COURSE OFFERINGS

Students will receive credit for the following 3-hour course:
ENG 208 "Humanities Special Topic: The Holy Land in Scripture, History, Politics, and Beyond"

This course will study selected portions of the Old and New Testaments as source documents for major biblical events. Supplemental readings will be tailored to each student’s interest in exploring this “Land of the Bible” and give helpful underpinnings to their final serious reflection to how their actual engagement with the Holy Land affects their understanding of the biblical text, historical, or political events/current situations. The culmination of this course will be an eleven-day trip to the Holy Land to explore the places discussed in the Old and New Testament.

PROGRAM ITINERARY

Day 1 - May 9, 2022

* Depart USA

Day 2 - May 10, 2022

Israel

* You will be landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Afterwards, we board our motor coach and go to our hotel on the beautiful Sea of Galilee. After we have checked into our hotel, we enjoy a dinner together and time to relax.

Day 3 - May 11, 2022

The group will start early in the morning with a view from the breathtaking shore of the Sea of Galilee following breakfast. You will see the Mt. of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. After that, a motor launch will take us all on a short cruise across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. You will see the ruins of the third-century synagogue before reaching Tabgha, place of multiplication of Loaves and Fishes. That brings us to lunch, where we will enjoy a delicious St. Peter’s fish luncheon at a famous resort on the Galilean seashore. Immediately following our meal, the group will travel to the Jordan River for a time of spiritual blessing you will always remember. We will return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.


Day 4 - May 12, 2022

The fourth day will begin along the coastal plain and the Mediterranean Sea to Caesarea, the ancient port built by Herod the Great. We will then visit the fortress used by the Crusaders where the first Gentile, Cornelius the Centurion, and his household were baptized. Following, there will be a visit to Mt. Carmel. The tour will continue to Megiddo and the Valley of Armageddon. We will have time to visit the historic military fortress that controlled the highway between Egypt and Mesopotamia, and we will also tour the excavation and museum to understand how the legendary hill played such an important role during the Wars of antiquity. From there, we will go to Nazareth and visit the Nazareth Village. We will then go to Cana of Galilee, finally arriving at Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee where the group will spend the night.

Day 5 - May 13, 2022

*The morning will start with a trip to the Jordan Valley where you will visit Beit Shean, one of the
Decapolis cities and largest remains of a complete ancient Roman city. The tour will continue through the valley and on to lunch around the Dead Sea. Transfer to your hotel in Jerusalem.

Day 6 - May 14, 2022

*The sixth day of the tour starts with a trip to Herod’s ancient fortress of Masada high atop a mountain on the edge of the Dead Sea. In the afternoon, on the way to Jerusalem, your group will visit Ein Gedi, an oasis in the desert and a green Garden of Eden in the wilderness. It is situated on the shore of the Dead Sea the lowest place on Earth - at the feet of majestic mountains and cliffs. Ein Gedi contains the historical and archaeological remains of its first inhabitants, who discovered the magic of the place more than 5,000 years ago. The day will end with an overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 7 - May 15, 2022

*First, a tour at the Mt. Of Olives and journey to the Garden of Gethsemane on foot where you will see ancient olive trees, some of which have been there for 2,000 years. That is followed by a visit to the house of Caiaphas, where Jesus was held the night before his crucifixion. The next stop will be Mt. Zion and the Upper Room for a time of devotion and worship. The afternoon will bring a visit to Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity and the Shepherd’s field. The group will also tour the Fields of Boaz and Ruth before dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 8 - May 16, 2022

*Tour the Old City of Jerusalem where it all began. We will start at the Lions’ Gate to see the old
Crusader’s Church of St. Anne, the pool of Bethesda and the remains of Antonia Fortress, which is believed to be the site of the trial of Jesus. Next will be a walk of the Via Dolorosa and visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and visit the Jewish Quarter and the “Wailing Wall”, followed by Mt. Moriah, also called Temple Mount. It is here at Solomon’s Temple where the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque stand. Mt. Moriah was where Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice, and is the perfect end to a truly memorable day. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay in Jerusalem.

Day 9 - May 17, 2022

The tour will travel to Bethany which is recorded in the New Testament as the home of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, as well as that of Simon the Leper. Jesus is reported to have lodged there after his entry into Jerusalem, and it could be from Bethany that he parted from his disciples at the Ascension. You will also visit The Tomb of Lazarus in Bethany where a very old staircase leads into what is left of the tomb, of which much has been destroyed through history most likely by past earthquakes. In Qumran you will see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered. You will also travel to Jericho, the oldest inhabited city in the world. You will travel to the biblical town of Jericho and see the Tel of Jericho, Mount of Temptation, and view the Valley of the Shadow of Death. In the evening you will enjoy dinner at your hotel in Jerusalem.


Day 10 - May 18, 2022

You have the morning to yourself in Jerusalem for a time of reflection before an afternoon visit to Ein Karem “Spring of the Vineyard”, the home of John the Baptist. The Garden Tomb service will be a truly memorable time on the tour. The group will celebrate Communion in the Garden before a farewell dinner, and travel back to Tel Aviv.



Day 11 - May 19, 2022

* Return to USA