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DISCOVER ISRAEL
February 10 - 20, 2014
Tour Host: Dr. David Clifton
Tour Guide: Dr. DeWayne Coxon
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TOUR SUMMARY
We will spend quality time traveling in Jerusalem and northern, central, and southern Israel. We will walk where Jesus walked, pray where Jesus prayed, and visit the places where Jesus ministered in Jerusalem and the Galilee and also go to the desert for rest, relaxation, prayer and study. We will experience many aspects of life in Israel, and we can get our hands dirty at Biblical Tamar Park by either digging at the archaeology site or planting trees, repairing buildings, or other tasks. We will be there to bless Israel in as many ways as possible and we will also learn more about the great historical significance of Tamar and other sites.
TOUR HOST & GUIDE
Dr. David Clifton is president of The World for Jesus International, a Colorado based ministry whose mission is to "focus on humanity, looking at each individual as a candidate for the kingdom of heaven." That "focus" results in sponsoring the "Carpenters Cupboard" food bank, the annual Thanksgiving dinner that feeds thousands of needy families, an annual Christmas toy outreach, and evangelism and orphanage outreach worldwide. He is the author of the book "The Legacy of Jesus Christ and Others."
Dr. DeWayne Coxon is the founder and president of Blossoming Rose. He has visited Israel well over 150 times in the last 40 years. His knowledge of Jewish, Christian and Muslim history gives him a unique perspective on contemporary events taking place in the Middle East. Ministry and worship leaders will assist him in devotions, prayers, and Bible studies during this tour. He is the author of the book, "Living Prophecies: The Crumbling Wall between Christians and Jews." www.blossomingrose.org
TRIP ITINERARY
 Day 1: Monday - February 10 USA to Israel
We will begin our journey from our home city and fly to Israel. (You should be at the airport three hours prior to the flight.) Meals will be served during our flight.
Day 2: Tuesday - February 11 Israel - Jerusalem
We will land at Ben Gurion International Airport where our tour group will be greeted by our bus driver. He will drive us to Jerusalem where we will be served dinner and then go to sleep in this city of peace, our first night at the Dan Jerusalem Hotel near the Mount of Olives.
Day 3: Wednesday - February 12 Mount of Olives, Western Wall, Old City of Jerusalem
The day will begin at 8:00am with a panoramic, breathtaking view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. We will walk down to the Garden of Gethsemane and then look across the Kedron Valley to the old city walls of Jerusalem. The Western Wall will be the next stop where we will offer prayers and then we will go into the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, to the Cardo, the Upper Room, and to David’s tomb. Lunch will be on your own in the Old City. The most recent excavations in the City of David near the Temple Mount may be of special interest to you. You will have a choice of going to David's City, walk the Ramparts, chose another place to visit, or finish the day shopping in the Old City before returning to our hotel for dinner.
 Day 4: Thursday - February 13 Temple Mount, Israel Museum, Holocaust Museum, Shop
Our day will begin with another huge buffet Israel breakfast and then we will leave at 8:00 am to go directly to the Temple Mount. We will see the Dome of the Rock mosque and walk the length of the Temple mount where King Herod built the Second Temple. We will continue down the Via Dolorosa, through the Old City of Jerusalem, past the Damascus Gate to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and to the Jaffa gate. We will then board our bus and visit the Israel Museum where the new display of Herod the Great is located. It is in this museum that the Model of Jerusalem is located and also the Dead Sea scrolls. One room in the museum has a display of artifacts from tel Tamar. Our next stop will be the Holocaust Museum and then we will finish the day with a choice of returning to the Old City to visit historic sites or taking a shopping stop on Ben Yehuda Street and Mamilla Mall. Some will shop until they drop and then we will have another excellent evening meal at the Dan Jerusalem.
 Day 5: Friday - February 14 Garden Tomb, Jericho, Qumran, Ein Gedi and Tamar
We’ll start our day with another great Israeli buffet breakfast and then board our bus and go to the Garden Tomb for communion. This could well be the actual place where the body of Jesus was placed in the tomb and we can celebrate his resurrection together. Dr. Clifton will lead us in a Communion celebration. Driving down to the Dead Sea will remind us of the history dating to the time of Lot, the nephew of Abraham and to the burning of Sodom. We’ll stop and tour ancient Jericho and then eat lunch at Qumran, the city of the Essenes and the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. We will walk up to the waterfalls in Ein Gedi, being reminded of the time David hid from King Saul. We will continue our drive beside the Dead Sea and arrive at Biblical Tamar Park in the late afternoon where we will be welcomed by the Park Manager and the volunteer workers. After a wonderful Sabbath meal in the dining room, we will become acquainted with each other, the Park Manager and the volunteer workers, and relax around a camp fire in the Sukkah, sharing, briefly our own stories. We will then sleep in our desert housing with air conditioning and comfortable beds.
 Day 6: Saturday - February 15 Masada, Dead Sea, tel Tamar tour, and Shabbat Dinner
We will begin the day with an American brand of coffee and serve ourselves in the breakfast bar that offers us many choices. At 8:00 am we will board our bus and head for Masada, arriving before the Jerusalem crowd comes. The fortress was built by Herod the Great and it is known today as the site where 960 religious Jews died rather than going into captivity under the Romans. When we leave Masada, we will go down to the shores of the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek, where there are luxury hotels and shops, and we also have a choice to float in the warm waters. After a quick shower, we’ll go back to Biblical Tamar Park where we will tour this historic city which dates back to at least the time of Abraham. We will learn more about the 26,000 artifacts that have been unearthed at Tamar and about the plan for its continued development by volunteers. We’ll all join together for dinner and a good Jewish meal of grilled chicken. Dr. Coxon will then share his vision for the restoration of Biblical Tamar into a future Park.
 Day 7: Sunday - February 16 Eilot, Aquarium, snorkeling, Taba, Shopping
After we awaken and feel the stillness of the desert and see the sun rising over the Jordanian mountains and hear the small desert birds as they seek their food, we’ll meet in the dining hall for a cup of American coffee and breakfast. Today you will have a choice to stay at Tamar Park or travel to Eilot for the day. If you choose to go to Eilot you can choose to snorkel in the coral reefs and/or visit the aquarium. You can also visit the public beach, shop, read (several book shops) or just enjoy the sun. If you do not want to go to Eilot, you are welcome to stay at Tamar for a day of quiet leisure and freedom. You can climb Prayer Mountain, to the west of Tamar or spend time exploring the building and tel at Tamar, such as the Turkish/British building on the top of the tel, or the Israeli bomb shelter under the tel. We will all join for the evening dinner and spend our last night at Tamar, around the camp fire in the Sukkah, sharing the stories of experiences we all had today Dr. Clifton will share his Personal Testimony” and his vision for “The World for Jesus International.”
Day 8: Monday - February 17 Beersheva, Caesarea, Mt. Carmel, and Tiberius
We will leave at 8 a.m. and bid everyone who stays at Tamar goodbye. The bus will snake its way up out of the Arava and into the Negev and we will be on our way to Beersheva, the city of Abraham and then on to Caesarea. The city of Caesarea will loom up before us and we’ll go into the amphitheater and walk the length of that great city, departing through the Crusader’s fortress. Then it will be on to Mt. Carmel and the Carmelite Monastery to look at Megiddo, across the valley from where the battle of Armageddon may one day be fought. We will continue on into Nazareth where Jesus lived and stop at the Church of the Annunciation. The sun will be setting as our bus delivers us to the beautiful Leonardo Hotel in Nazareth where we will move into our rooms and have a great dinner.
 Day 9: Tuesday - February 18 Baptismal, Katzrine, Golan, Lebanon, Syria, Caesarea Phillipi, Mt. of Beatitudes, the Galilee Boat Ride
We will enjoy our baptismal service, with Dr. Clifton baptizing, after a good Israeli breakfast, after which we’ll continue on around the Sea and up into the Golan to Katzrine, the Jewish capital, and then on to the borders of Syria and Lebanon where we can pray for God’s safety for this area. Caesarea Philippi will be our next stop and then we’ll return to the areas Jesus loved: the Mount of Beatitudes and Capernaum. As the sun dips lower in the west over the Mountains of the Galilee, we will board our Galilee boat and listen to Dr. Clifton share a brief devotional, Danny Carmel sing, and then return to our rooms at the Leonardo Club Hotel in Tiberius for our last night in Israel.
Day 10: Wednesday - February 19 Beit Shean, Jerusalem, Harrari Harp shop, Ben Gurion Airport
We’ll board our bus at 8 am make our first stop at Beit Shean, the ancient Roman city and the place where King Saul’s body was hung after his defeat by the Philistines It will then be time to head for Jerusalem for last minute shopping and to choose between the Old City, Ben Yehuda Street or other places of interest in Jerusalem. Our last stop in Israel will be to visit Micha and Shoshanna Harrari in their harp shop, if they are not on a world tour. After our fellowship we will leave for the airport in the evening to check through for our overnight flight to the USA. Dinner is on your own this evening..
Day 11: Thursday - February 20 - Israel to USA
TOUR COST
Land Only Price: $1,995 (airfare not included)
Single Supplement $595 (if available)
Airline Ticket: $800 - $1500 (see note below)
NOTE: Airline tickets vary in price from $800 to over $1500, depending on the airline and class you choose, and also when you purchase your ticket. Group tickets are available for this tour but are generally more costly than purchasing individually. Our agent, Diana Lynn Rau can assist you in purchasing tickets from the airport of your choice; just let her know you are calling regarding a Blossoming Rose tour.
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