Israel Itinerary

Your Biblical Study Trip begins before you even arrive in the land of the Bible with our all new Biblical Foundations Course. Access to this online course is included as part of your program fee, and will be available to you about 2 months prior to your study trip dates so that the information is fresh on your mind, with a couple weeks of flex built in. The course will include information, teaching, and reading recommendations specific to your Israel program to help you prepare for this incredible journey. The course includes weekly lessons, 20-30 minutes long, with video teachings by Geoff Carroll and a recommended reading schedule to immerse you in the texts we will study together on site. Maps and illustrations are also provided for some basic introduction of the places, time-periods, and themes of our study so you can arrive ready to soak up all that this journey has to offer you; heart, soul, and might.

Today you begin your journey to Israel. For most flight itineraries and with the timezone adjustment (Israel is 7-8 hours ahead of TN) you will arrive a calendar day after your departure date. We recommend you arrive to the airport 2-3 hours ahead of your flight, and ensure you have plenty of water so you can stay hydrated in-flight (helps with jetlag). Rest and get ready for your adventure!

*For those who wish to depart one day earlier for additional recovery time from jetlag, you can depart the USA on Saturday, March 25, 2028, arriving to Israel on Sunday, March 26. We will hold an extra night in the group hotel reservations (cost to be announced, likely $200 pp), or you can pick a hotel of your choosing, and rendezvous by taxi to the the group hotel on Sunday, March 26 as you prefer. Airport transfers and travel in Tel Aviv area are easily arranged by taxi from the airport and from your hotel reception.

Our study program officially begins when the group traveling on the “recommended group flight itinerary” arrives to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) on Monday, March 27. The group will be met by Geoff Carroll, and we will load the motor coach that will be your transportation for the duration of your study trip. Depending on flight arrival time (TBD), we may have some bonus sites to stretch your legs and introduce the experience in the Tel Aviv area. We will provide options for those arriving early to join us in this case, or, alternately, rendezvous for a group meeting in the hotel together our first evening before dinner. Dinner and overnight at a hotel in the Tel Aviv area.

Today we make our way through the Shephelah and up to the Jerusalem area. We will visit sites such as the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath, and the Israel Museum, where we see an incredible 1:50-scale model of first-century Jerusalem, view the Dead Sea Scrolls, and of course admire the many treasures of the archaeological wing for our time period of study. We continue just south of Jerusalem for dinner and overnight at Manger Square Hotel in Bethlehem.

Today we travel south through the wilderness referenced in Numbers 20, for study in its dramatic landscape where the Israelites waited for decades before entering the Promised Land. Weather dependent, this destination also offers an incredible (optional) hike through the Wilderness of Tzin itself. We continue our study of the wilderness at Tel Arad, a strategic wilderness fort of the Israelites. Dinner and our second overnight in Bethlehem.

We begin our day traveling the ancient road Abraham took to Mt. Moriah in Genesis 22 for a panoramic view of Jerusalem at the Promenade. We will study the history of Jerusalem at the City of David, explore the ancient underground waterway known as Hezekiah's Tunnel (optional), and sit at the Shiloach (Siloam) Pool, where Jesus healed a man born blind. We conclude our day moving into the New Testament world at the Church of the Nativity, the traditional location of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Dinner and our final night in Bethlehem.

There were two very important kings in this land in the last decade of the first century BC, and today, we explore the impact of each of them. After loading the bus, we will first visit Herodian, a formidable and luxurious fortress built by Herod the Great. As we transfer from Jerusalem to Galilee, stops include a biblical-style sheep fold and the ancient city of Ephraim, where Jesus hid after raising Lazarus from the dead. We will stay the next several nights on the beautiful eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at Ein Gev Holiday Village, Galilee.

One of the most beautiful Biblical rhythms of first-century Judaism was the weekly observance of Sabbath - a day filled with not only rest, but also restoration. Today we will enjoy a day of rest, with a late breakfast, and a short time of study and prayer together, with a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee. The rest of the day is set aside for you to celebrate the goodness of God and fellowship together. Shabbat Shalom. Dinner and overnight in Galilee.

Today we travel around the heart of the Galilee region that served as Jesus base for much of his ministry, and where He called many of His disciples. We will focus on the northwestern shore, beginning our study in the village of Capernaum. We will continue to a beautiful teaching area offering a panoramic view of the region at Mt. Arbel, where we offer an optional (weather-dependent) hike down the mountain. Our study continues at Migdal, with a first-century synagogue. Dinner and overnight at Ein Gev in Galilee.

Today we travel north to the Upper Galilee. We will visit sites such as a first-century synagogue at Gamla, with its sweeping valley views and incredible history. We will continue our travel north, stopping to enjoy a local lunch in a Druze village. After lunch, sites include Dan, where beautiful springs and lush provisions turned people toward false gods, and Caesarea Philippi, known for its Gates of Hades. Dinner and our final night at Ein Gev in Galilee.

After Jesus prepared His disciples, He “resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). We will first (time permitting) go to the ridge of Nazareth which overlooks the Jezreel Valley and where Jesus grew up. Heading south we will stop at the ancient decapolis city of Beth Shan, one of the richest and most powerful cities in the time of Jesus. We travel and stop for study along the ancient road to Jericho, the setting for one of Jesus’ most famous parables before arriving near the modern city of Jericho, where we will stay the next 3 nights. Dinner and overnight in the Judean wilderness at the Jericho Oasis Resort Hotel.

Jesus makes His way up to Jerusalem where He will be put to death. We will begin our day early on the Temple Mount, and travel to places such as the Pools of Bethesda, where Jesus healed a crippled man, Bethpage, where Jesus talked about mountain-moving faith, the Mt. of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane. After some free time in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, we will finish our day at the Western Wall and the Southern Steps, a place Jesus very likely walked. Dinner and overnight in Jericho.

Today we will study in the region of the Dead Sea, traveling first to En Gedi, an oasis of waterfalls in the desert where David hid from Saul. We head further into the wilderness and ascend the fortress of Masada by cable car, where Zealots in the first century died in rebellion against the Romans. After lunch, our time in the wilderness continues by exploring the ancient ruins of Qumran, where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. We end our day with the remarkable opportunity to visit the lowest place on earth, with a float in the Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight in Jericho.

Jesus’ resurrection changed everything, and today we enter deeply into that story. We begin our day on the banks of the Jordan River, the traditional location of Jesus’ baptism. After showering back at our hotel, we continue on to sites in the Jerusalem-area: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional and likely place of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, and free time in the Christian Quarter of the Old City, before time at the Garden Tomb. We will enjoy a special final meal together at a local restaurant in Jerusalem before transferring to the airport for departure.