Egypt, Jordan & Israel

Welcome to present day Cairo and ancient Egypt

After our luggage is collected, we’re taken by motor coach to the wonderful Le Meridian Pyramids Hotel for a good night’s sleep before our adventure begins in the morning.

The Pyramids & the Old Kingdom

After breakfast and our morning orientation meeting, we make our way to the iconic Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, all constructed during ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom period. After lunch, we make our way to Cairo airport and board a private charter jet. We’ll fly to ancient Thebes, modern day Luxor, where we’re taken to the beautiful Nile River Palace for a good meal and well-earned sleep.

Ancient Thebes & Political Power

Today, we find ourselves on the west bank of the Nile River, visiting the Ramesseum (memorial temple of Ramesses II) as well as discussing the biblical significance of the land of Goshen and the fertility and importance of the Nile. We will conclude the evening with a carriage ride through downtown Luxor.

Ancient Thebes & the Mysteries of Egyptian Religion

We will walk through the ancient and wonderfully preserved temple of Karnak and head to the west bank of the Nile to visit the Valley of the Kings and Hapshepsut's mortuary temple. Here we explore the elaborate tombs of key Pharaohs. That afternoon, we re-board the beautiful Movenpick Nile Cruise ship and begin our journey along the Nile.

Ptolemaic Temples

Today is a day of cruising and touring as we make our way south. First we come to Edfu where we disembark to visit perhaps the best-preserved temple in all of Egypt: the temple of Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis and protector of Pharaoh. Returning to our ship we will continue to sail south to visit the temple at Kom Ombo, which honors Sobek the crocodile-headed protector of Egypt.

The Nile & Later Settlements

Today, we explore Elephantine Island in the center of the Nile, the site of a temple to Khnum, an Egyptian creator deity, and also a temple to Yahweh, built by a Jewish mercenary community who wrote letters to Jerusalem mentioning figures from the book of Nehemiah. Next, it’s off to explore an authentic African village where we’ll encounter welcoming shop-keepers and residents. In the evening, we head back to our cruise ship for dinner and our last night on board.

Into the Wilderness

This morning we bid farewell to our ship and crew and make our way to Aswan airport. There, we’ll board our private chartered jet and fly to Aqaba, Jordan, to our waiting motor coach which will bring us to the spectacular Wadi Rum. Once we check into our tents we will head out for a jeep ride in the majestic Wadi Rum as we explore the sites and watch an amazing sunset. Our Bedouin friends will have a traditional supper for us called Zarb, (a roasted lamb and/or chicken feast) waiting for us when we return. We’ll say goodnight and make our way to our personal tents where we spend the evening, “glamping” at Sun City Camp.

Wadi Rum

After a great night of star gazing and enjoying the amazing sunrise we make our way by motor coach to the World Heritage site of Petra to learn about the Nabateans and see their distinctive tomb façades.

Plains of Moab & Transitions

Today is all about transitions. We’ll explore the Plains of Moab and Mt. Nebo, where we’ll consider the transition from Moses to Joshua. We’ll enjoy Jordanian Grill for lunch and then bid farewell as some of our group make their way to the Geneva Hotel in Amman to overnight and prepare for their flight home the following day. Others who have signed on for the Israel extension make their way further north crossing at the Sheikh Hussein Border entering into the Galilee, where we will continue the story. After a short drive north by motor coach we will settle in to the Ein Gev Hotel, a delicious Israeli dinner, and a Galilean sunset before our night’s rest.

Flight Home

The Jezreel Valley

After a morning boat ride across the Sea of Galilee, we will make our way to Mt. Precipice to gain an understanding of the geo-political dynamics of the Jezreel Valley and also to remember Jesus in Nazareth. We will then proceed to the guardian city of Megiddo and learn of its role in Egyptian imperialism, connections with Solomon and Ahab, and the imagery invoked in Revelation. Our final stop will be the magnificent Caesarea Maritima on the shores of the Mediterranean where we will consider the person of Herod the Great and more before making our way via motor coach up to the ancient city of Jerusalem and the Grand Court Hotel.

Jerusalem

We begin our final day with a walk down from the Mount of Olives to the Old City, then along the Via Dolorosa, with a stop at the pools of Bethesda, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the church which marks the traditional site of Christ’s crucifixion and burial. We’ll continue our walk through the Old City, visiting all four of its quarters and finishing at the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s most honored sites, and the excavations at the southern steps where Jesus taught. We’ll conclude our trip together with a farewell dinner and reflections on our wonderful journey.