TREE OF LIFE JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF PROMISE
(ISRAEL, PALESTINE, JORDAN AND EGYPT)

FEBRUARY 2009

ITINERARY

Feb. 12 (Thursday) OLD LYME – JFK -- AMMAN

Meet at The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme for bus to JFK. Depart for Amman, Jordan.

Day 1

Feb. 13 (Friday) AMMAN -- MADABA

Arrive at Queen Alia International Airport. Meet, assist and transfer to hotel in Madaba. Dinner and Overnight in Madaba -- Madaba Inn Hotel, www.madabinn.com

Day 2

Feb. 14 (Saturday) MADABA – BETHANY

After breakfast, drive to Bethany, the baptism site where John the Baptist met and baptized Jesus – “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him” (Matthew 3:13) Recent excavations have revealed a couple of small churches, with mosaic floors dating back to the Byzantine era.

Proceed to Mount Nebo, which dates back to the time of the Prophet Moses, around the 12^th century BC and is believed to be the site of the Prophet’s burial place and the point from which he viewed the Land of Promise. From a platform in front of the church, a visitor will see a bronze memorial of a snake on a cross which symbolizes the serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert, as well as the crucifixion of Jesus.

Proceed to Madaba, home of the most famous Byzantine mosaics. Visit the greatest and most significant of all the city’s treasures, the wonderful mosaic map of ancient Palestine, which is located on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. The 6^th century AD map, hailed as the oldest in existence, was made for the benefit of Pilgrims on the their way to the Land of Promise, as it represented the surrounding regions as well. The River Nile, the Jordan River, Lake Tiberias and the Dead Sea are easily identified on this map, in addition to many cities such as Bethlehem, Gaza and Jerusalem. One can clearly make out the walls, towers, gates, streets and buildings of the Holy City of Jerusalem, especially the colonnaded main street or Cardo, and the domed Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Dinner and Overnight in Madaba

Day 3

Feb. 15 (Sunday) PETRA

After breakfast, Proceed to Petra via the Desert Highway to Petra explore the breathtaking Nabatean city of Petra which was carved out of the rose-red sandstone about 2000 years ago and has recently been voted as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” The tour starts on horseback, passing by the Obelisk Tomb and then proceeding on foot through the Siq – the narrow 1.2 km gorge that leads to Petra’s most impressive monument – the Treasury, which was carved out of the pale reddish sandstone in the 1^st century BC. Walk further to the Street of Facades, the Theatre, the Royal Tombs, the Colonnaded Streeet, the Byzantine Church, the Temple, the Monumental Arch and Qasr el-Bint Faroun.

In afternoon, climb up to the gigantic 1^st century AD Monument of the Monastery/Deir.

Dinner and Overnight in Petra. . Petra Palace Hotel www.petrapalace.com

Day 4

Feb. 16 (Monday) PETRA – WADI RUM – AQABA

Morning at leisure

At noon, drive to Wadi Rum, one of the world’ most colorful and unique landscapes of desert and mountain scenery and where T.E. Lawrence was based during the Arab Revolt. Embark on an adventurous 2 hour excursion by Bedouin 4-wheel drive vehicles through the desert. Enjoy the different rock formations, inscriptions, canyons, sand dunes and sunset.

Dinner in Wadi Rum under a black “bait Sha’ar” Bedouin tent with bonfire.

Continue to the Red Sea resort of Aqaba

Overnight in Aqaba -- Marina Plaza Hotel, www.marinaplaza.org

Day 5

Feb. 17 (Tuesday) AQABA (SWIM) – ROYAL YACHT CLUB – TABA PORT –ST. CATHERINE (SINAI)

Morning at leisure for swimming. Official check out time from the hotel is at 12:00 noon. Late afternoon, transfer to Royal Yacht Club for departure to Taba around 19h30 (7:30PM) (timing subject to change without prior notice)

Arrive at Taba Port where you will be met and assisted by the Egyptian agent. Transfer to St. Catherine.

Dinner and overnight in St. Catherine – St. Catherine Plaza Hotel,

www.catherineplaza.com

Day 6

Feb. 18 (Wednesday) After breakfast, visit the Monastery of St. Catherine which is located at the foot of Mount Moses. It was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565 AD. It is built around what is thought to be Moses’ Burning Bush, with a chapel built on top of it. It is a spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art and Icons.

Dinner and overnight in St. Catherine

Day 7

Feb. 19 (Thursday) ST CATHERINE – TABA BORDER

After breakfast, transfer to Taba border (2 hours and 45 minutes) for departure to Eilat. Cross border into Israel and travel up the Negev, stopping along the way to visit one of the “unrecognized Bedouin villages.” Meet with Jeff Halper or representative of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolition. Visit Be’er Sheva with overnight in this city. (Hotel yet to be determined)

Day 8

Feb. 20 (Friday) HEBRON – BETHLEHEM

After breakfast, travel by bus to Hebron where we will be met by a representative of Breaking the Silence for a tour of this region. Visit a Palestinian glass factory in Hebron with lunch at the Al Quides Restaurant ($10-15 per person). Drive with the representative of Breaking the Silence towards Jerusalem /Bethlehem with a stop at Kiryat Arba settlement to visit the shrine of Barush Goldstein and view the settlements and appreciate the master colonization plans

Overnight in Beit Sahour with host families. Beit Sahour (place of vigilance) is a place that prides itself on being the direct descendants of the shepherds who saw the vision of “peace on earth, good will to all.” (Arrangements can be made for those who would prefer to stay in a hotel (probably the Paradise Hotel) for the nights of Feb. 21, 22 and 23. A supplemental charge will be made)

Day 9

Feb. 21 (Saturday) Travel to Nablus with our friend Mazin Qumsiyeh. Visit the Samaritan community in Nablus (Mt. Gerazim), Visit Balata refugee camp (the most densely populated locations on Earth), Visit Father Yousef Sa’ada, the Melkite Priest in Nablus, visit and soap factory and tour the old city with its historic Market

For information on Father Sa’ada, See

http://www.wrmea.com/archives/Jan_Feb_2008/0801050.html

Overnight with host families in Beit Suhor

Day 10

Feb. 22 (Sunday) BEIT SAHOUR – TEKOA

Worship at Greek Orthodox Church in Beit Sahour. After lunch with host families, bus will depart for Tekoa (home of the prophet Amos) an Israeli settlement and a Palestinian village near Herodian. Meet with Rabbi Menachem Fruman, the spiritual leader of the Tekoa settlement.

This will be followed by a meeting with a Palestinian Muslim Bedouin family that lives nearby. Return to Beit Sahour for candlelight vesper service in a cave in Shepherd’s Field, near YMCA. Overnight with host families.

Day 11

Feb. 23 (Monday) BETHLEHEM – JERUSALEM

After breakfast, visit Church of Nativity and then walk to Bethlehem University. Travel by bus to Jerusalem for lunch. Tour the Western Wall (“Wailing Wall”), Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Noble Sanctuary/Mosque. Tour guide for this will be Elias Gareeb of the Holy Land Trust.

Free time in old city of Jerusalem in the afternoon. Return to Bethlehem for a Farewell Dinner with host families in Beit Sahour’s Shepherd Field Tent Restaurant with presentation by the Al Ghad Folklore Debbke Dance Troupe.

Overnight with host families

Day 12

Feb. 24 (Tuesday) BETHLEHEM –TENT OF NATIONS– NAZARETH

After breakfast, early morning visit to Tent of Nations with our friend Dauod Nassar, and then drive north via Jerusalem to Mar Elias, the interfaith school near Nazareth founded by Abuna Elias Chacour.

After visiting Abuna Chacour we will visit the Bishop of Nazareth. Overnight in Nazareth, Ha Maayan Hotel (probably)

Day 13

Feb. 25 (Wednesday) NAZARETH – SEA OF GALILEE – AMMAN

After breakfast, early morning departure for Mt. Of Beatitudes, overlooking the Sea of Galilee for an Interfaith Forgiveness Service. Visit Capernaum and other places of interest around the Sea of Galilee. By 4 or 5 PM, depart by bus for the SHEIKH HUSSEIN BRIDGE for transfer to Jordan.

Arrive at Sheikh Hussein Bridge. Meet, assist and transfer to hotel in Amman.

Farewell dinner at the Kan Zaman Village Restaurant (a supplemental church of $21 per person)

Overnight at the Al Waleed Hotel www.alwaleedhotel.com.

Day 14

Feb. 26 (Thursday) AMMAN – Q.A.I. AIRPORT

After breakfast, transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport for departure to JFK.

Extension

Those interested in visiting Cairo will need to reserve their flight from USA to Amman on Feb. 12 (Thursday) but return from Cairo to USA on March 1 (Sunday)

Suggested itinerary:

Day 14
Feb. 26 (Thursday) AMMAN to Cairo
Depart Amman (AMM) 10:20 am Arrive Cairo (CAI) 11:50 am. (Duration: 1hr 30mn) on Egyptair #720 : $269.
Check in Hotel in Cairo
Orientation, City tour, visit the Grand Khan El Khalili Bazar. Dinner with an Egyptian family

Day 15
Feb. 27 (Friday)

Visit the step pyramid of Saqqara (the 1st stone construction in the world.) After lunch, Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, dinner in a floating restaurant on the Nile

Day 16
Feb. 28 (Saturday)
Visit the Egyptian museum. Visit to the historic Coptic church, Ben Ezra synagogue and Sultan Hassan mosque. Farewell dinner at a local Egyptian restaurant. Depending on the return flight, proceed to Cairo airport for departure or to the hotel to rest before departure.

Day 17
March 1 (Sunday) Early morning flight to USA. Most European airlines leave very early 1 to 5 AM.