Study Tour to the Biblical Heartland with Isaac O’Casey and Mark Ziese | May 20, 2024

12 days

The Holy Land

Starting from $4798* Taxes & Fees Apply

Join Isaac O’Casey and Mark Ziese on a 12-day Study Tour to the Biblical Heartland, starting at $4,798* Portland, OR, departing on May 20, 2024. You will see Caesarea-by-the-Sea, Mount Carmel, Megiddo, Sepphoris, Nazareth, Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth Village, Magdala, Migdal, Tabgha, Chapel of the Primacy, Capernaum, Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Nimrod, Qasr el Yahud (Jordan River), Jericho, Qumran, Dead Sea Swim, Bethlehem, Herodium, Shepherds’ Field, Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity, Mount of Olives, Palm Sunday Road, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and much more!

What’s Included

All Inclusive Pricing
Breakfast and Dinner Daily
Deluxe A/C Motor Coaches
Domestic Airfare
Entrance and Program Fees
First Class Hotels
Fuel Surcharges and Gov't Taxes
Gratuities
Guided Tours
Live Audio Headsets
Overseas Airport Transfers
Study Guide
International Airfare
Administrative fees

* Additional Baggage & Optional fees may apply.

** If air purchased through EO.

Download Brochure

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 May 20: Depart

Depart the USA

Day 2 May 21: Arrive

After arrival at the Tel Aviv airport, meet your guide and coach driver. Transfer to your hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Day 3 May 22: Caesarea-by-the-Sea, Mount Carmel, Megiddo

Two spectacular sites frame this day. The first is associated with the NT period, and the second with the OT period. Caesarea-by-the-Sea was built as the imperial center for the Roman government. Its harbor, theater, and marbled streets signal the arrival of foreign occupation in the Heartland and, not surprisingly, the beginning point for Christianity in the Gentile world. The second site of the day is Tel Megiddo, an ancient command post. Many battles were waged in its shadow, including those of Israelite kings and Egyptian pharaohs. Walking through the remains of these two cities introduces the land, its history, and the challenge of interpretation. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 May 23: Sepphoris, Nazareth, Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth Village

Spend a day in the rolling hills of Galilee, visiting sites and people connected to early Christianity. Walk through the Church of the Annunciation, a structure built over the traditional home of Jesus. Explore Nazareth Village, a living display of lifeways in biblical times. Visit nearby Sepphoris, an opulent Galilean capital from the Roman and Byzantine Periods. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 May 24: Magdala/Migdal, Tabgha/Chapel of the Primacy, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee Boat Ride

Dawn comes early at Magdala, an industrial site on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. View impressive remains that illustrate the fishing industry from the time of Christ. From Magdala, travel to other nearby places linked to specific Gospel moments: the calling of the disciples, miracle feedings, the Sermon on the Mount, and the restoration of Peter. Travel to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry. Visit the synagogue that stands on the site where Jesus taught. Finally, board a boat of your own and ride across the Sea of Galilee. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 May 25: Tel Dan, Caesarea Philippi, Nimrod

Experience the beauty of the far north. Leave Galilee behind and travel to the site of Tel Dan. Here, an Israelite “high place,” gate complex, and fortification walls are visible. Continue to the birthplace of the Jordan River at Panias, named after the goat-god Pan. Consider the nearby site of Caesarea Philippi, where Peter declared Jesus to be “the Christ.” Finally, climb into the heights of Mount Hermon, a snowy peak that marks the highest spot in all the Heartland. From Nimrod, a castle built in the Crusader period, take in a view to the region where Jesus was transfigured. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 May 26: Qasr el Yahud (Jordan River), Jericho, Qumran, Dead Sea Swim, Bethlehem

Follow the Jordan River to the desert lands of the south. Stop at the site of Jericho where the walls came tumbling down! Travel to Qasr el Yahud for a personal experience with the Jordan River. At Qumran, peek at the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Have a swim in the Dead Sea before driving to dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Day 8 May 27: Herodium, Shepherds’ Field, Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity

Travel to the Herodium, the desert castle of Herod the Great. Climb its steep road for a view of the wilderness. Travel to the nearby Shepherds’ Field, where the Good News was first heard. Finally, explore the place where the Christian story begins: the Church of the Nativity. Dinner and overnight in Bethlehem.

Day 9 May 28: Mount of Olives, Palm Sunday Road, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, Pool of Bethesda, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Stand on the Mount of Olives for a view of the Old City of Jerusalem, Walk down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane. Enter the Old City and walk the path of the Via Dolorosa. Along the way, visit the Pool of Bethesda, the Church of St. Anne, and Ecce Homo. Finally, visit the site dubbed the most sacred in all Christianity: the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Here, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are celebrated. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 10 May 29: Temple Mount, Western Wall, Davidson Center, City of David Excavations, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Pool of Siloam

Consider the roots of Jerusalem as a sacred city to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Walk on the Temple Mount where Solomon’s glorious temple once stood, and Muslims continue to pray today. Experience the Western Wall, a place of meditation and celebration. Go underground and witness Jerusalem’s earliest remains, including a Canaanite wall, the possible site of David’s palace, and a spectacular water system (conditions permitting) that terminates in the Pool of Siloam. Dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.

Day 11 May 30: Israel Museum, Shrine of the Book, Elah Valley, Evening departure, Tel Aviv

In the morning hours of this last day, explore the collection of the Israel Museum, a storehouse of artifacts, manuscripts, and art. Ride through the splendid countryside to the edge of the hill country. Visit sites connected to the stories of the Judges and Samson. Walk the Elah Valley battlefield where David faced Goliath. Return to your Jerusalem hotel for dinner and packing. Transfer to the airport for a night flight to the USA.

Day 12 May 31: Arrive home.

Arrive home.