CHRISTMAS IN THE HOLY LAND WITH REV. DREXEL BRUNSON
Come join us on an amazing tour of Israel. We'll start off our tour on Christmas Evening in Manger Square, Bethlehem and then we'll set out on an amazing journey across Israel to explore all of the major highlights that gets us back in time for New Years!
Day 1 - Thursday - December 23rd, 2021 - (D)
- Depart Orlando, Florida
- Connect via JFK or Newark
Day 2 - Friday - December 24th, 2021 - (B/D)
- Arrive to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Immediately after passport control, our representative will assist you through luggage, customs and to your private, transfer vehicle.
- Travel directly from the airport to the Bethlehem border crossing
- Along the way, we’ll stop by the Elah Valley (where David fought Goliath) to pick our own 5 smooth stones.
- Check in to our hotel and relax from our journey
- In the evening, we’ll have a “welcome home” dinner at our hotel and have a short kick-off meeting to prepare for the days to come.
- After dinner, we’ll experience Christmas Evening in Bethlehem at Manger’s Square. Note: access to the church is only for the Greek Orthodox during the celebration. There are typically no exceptions.
- Overnight & Dinner: St. Gabriel Hotel (ranked #4 on TripAdvisor) or sim
Day 3 - Saturday - December 25th, 2021 - (B/D)
- This morning, we’ll explore other aspects of Christmas in Bethlehem, and Shepherds Fields and, if possible, tour parts of the Church of the Nativity.
- Next, we’ll travel to Jerusalem to enjoy a panoramic lookout from the Mount of Olives (II Sam 15:30; Numbers 19:1-10; Ezekiel 11:23; Ps. 122:3, 122:6, 125:2; Luke 21:37; Zech 14:4; John 8:1)
- Walk the Palm Sunday journey down the Mt. of Olives, stopping by Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the city (Luke 19:41-44) and engaging with the early Christian tombs discovered at the site.
- We’ll complete our journey to the base of the Mt. of Olives with a visit to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of all Nations (Matthew 26:36ff). Here, we’ll have a short time of gathering and prayer
- Next, we’ll enter the Old City from the famous Lion’s Gate,
- Then, we’ll see the Pools of Bethesda at the Church of St. Anne (John 5:1-9).
- We’ll walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, noting key archaeological details. Learn 7 reasons why Jesus was crucified there (Matt. 1:17; Matt 27; Luke 23; John 19)
- Walk via the Damascus Gate, to where Stephen was stoned (Acts 6:5-15; Acts 7:1-8:2).
- Visit the Garden Tomb, a modern alternative for the place of Jesus’ crucifixion. Guided by a local volunteer guide.
- Visit the Upper Room and David’s Tomb on Mt. Zion.
- We’ll end the day at the Israel Museum where we’ll see where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed (Shrine of the Book) and a fabulous model of the 2nd temple period.
- In the evening, you’ll have some time to Bazaar shop in Bethlehem.
- Overnight & Dinner: Olive Tree Hotel or Leonardo Jerusalem, or the new Lady Stern Jerusalem
Day 4 - Sunday - December 26th, 2021 - (B/D)
- Have an early departure for the Temple Mount to see the site of the former Jewish temples and the current Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque.
- Say a prayer at the Wailing Wall and admire the grandeur of this sacred spot for the Jewish people.
- Visit the Southern Wall Excavations (Davidson Center) and walk up the 1st century steps of the Temple.
- Visit the newest excavations in the City of David and wade through Hezekiah’s tunnel, and visit the Pool of Siloam (II Sam 5:7-9; II Chr. 32:2-5; I Kings 1:33, 1:38-40; II Kings 20:20, 25:1-9; Ps. 48:12-13; Isa. 22:11; John 9:6-11)
- Have lunch and some shopping time on your own in the Jewish Quarter
- Visit the Jewish Quarter to see Hezekiah's Broad Wall (II Kings 20:22; II Chr. 32:3-5; Isaiah 22:9-10 & the reconstructed Cardo, the north-south street that ran through the city in the Roman and Byzantine periods.
- Have lunch in the Jewish Quarter, with an optional visit to the Third Temple Institute.
- We’ll end our day at the Yad vaShem, Holocaust Memorial.
- Overnight & Dinner: Olive Tree Hotel or Leonardo Jerusalem, or the new Lady Stern Jerusalem
Day 5 - Monday - December 27th, 2021 - (B/D)
- This morning, we’ll depart Bethlehem & Jerusalem and travel to the Dead Sea to visit Masada, Herod the Great’s desert fortress and the last stand for the Jewish rebels in 73 CE (Luke 11:21-22).
- Next, we’ll visit the desert of Ein Gedi where David hid from King Saul (Isa 35:7; I Sam. 23:29, 24:1-22)
- Next, we’ll visits Qumran, where some of the Dead Sea Scroll caves were copied and Cave 11
- Have a dip in the Dead Sea
- Overnight: Prima Oasis Dead Sea or Jericho Resort Village hotel
Day 6 - Tuesday - December 28th, 2021 - (B/D)
- Lookout over the Judean Desert and the Monastery of St. George in Wadi Kelt
- Visit Lazarus Tomb in Bethany
- Visit Tel Jericho (Josh 3:15-16, 6:1-27; II Kings 2:4-5, 2:18-22; Matt. 4:1-11, Mark 10:46-52; Luke 19:1-10), where the walls came tumbling down, and lookout over the Mount of Temptation.
- Visit the baptismal site of Qasr El Yahud, where John most likely performed his baptisms (Matthew 3:13; Mark 1:9), and where you too will have the opportunity to be baptized!
- Drive up the Jordan Valley
- See Gideon’s Spring (Mayan Harod) and watch Judges 4 come to life.
- Have a quick stop by Tel Jezreel, and see the home of Naboth’s vineyard
- Enjoy the rest of the day floating in the Dead Sea, the hotel’s spa or enjoying the hotel’s amenities.
- Overnight & Dinner: Emily’s Hotel, Tiberias
Day 7 - Wednesday - December 29th, 2021 - (B/D)
- Walk in the Arbel Pass, Jesus’ passageway to the Sea of Galilee.
- Visit the pre-70 synagogue at Magdala.
- Next up is a visit to the Mt. of Beatitudes (Matthew 5)
- Drive through the Hulah Valley, possibly the Waters of Merom (Joshua 11:5).
- Explore the Temple of Pan at Caesarea Phillipi (Matt. 16:13-28).
- Walk about Bethsaida, the birthplace of 5 of the 12 disciples (and the ancient Israelite town of Geshur (Matthew 11:21; Mark 8:22; Luke 9:10; John 1:44).
- Enjoy lunch on your own by the Sea of Galilee at St. Peters Fish Restaurant.
- Delve into the archaeological remains at Capernaum, mentioned more times in the New Testament than any other city except Jerusalem (Matthew 4:13, 8:5, 11:23, 17:24; Mark 2:1, 9:33; Luke 4:23; John 2:12).
- Visit the 1st century Galilee boat at Ginosar’s Yigal Allon Museum. Was this a boat similar to the one the disciples used?
- Set sail on the Sea of Galilee and hear the music and singing of Dani Carmel, a local Messianic. While on board, we’ll experience the silence of the Sea as well and see how a fisherman casts his net.
- Overnight & Dinner: Emily’s Hotel, Tiberias
Day 8 - Thursday - December 30th, 2021 - (B/D)
- We’ll begin our final day of touring with a visit to Cana of Galilee (John 2), the site of Jesus’ first miracle
- Next, we’ll visit the 1st century town of Sephoris, built by Herod Antipas, and likely the place where Joseph served as a carpenter.
- Next, we’ll visit Nazareth, to see the Church of the Annunciation and the Synagogue Church.
- We’ll then travel to Mt. Carmel to have lunch and visit the site of Muhraka, where Elijah fought the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
- Our final site of the tour will be Caesarea Maritima: Herod’s Port City. We’ll explore the Roman Theatre, the Praetorium (Governor’s Palace), the Hippodrome and the fabulous Roman Aqueduct. Caesarea was the home of Pontius Pilate, the scene for Cornelius and Peter (Acts 10:1) the imprisonment of Paul (Acts 23:23), the home of Philip the Evangelist a (Acts 8:40; 21:9) and the opening scene for the Great Jewish Revolt in 66 CE.
- Here, we’ll have a farewell dinner by the ancient port city OR in Tel Aviv
- At approximately 21:00, we will transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for our departure flight home.
- Depart Israel
Day 9 - Friday - December 31st, 2021 - (B/)
- Arrive back in the USA

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