Israel Study Tour with Riverview Church
May 14-25, 2023
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Trip Blog Posts
Day 09 - Jerusalem: Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Golgotha, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Farewell Dinner
posted on Thursday May 25 2023 at 12:00 am UTC
In an effort to meaningfully bring together our preceding days, the tour culminated with a busy finale. Our day began atop the Mount of Olives looking across the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem. As the sun shined down on us, we imagined hundreds of thousands flooding into the city some 2,000 years ago for...
Day 08 - Jerusalem: City of David, Hezekiah's Tunnel, Southern Steps, Yad Vashem
posted on Tuesday May 23 2023 at 11:00 pm UTC
Yom Tov! Today was our second day in Jerusalem, and it was quite the day. We embarked in the City of David, a historic neighborhood nestled within Jerusalem. As we explored, we were captivated by the remnants of David's majestic palace, hidden away beneath the streets, under the very houses of...
Day 07 - Jerusalem: Temple Mount, Western Wall, Rabbinic Tunnels, Herodium, Bethlehem
posted on Monday May 22 2023 at 11:00 pm UTC
After spending days wandering the wildernesses of Judea, climbing the Golan Heights, and tracing the steps of Jesus in Galilee, we were finally ready for Jerusalem. We began the day reflecting on Isaiah 51:1 and 1 Peter 2:5, considering Jesus as our tektōn (builder) building us into a spiritual house,...
Day 06 - Galilee - Jerusalem: Beth Shean, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Caesarea Maritima
posted on Monday May 22 2023 at 12:00 am UTC
Shalom! Today, we transitioned to the Greco-Roman world that dominated the Mediterranean and Middle East 2,000 years ago. We began the day in Beth Shean, a 4,500-year-old city with layers on layers of history to explore. At the time of Jesus, Beth Shean was known as Scythopolis, one of the ten...
Day 05 - Galilee: Capernaum, Chorazin, Mount of Beatitudes, Mt. Arbel, Galilee Boat Ride
posted on Sunday May 21 2023 at 12:00 am UTC
Shalom Shalom! This is a greeting we hear several times every day. 'Shalom' means ‘peace’, but in Hebrew, if you really want to emphasize something, you say it twice. So, to you, we say, shalom shalom! We began Day 5 with a visit to Capernaum; the ancient village where Jesus...
Day 04 - Galilee: Katzrin, Mount Bental, Caesarea Philippi, Tel Dan
posted on Friday May 19 2023 at 10:00 pm UTC
After our time in the desert, enduring bright, hot weather (100+ degrees), waking up today to the hazy cool waves of the Sea of Galilee outside our rooms felt like a familiar Michigan morning. It's incredible to think that we're still in the first half of our trip, considering how much we have already...
Day 03 - Negev: Ein Gedi, Qumran , Lower Jordan
posted on Friday May 19 2023 at 12:00 am UTC
The day began with a delight-filled trip to Ein Gedi National Park, where we encountered Israel's beloved national creature, the ibex. We observed the ibex families, accompanied by the endearing hyraxes, also known as rock badgers. The significance and splendor of the surroundings were an incredible...
Day 02 -Negev: Masada, Bedouin Hospitality, Tel Arad, Dead Sea
posted on Wednesday May 17 2023 at 11:00 pm UTC
We spent the first part of our day at Masada, a massive desert mesa that rises 2000 feet above the Dead Sea. The top of Masada is a flat 18-acre space on which King Herod constructed a military fortress and three palaces during his building campaign just prior to the birth of Jesus. The site also...
Day 01 - Shephelah: Yad Hashmonah, Beth Shemesh, Azekah, Beth Guvrin (Maresha)
posted on Wednesday May 17 2023 at 12:00 am UTC
Erev Tov! Our study tour began in a garden in the Judaea Mountains, no doubt symbolically reflecting the beginning of humanity. There, at Kiriath-Jearim, where the Ark of the Covenant was housed amidst conflicts with the Philistines (recorded in 1 Samuel 4-6), our guide Ronen provided insights into...
Preparing for Israel
posted on Thursday Apr 06 2023 at 3:18 pm UTC
Our trip will be here before you know it! Once we're on the ground we'll post periodic updates and photos. Check back often or get update notifications using the subscribe options on this page. We'll be sharing our travel experiences online with you, our friends and family, to not only bring you along...