Egypt and Israel

Days 1-2

Your group will take an overnight flight to Cairo, where a Joshua Expeditions tour director will meet you at the airport. You will spend your first morning in Egypt touring the Egyptian Museum Of Antiquities, which features the world's most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. You will see Tutankhamun's Treasure and the Mummy Room that showcases 11 of Egypt's most illustrious pharaohs. Later, you will take a guided tour of Coptic Cairo, one of the oldest-inhabited parts of the city. The Coptic neighborhood provides a fascinating link between Egypt's pharaonic and Islamic civilizations. During your walking tour the group will see the Hanging Church, the Abu Sarga church, and the Church of Saint Barbara. You will also visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue, which, according to Jewish tradition, is the site where the prophet Jeremiah preached in the 6th century B.C. The Copts believe it marks the site where Baby Moses was found in a basket. Afterward, your group will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant then conclude the day with devotions at your hotel.

Day 3

Today you begin your exploration of the treasures left by the ancient Egyptian civilizations. The day begins in the necropolis of Saqqara, which will include a guided tour that includes the impressive Step Pyramid of Zoser. You will see tombs belonging to nobles of the past, and the remains of Memphis, the world's first imperial city. After lunch, your group will spend the afternoon viewing the Pyramids of Giza, known as the sole surviving site of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. During the tour you will also see the legendary and mysterious Sphinx as well as take a camel ride as a wonderful way to view the spectacular site. Dinner and devotions will conclude the day.

Day 4

Early this morning you will take a guided tour of Mount Sinai, climbing the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments and staying to witness the sunrise. After breakfast at the hotel your group will visit Saint Catherine Monastery, said to be the oldest continuously functioning Christian monastery in existence. It is built around the Chapel of the Burning Bush, which dates to the 4th century A.D. and is thought to be built on the site of the original burning bush. Your visit will include the Museum of Relics and Icons featuring an array of perfectly preserved early manuscripts, richly decorated reliquaries, painted icons, and embroidery. Your final stop will be the Church of Saint Catherine (more properly known as the Basilica of the Transfiguration), which includes a small sampling of the monastery's rich collection of icons, as well as one of the best preserved Byzantine mosaics in the world. During the afternoon your group will return to Cairo via the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel under the Suez Canal and check into a hotel in late afternoon. Dinner and devotions will close the day.

Day 5

Today your group will embark on a scenic drive as you leave Egypt and cross the border into Israel. Late in the afternoon you will arrive at the hotel in Jerusalem and close the day with dinner and devotions.

Day 6

This morning your group will depart Jerusalem and travel to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth and one of the most fascinating places in Israel. You will enjoy a walk through desert and amid arid rock to visit the Qumran Caves, where a Bedouin shepherd boy discovered the famous Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. Later, you will visit Masada, a mountain fort that is world famous for its unique structure and history. The group will then ascend by cable car to explore these magnificent ancient ruins, which include Herod's three-tiered palace, the synagogue, the baths, the defending walls and the water cisterns that are still an amazing engineering feat to this day. The day’s tour will conclude as you experience the exquisite sensation of floating effortlessly upon the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea. Your group will transfer to a hotel in Eilat during the late afternoon and close the day with devotions.

Day 7

Following breakfast your group will visit the Sataf, a serene spot on the terraced slopes of Mount Eitan, where mountainous agriculture is practiced in the same manner it was by the Israelites thousands of years ago. Your next stop will be Beit Shemesh, where several important and unique archaeological discoveries have been made in recent digs. The city is mentioned notably in chapter 6 of the first book of Samuel as being the first city encountered by the Ark of the Covenant on its journey back from Philistine captivity. Your journey will continue along the Valley of Elah, best known as the place where the Israelites were camped when David fought Goliath, and your last stop of the day will be the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. This site is widely believed to be the tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea where the body of Jesus Christ was laid after His crucifixion. This moving visit will wrap up the day, and your group will share a time of devotions in the evening.

Day 8

On this morning your group will drive to the Mount of Olives, site of the Ascension of Christ. From its summit, the views of the Old City are spectacular! You will walk the path that Jesus took on his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (found in Luke 19) from the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane and end at the Church of All Nations. A walking tour of the Old City of Jerusalem will follow, taking you to St. Stephen's Gate and St. Anne's Church, the birthplace of Mary the mother of Christ, and then you will walk along the Via Dolorosa, following the Stations of the Cross to Calvary and visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Resurrection Tomb. You will see the golden-topped Dome of the Rock, considered the third holiest site in Islam, and stop at the Western Wall, known as the holiest site in the Jewish world. Winding your way through Jerusalem your group will view some of the nation's landmarks, including the State Supreme High Court, The Hebrew University, and the Knesset (Israel's Parliament). You will also make a brief photo stop by the Menorah before concluding your tour at the Second Temple Period Model of Jerusalem and the Shrine of the Book, where parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. A time will be set aside in the evening to share all that you experienced throughout the day.

Day 9

Your group will take a drive to Banias this morning to visit the largest waterfall in Israel and the remains of an ancient city by Caesarea Philippi. It was in this location that Jesus famously asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13-20). You will continue from here to Capernaum and view the remains of the ancient synagogue and the ruins built over the house of Peter. Continuing to Tabgha, your group will visit the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes, located on the site traditionally viewed as Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the multitude with loaves and two fishes. Your journey moves then to Kursi where Jesus healed a man possessed by demons (Mark 5:1-20), and then Yardenit, the famous baptismal site situated at the southern end of the Sea of Galilee where the Jordan River flows out of the sea on its way down to the Dead Sea. The afternoon will conclude with your travel along the Jordan Valley, passing by Jericho and Mount Temptation, where Jesus fasted and prayed for forty days. You will also pass by the traditional site of the Inn of the Good Samaritan as you ascend into Jerusalem for the night.

Day 10

This day begins with a visit to Jaffa’s Old City, site of Dorcas' resurrection and Peter's vision, and then you will enjoy a bus tour of Tel Aviv, the heart of commerce and culture in Israel. Your morning will continue along the Via Maris to scenic Caesarea, where Peter preached to Cornelius and his household. You will visit the Roman Theater and the fortifications built by the Crusaders, and your afternoon will take you to Megiddo, one of King Solomon's chariot cities, where you will view the amazing water system of King Ahab. You will also travel into the Valley of Armageddon, which some believe to be the location of the Last War at the End of Days. Your day of sightseeing will conclude in Nazareth, Jesus’ earthly hometown. You will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, one of Christendom's most revered shrines which was built on the site where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of the Messiah. You will also view Joseph's carpentry shop before heading into Tiberias for the night.

Day 11

Your group will set out in the morning toward Tel Aviv, where you will spend the night and prepare for the next day’s departure.

Day 12

Your group will board a flight this morning and return home!