same after we have shared in a few from this vantage point “O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant ... O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem”.

We return to our hotel to celebrate Christmas Eve as part of a Christian family. With the angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King!

Overnight: Jerusalem

Happy Christmas! What an amazing experience to be here in the Holy Land celebrating Jesus’ birth. This will be a unique Christmas experience for us all as we celebrate in the Old City of Jerusalem. We rejoice as wecome together for a service of worship in Christ Church, an Anglican church located inside the Jaffa Gate and opposite King David's citadel. It is the oldest Protestant Church building in the Middle East. Following worship, our destination is the American Colony Hotel for a Christmas banquet. After lunch we will visit El Karem, the birthplace of John the Baptist, the heralder of the coming of Jesus. What a joyous Christmas celebration we have shared!

Overnight: Jerusalem

Enjoy some free time on Saturday morning to relax or do some last- minute shopping before transferring to the airport for our return flight to Australia. We depart the Holy Land after a very special Christmas that has brought our Bible to life.

We arrive back to Australia Sunday evening after a truly memorable Christmas holiday. What a blessing to have shared such incredible experiences with wonderful like-minded people.