2027 Spring Scripture Discovery Tour with Joel Judd

We take a morning flight from our various U.S.A. homes and arrive the next afternoon at the Ben Gurion International Airport.

Meals : In-flight

Welcome to Israel! After our planned arrival in Israel, if time allows, we will stop at Jaffa/Joppa, where several important Old and New Testament events took place. We will check in to the Metropolitan Hotel in Tel Aviv for the night.

We will drive through Tel Aviv, the largest Jewish metropolitan area in the world, and then north along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Roman New Testament seaside capital, Caesarea. Here in the ancient Roman Theater, we will study the biblical events that happened in this place. We will then drive to Haifa (modern port of Israel and center of the Baha’i faith), stop for a view, and recount some LDS Church history related to this area. We will drive along the top of Mount Carmel to Muhraka, the traditional site of Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal, to enjoy a view of the Jezreel Valley and talk about the importance of this valley both anciently and now. We will then travel toward the Sea of Galilee and stop at Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene, to see a synagogue that was in use at the time of Christ. We will check in to Nof Ginosar on the shore of the Sea of Galilee for three nights.

Our day will begin with an exhilarating 8:00 a.m. boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, where He performed many miracles and gave many teachings, including His “Bread of Life” sermon. We will pass St. Peter’s Primacy on our way to the Mount of Beatitudes, where the important Sermon on the Mount will be discussed. We will pass Hazor on our way to Tel Dan, the ancient northern limits of Israel (“from Dan to Beersheba”), to enjoy a beautiful nature walk and to see this historic tel. We’ll continue on to Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon, which is ancient Caesarea Philippi, the site of Peter’s testimony of the Savior. This is where one of the sources of the Jordan River emerges from the foothills of Mount Hermon. We will then drive up on the Golan Heights—home of many Druze people as well as the scene of fierce fighting between Israel and Syria in 1967 and again in 1973—to enjoy a view of Mount Hermon near Har Bental. We will return to Nof Ginosar to enjoy dinner and an evening on the lakeshore.

Today begins at Mount Tabor (8:00 a.m.). From this high point we will discuss biblical events associated with Gideon, Deborah, King Saul, and the Savior’s transfiguration. Next, we will travel to the lovely city of Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, for an appointment with Nazareth Village (11;00 a.m.)., developed to show life as it existed at the time of Jesus and briefly reflect on His early life. After lunch in Nazareth, we will visit Tel Megiddo, with several of its 20 levels of occupation open to view, and talk of its importance—past, present, and future. We will make a brief stop at Nain to reflect on the Savior’s ministry there. We’ll enjoy dinner and restful evening at Nof Ginosar.

We first visit the impressive ruins of Beit Shean and experience in retrospect the splendor of Roman life and Hellenistic culture, which was Beit Shean, one of the cities of the Decapolis. Here the bodies of King Saul and his sons were hung by the Philistines. We will then travel on down through the Jordan Valley and view the meandering Jordan River and the Jordan Plateau to the east with its interesting biblical history. We will stop at Qasr El Yehud, a special place, the possible biblical site where John baptized Jesus; this stretch of the river is also where Joshua led the Israelites to cross the river Jordan into the Promised Land. The Prophet Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven from this location. Next we will visit the Old Testament site of Jericho. Then we will check in to the Oasis Hotel for the night.

Our morning drive will take us south along the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. Here we will take the cable car to the top of Masada to see the ruins of the palace-fortress built by King Herod and to recall the story of the Zealots’ last stand against the Romans. As we drive north, we will stop at Qumran, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls, for a walk-through and discuss the importance of the finds there. On the way to Jerusalem, we will stop for a quick float in the Dead Sea. If there is time, we will stop in the historic Judean Wilderness, where we will discuss the Savior’s 40-day experience and temptations. We will make a brief stop in Bethany and talk of events related to Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead. As we approach Jerusalem, we will contemplate its long history before we check in to the Olive Tree Hotel in Jerusalem for the remainder of our nights in the Holy Land.

Our first full day in Jerusalem will begin as we enter the Old City through the Dung Gate. We will begin a walking tour of the Old City by visiting the Holy Mount to see the Dome of the Rock, built to honor Mohammed, Islam’s founder. Later we will stop at the Western Wall, where we will observe Jews as they participate in morning prayers and bar mitzvahs at Judaism’s holiest shrine. We will visit the Ophel to examine how it looked at the time of the Savior. In the afternoon we will visit the Jewish Quarter to see the Broad Wall and the Cardo. There will also be time spent in the Christian Quarter as we visit the major shrine of Christendom, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Leaving the Old City through the Damascus Gate, we will make our first visit to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb at 3:30 p.m.

We will drive to Nebi Samwil, where we will view the Benjamin Plateau, the area where many important Old Testament events took place. We will then proceed down to the low hills west and south of Jerusalem called Shephelah. We will stop atop ancient Beth Shemesh, where Israel received the lost Ark of the Covenant back from the Philistines. We’ll continue on to the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath, and to the ancient Tel Mareshah and the interesting caves and structures in the area. Our next stop is at Tel Lachish, the ancient biblical fort city. In the early evening we will visit the Western Wall to watch the Jews usher in the Sabbath.

We will begin our Sabbath by going early to the BYU Jerusalem Center and having sacrament meeting with the Jerusalem Branch in the center’s beautiful auditorium, with its spectacular view of the Holy City. Following the meetings, we will travel to nearby Bethlehem, site of the Savior’s birth, and visit the Church of the Nativity. We will then visit Shepherds’ Field, overlooking Bethlehem, and review the biblical events connected with this area in a special late afternoon program before returning to the hotel for dinner.

As the morning begins, we visit the Yad Vashem Memorial, the Holocaust museum, in West Jerusalem. We will drive by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) on our way to visit the Israel Museum, including the famous Model City of Jerusalem and the Shrine of the Book (Dead Sea Scrolls display). The afternoon will be free for shopping. Following dinner at the hotel, we will have an evening lecture.

Today we will walk from the Mount of Olives down to Bethphage as we focus on the events of the last week of the Savior’s life, beginning with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We will proceed down the west side of the Mount of Olives and stop at a view point to discuss more of the Savior’s final week. We will continue down the Mount of Olives to the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden where we will discuss the Savior’s last hours of suffering. Next we will stop at today’s Gethsemane on the way to Mount Zion and the location of the Upper Room, a reminder of the Last Supper and the ordinance of the sacrament. At St. Peter’s in Gallicantu, the possible site of the palace of Caiaphas, we will discuss Peter and the trials of Jesus.

Our day will begin at the Garden Tomb (8:30 a.m.), where we will consider the final mortal events in Jesus’ life and His atonement. Then we will enter the Old City through Lion’s Gate and go to the site of the Pool of Bethesda and the Church of St. Anne to discuss John 5. We will then proceed to the City of David to see the Jerusalem of Nephi’s time and walk through Hezekiah’s Tunnel, a hydrological wonder of Isaiah’s time at noon. We will also visit the true Pool of Siloam mentioned in John 9. We will have our farewell meeting and dinner before departure for home.

This day will be spent traveling to our homes in the U.S.A. with memories to last a lifetime!