A Gold Standard Journey
Survey of the Bible
1-10 March 2018
$3,100 from the Chicago
including Israel and the West Bank
Plus
4 Day Elective
The Wonders of Jordan & Petra
$1,389
Returning 14 March 2018
Sponsored by
First United Methodist Church of Evanston
The Rev. Dr. Dean Francis
This pilgrimage will acquaint participants with the geographical and cultural settings of the New Testament and relate historical studies to contemporary dynamics in Israel, Palestine and Jordan. The pilgrimage will include morning and evening fora on historical and contemporary themes and visits with indigenous people. You will learn about the work of the United Methodist Church in the Holy Land. You will visit church supported mission sites. You will meet and have conversations with Israelis and Palestinians, Christians, Muslims and Jews who are involved in various types of peacemaking work. This pilgrimage is designed to introduce particpants to the state of the art of biblical studies in the Holy Land. The learning process will be contextual and experiential. We will endeavor especially to examine the moral dimensions of biblical learning and teaching. We are particularly interested in understanding how biblical studies and the biblical faith relates to the context of the Holy Land.
Please see the attached syllabus for more details.
Daily Itinerary
(tentative and subject to local circumstances):
individual preferences will be accomodated when possible
Day 1 Depart Chicago.
Day 2 Arrive Tel Aviv, transfer to Taybeh, touring as time permits, overnight in Taybeh.
Day 3 1st Century House/House of the Parables, Jericho, Tel es Sultan, Ein es Sultan (Joshua 5-7, Judges 1: 27- 36), Baptismal site—Qasr al Yehud (Mk. 1:1-12; Mt. 3: 1-4:17; Lk. 3: 1-22; 4: 1-13; Jn. 1: 1-42, (Matt 2: 23, Luke 1: 26- 38, Qumran, Overnight Taybeh
Day 4 Nablus/Shechem (John 4), Jezreel Valley, Kibbutz Mishmar ha Emek, Megiddo, (1 Kings 21, John 4: 46-54), Nazareth (Lk. 4: 16-30), The Basilica of the Annunciation, Sisters of Nazareth Convent (koch tombs), Sepphoris (time permitting), Overnight Galilee
Day 5 boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, Church of St. Peter’s Primacy (John 21), Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves (Mk. 6:30-44), Mt. of the Beatitudes (Luke 13: 10-21, Matt 5- 7, 11: 20- 24, Mark 4- 6, John 21), Jordan River Valley, Overnight Galilee
Day 6 Jordan River Valley, Bethlehem, Old City walking tour, Church of the
Nativity (Lk 2; Mt 2), Herodion, Shepherd’s Fields, Solomon’s Pools (time permitting), Overnight Bethlehem
Day 7 Mt. of Olives overview and orientation to Jerusalem, Dominus Flevit, Garden of Gethsemane, Israel Museum, Shrine of the Book, 2nd Temple Model, Overnight Bethlehem
Day 8 Old city walking tour including the Western Wall, Temple Mount/Harem esh Sharif, St. Ann’s Church, Via Dolorosa, Lithostratos, Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Mt. 27-28; John 20), free time at your leisure, optional visit to the so-called Garden Tomb, Overnight Bethlehem
Day 9 Free Day or Optional Touring-The Judean Wilderness Optional Field trip ($125 p/p based on 10 enrolled): Wadi Qelt overview, Masada, The Dead Sea, Overnight Bethlehem
Day 10 Transfer to Airport, departure and return to USA.
The Holy Land Gold Standard Journey
Sponsored by
First United Methodist Church of Evanston
The Rev. Dr. Dean Francis
4 Day Elective
The Wonders of Jordan
Wadi Rum and Petra
$1,389
Returning 14 March 2018
Day 10 Hebron, Cave of Macphelah/Ibrahimi Mosque, The Negev, Ein Avdat, Makhtesh Ramon, Araba crossing into Jordan, overnight Aqaba.
Day 11 Wadi Rum jeep safari (optional), Al Beidha (Neolithic settlement), Siq al Barid (Little Petra), overnight in Wadi Musa/Petra.
Day 12 Full day exploration of Petra, overnight in Wadi Musa/Petra.
Day 13 Shoback Castle (overview), Madaba, Mt. Nebo, overnight Amman.
Day 14 Return to USA.
*Meetings with indigenous people are subject to change. Appropriate substitutions will be made in the event that a speaker is unavailable.
” Daily itinerary is subject to local conditions, including weather, opening and closing hours, holidays, flight schedules, etc. Sometimes the order of the itinerary will change due to such circumstances and sometimes substitutions will be made. *Morning and evening fora on various topics will be arranged throughout the program.