Trip to Israel
Led by Pastor John Barber
Dates: November 5 – 14, 2023
Dear Group Members,
First we want to thank you for joining our trip , Due to the current situation in Israel , together with your group Leader Pastor John Barber, we have decided to offer the trip to Greece in May 2024.
Greece For those who wish to join us here is the link of the trip:
https://www.go-yael.com/trips/5198-pauls-missionary-journey-in-greece/
- For new registration please register and pay on Greece website.
- For those who made Full payment to the Holyland trip it will be the same cost at the Greece trip
- For those who wish to get refund we will follow our group cancellation policy As below mention.
- For those who wish to claim it from their insurance we will provide the letters
- If you cannot claim it from your insurance we can provide a credit voucher with a full a mount that you have paid , it can be use in the future for any of our trips, the voucher is valid for two years till December 01st 2025 ,you can use it or give it to any of your family members.
If there is price difference between the tours you will pay the supplement.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us [email protected]
we are looking forward to host you with us again!
Thank you,
Yael Group Team
Pastor John
Through the years, I have been approached by a number of church members about organizing a trip to Israel. While it had always been a dream of mine to go to Israel, I never felt comfortable organizing and leading a trip that I had not already experienced.
Now that I have experienced much of what Israel has to offer, I am excited to offer you the opportunity to join me in traveling to the Holy Land, late fall of 2023. We will have the opportunity to literally “walk where Jesus walked” as we visit various sites in Israel. We will visit the town of Bethlehem where Jesus was born. We will sail in a boat on the Sea of Galilee and visit the Jordan River where you can choose to be baptized in same body of water as Jesus was baptized. We will stand on the Mt. of Olives and view the Temple City of Jerusalem. We will visit the Garden of Gethsemane and observe the Lord’s Supper together. We will stand in the ancient fortress of Masada and see the caves of Qumran as we spend a day in the Judean desert. The itinerary gives more details about all we will see and experience together.
As a believer, visiting the Holy land is more than a trip or a vacation. It is a spiritual journey and a life changing experience. I believe you will come away with a deeper understanding of the Bible and a renewed heart of love and commitment to the Lord.
I hope you will consider being part of this spiritual journey. You will find all the relevant information about the trip on this web page. You can also begin the registration process here as well. Blessings!
Pastor John
Flights
(NOTE: Flight schedule updated on Aug 27, 2023)
| Turkish Airlines Flight # | Depart | Arrive |
|---|---|---|
| TK 32 | ATL on Nov 5 at 10:40 PM | IST on Nov 6 at 4:25 PM |
| TK 788 | IST on Nov 6 at 6:20 PM | TLV on Nov 6 at 7:25 PM |
| TK 785 | TLV on Nov 14 at 10:35 AM | IST on Nov 14 at 1:55 PM |
| TK 31 | IST on Nov 14 at 3:25 PM | ATL on Nov 14 at 7:45 PM |
Hotels
| Nights | City |
|---|---|
| 3 nights | Tiberias / Sea of Galilee |
| 1 night | Center Region |
| 4 nights | Jerusalem |
General Itinerary
Note: Itinerary has been updated to reflect new dates: Nov. 5-14, 2023
Day 1 – Nov 05, 2023 – Sun – DEPART FROM US
Depart from the USA to Tel Aviv. Dinner and breakfast will be served during the flight.
Day 2 – Nov 6, 2023 – Mon – ARRIVE IN ISRAEL
Our representatives will meet you and walk you through customs. We’ll board our bus, then drive to the Sea of Galilee.
Dinner & overnight stay in Tiberias.
Day 3 – Nov 7, 2023 – Tue – SEA OF GALILEE, JORDAN RIVER, CAESAREA PHILIPPI, BAPTISMAL SITE JORDAN RIVER
On this day, we will sail on the Sea of Galilee, visit the museum of the ancient boat at Kibbutz Ginosar, then onto visit Magdala, with its first century synagogue, a complete first century city and remains of a once prosperous fish processing industry. Complete with shops, marketplace, residential areas, and wharf, this is a city where Jesus himself visited and taught. Visit Capernaum, the town of Jesus, visit the Church of Multiplication in Tabgha (where the Lord performed the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes), and visit the Mount of Beatitutes (where Jesus taught “The Sermon on the Mount”). We’ll continue to Caesarea Philippi where Peter confessed Christ: “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16). We will continue to a baptism in the Jordan River, truly an unforgettable experience. Dinner and overnight stay in Tiberias.
Day 4 – Nov 8, 2023 – Wed – NAZARETH, CANA, BETH SHE-AN, GIDEON’S SPRING
After breakfast, we’ll start our we will visit Cana, where the Lord preformed the Wedding Miracle. Then we’ll visit the Church of Annunciation in Nazareth. Proceed to Beth She-an, upon whose walls the Philistines nailed the head of King Saul after his defeat on Mount Gilboa. As we visit the city’s remains, we’ll not only learn about the dramatic end of the last war between King Saul and the Philistines, but also how the residents of Jabesh bravely removed the corpses of the King and his son from the wall of the city in order to burn them (1 Samuel 31). Then on to Gideon’s Spring, where the Judge Gideon selected 300 warriors to go into the battle with him against the Midianites (Judge 7). Proceed to our hotel in Nazareth for dinner and overnight.
Day 5 – Nov 9, 2023 – Thu –TEL MEGIDDO, MT. CARMEL, CAESAREA, JAFFA
We’ll visit one of the most amazing water systems found in the archeological site of Tel Megiddo. From here we’ll observe the Valley of Armageddon (Revelation 16:14-16). We’ll visit Mount Carmel where the biblical story of the confrontation between Prophet Elijah and the Ba’al prophets took place, and overlook the Jezreel Valley. We’ll continue to Caesarea, a Roman city with many archeological findings such as theater, the public bath, the hippodrome, and the city gate. We’ll enjoy the new exhibitions of the city which date to Roman Times.
Drive to Old Jaffa. See the iconic views along the mediterranean Coast, the Old Jaffa Port, and the beautiful alleyways of the Old Jaffa and Flea Market.
We’ll then drive to the hotel in the center for overnight.
Day 6 – Nov 10, 2023 – Fri – BETHLEHEM, MOUNT OF OLIVES
After Breakfast we will drive to Bethlehem to see Shepherds’ Fields, and we will end our day by visiting the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the birth place of Christ.
We’ll drive to the Mount of Olives with breathtaking panoramic view of Jerusalem. The day continues with visits to the sites that will helps us of understand the Lord’s prophecy about Jerusalem: The Chapel of Ascension than onto The Chapel of Dominius Flevit, where Christ Prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 18:41), The Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-53) and The Church of the Agony (Church of All Nations), the site where it is said that Judas betrayed Jesus.
Check into our hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 – Nov 11, 2023 Sat – MASADA , QUMRAN DEAD SEA
We begin the day at Masada, the last stronghold and stand of the zealots against Rome, on the edge of the barren Negev Desert. Masada is a symbol of courage and perseverance for the Jewish People, where 960 Jewish defenders organized their last resistance to the Roman conquerors and took their own lives rather than surrender into slavery. After walking through the ruins of what would have been rooms for dining and entertainment, we will make our way back down the mountain drive via Ein Gedi .
This was a place talked about by King Solomon and occupied as a refuge by David. Our next stop at Qumran where will then go to see the ruins of the Qumran people. This site is fascinating because it is the place the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. These scrolls of Old Testament texts have proven to be one of the most valuable archaeological finds, dating back to 300 B.C. In case you’re wondering, they match word-for-word what we read in the Old Testament today.
We’ll continue to the Judean Desert. We’ll view one of the St. George Monastery crosses, which offers an amazing view of the monastery. This stop is important for understanding the water system used in the Judean Desert and monasteries we will learn the amazing story of Lazarus, whom the Lord raised from the dead.
Day 8 – Nov 12, 2023 – Sun – Layers of History
Our day will begin with an exciting tour to the site where much of the Bible was written, the city of David. Here Archeologists found King Hezekiah’s 2,700 year-old water tunnel, one of the wonders of early engineering, and the seal impression of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, possibly the scribe of King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 36:10). Continue to the Pool of Siloam where Christ healed the blind man by sending him to wash his eyes (John 9). In the Jewish Quarter, we’ll explore the Roman Cardo, the Madaba Map, the Western Wall and the Davidson Center (with its amazing virtual model of the Second Temple). On the Temple Mount we’ll hear about the traders driven out of the Temple by Jesus (Luke 19:45-48), explore the Dome of the Rock and other famous buildings. We’ll visit the Kotel Tunnels – ancient tunnels and passageways.
Continue to the Pool of Bethesda where Christ healed the paralyzed man (John 5). Our journey through the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) stations will end by visiting the Church of Holy Sepulchre.
Day 9 – Nov 13, 2023 – Mon – Mount Zion, Garden Tomb
After Breakfast we will visit the sites on Mt. Zion: the Gallicantu Church which was built over the ruins of the Palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest before whom Jesus was brought for trial (Mark 14: 53-65). We’ll visit the Tomb of King David and enter into the Upper Room – the site that commemorates Jesus’ last meal with his disciples.
We’ll walk through the old City market through the Damascus gate. Afterwards, we will take communion in the Garden Tomb.
Farwell Ceremony at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay in Jerusalem
Day 10 – Nov 14, 2023 – Tue – RETURN FLIGHT BACK TO THE US
We transfer to the airport for departure flight back to the US.
We return home full of rich and unforgettable memories. A common refrain is heard — is the trip really over? Can we start planning for our return visit?
Schedules and/or local conditions may change while touring. Changes might be made in the order of the sites.