ISRAEL PILGRIMAGE 2017CIRCUIT RIDER MINISTRIES is currently making arrangements for our Third Trip to Israel scheduled for October 18-29, 2017. Dear Friends, We would like to invite you to join us on this special pilgrimage that will enrich your faith and make scripture come alive. We will travel to Israel, the cradle of our faith, and walk the roads that Jesus walked. This holy land gave birth to three major religions, and we will visit ancient sites that are sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims and gain an understanding of the ways these three faiths have impacted one another. We will see where Jesus was born, lived and taught. We will walk the “Palm Sunday Road” and the “Via Dolorosa,” the way of sorrows, that Jesus walked on his way to Golgotha. We will hear the sounds of the waves on the Sea of Galilee, and experience the aromas, the excitements and the bustle of the Old City of Jerusalem with its market squares and shops. We will feel the water of the River Jordan as we renew our baptisms. Come, travel with us to a land filled with history, a land so small and yet so great, a land loved by our Savior. Come and experience the Bible anew as we sing, pray, travel and worship together. Come on a journey you will never forget. Space will be limited, so please send in your reservation as soon as possible. Bill Marris Circuit Rider Ministries 920-629-2211 Wednesday, October 18, 2017 – Chicago Departure: Depart this afternoon from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Thursday, October 19 – Tel Aviv /Tiberias: Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, we’ll meet our professional tour manager and begin our journey through Galilee to Tiberias. Our home for four nights is located directly on the Sea of Galilee. (D) Friday, October 20 – Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee: This morning we cruise on the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, Jesus’ home for two years. We then visit the Mount of Beatitudes (where we will have devotions), Tabgha, and the Church of the Primacy. Following our special lunch on the Sea of Galilee, we’ll visit Bet Shean whose Biblical history covers the Canaanites, the Philistines, and the Romans. Later, we return to Tiberias for dinner and our overnight. (BB, L, D) Saturday, October 21 – Tiberias – excursion to Mount Tabor, Cana, Sepphoris, and Nazareth: Our journey today takes us by the Horns of Hattin where Saladin defeated the Crusaders en route to Mt. Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration. Later, we continue to Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle and have the opportunity to renew wedding vows before continuing to Sepphoris. Before returning to our hotel, we’ll visit Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, to visit the Church of the Annunciation. Overnight in Tiberias. (BB, D) Sunday, October 22 – Tiberias – Golan Heights / Bethsaida / Tel Hazor / Tel Dan / Caesarea Philippi / Hippos: We begin the day by exploring the excavations at Bethsaida, the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip. Next, we visit Hazor, a city taken by Joshua. From here, we stop at a unique site called Qatzrin, a partially reconstructed Talmudic village. We will see what a typical village looked like during the days of Jesus. Later, we continue north through the Golan Heights to Tel Dan and its refreshing springs, one of the sources of the River Jordan. Nearby is Caesarea Philippi where Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” (Mt. 16). We end the day by driving along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee to Hippos, site of the 3rd century BC Greco-Roman city. Overnight in Tiberias. (BB, D) Monday, October 23 – Caesarea-By-The-Sea / Mount Carmel / Megiddo / Jerusalem: Today, be prepared to travel back at least 2,000 years, where every mile will tell at least one Bible story as we motor along the coastal plain to the Carmel range for a panoramic view of Haifa. Drive on the crest of Mt. Carmel to Muhragen where Elijah engaged in the contest with the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:1-40). From an elevated platform it is possible to see the hills of Nazareth, Mount Tabor, the Mountains of Gilboa, the valley of Jezreel (“Armageddon” in Revelation 16:16), and the hills of Samaria. Our journey then takes us to Caesarea-By-The-Sea. This ancient city was built by Herod the Great in honor of Augustus Caesar and was the capital of the Romans in the Holy Land for nearly 500 years. Caesarea serves as the backdrop for the Book of Acts, including the many visits by the Apostle Paul, his twoyear imprisonment, and the commencement of his journey to Rome. En route to Jerusalem, we will also visit Solomon’s Chariot city at Megiddo – the site of epic battles that decided the fate of western Asia dating back to the 15th century BC. Overnight Jerusalem. (BB, D) Tuesday, October 24 – Jerusalem – Ein Karem / Bethlehem: Today we highlight the events surrounding the birth of Jesus by first visiting Ein Karem, the village commemorating the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist. Our afternoon tour takes us to Bethlehem where we’ll visit the Basilica and Grotto of the Nativity and the cave of Jerome (latin translator of the Bible).En route to our hotel, we’ll visit the Field of the Shepherds. Through our visits, input and reflections, we will gain a deeper understanding of the world and circumstances into which the Lord was born. Overnight in Jerusalem. (BB, D) Wednesday, October 25 – Jerusalem: Our morning begins on the Mount of Olives where we’ll visit the Church of the Pater Noster, the Church of Dominus Flevit where Jesus wept over Jerusalem according to Luke, and the Garden of Gethsemane where we plan to have devotions. Later, we cross the Kidron Valley passing the Tombs of Absalom and Zechariah. On Mount Zion we’ll visit the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (Caiaphas’ House), and the Upper Room. Our afternoon tour will take us to Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Museum). Overnight in Jerusalem. (BB, D) Thursday, October 26 – Jerusalem: Our morning walking tour of the Old City begins at the Dung Gate. From here we’ll visit the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, St. Stephen’s Gate, and St. Anne’s Crusader Church with the Pool of Bethesda (where Christ healed the crippled man). We then begin the Via Dolorosa – the Way of the Cross. There are fourteen stations along Christendom’s most sacred route – each one marks an event that took place during the last walk before the Crucifixion. Nine of these stations are actually along the Via Dolorosa, including the Chapel of Flagellation, Arch of Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), Pilate’s Judgment Hall, the Lithostrotos, and the remaining five are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Following some free time in the Old City, we’ll visit the Garden Tomb for a service. Overnight in Jerusalem. (BB, D) Friday, October 27 – Jerusalem – Dead Sea / Qumran / Masada: We journey south via the Judean Desert to the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth (1,300 feet below sea level). Among our stops will be Qumran, site of the Essene Community where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and Ein Gedi where a precipitous cliff filled with caves rises some 2,000 feet. It was here that David and his men took refuge from King Saul and here also that David spared Saul’s life. Arrive Masada in the late morning. Our tour will include a visit to the remarkable ruins of the Fortress built by Herod the Great where Jewish zealots made their last stand in revolt against the Roman legions from 70 to 73 A.D. On our return to Jerusalem, there will be time to float in the Dead Sea. Overnight in Jerusalem. (BB, D) Saturday, October 28 – Jerusalem / Jericho / Western Tunnel: This morning we drive to Jericho, the oldest town in the world. From the excavated Tel of ancient Jericho, we view the green Jordan Valley and River, Elisha’s fountain, and the Mount of Temptation. On the banks of the Jordan River near Jericho, we will visit Qasr al-Yahud, the site where it is believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Here we have the opportunity to renew our own Baptismal commitments before returning to Jerusalem to visit the Western Wall and its tunnels … one of the most popular tourist sites in Jerusalem. These underground tunnels connect the western wall prayer area to the northwest side of the temple mount. Along its path are remains from the second temple period, as well as structures from later periods. The experience of walking along the tunnels is like taking a time machine back to the time of the second temple. Later, we’ll visit the Cardo, a Byzantine road, roughly the equivalent of an eight-lane highway that ran through the heart of the city. Overnight in Jerusalem. (BB, D) Sunday, October 29 – Tel Aviv / Chicago. Depart Tel Aviv this morning to begin our journey home. Arrive Chicago’s O’Hare Airport this afternoon. (B) Buffet Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner
Wednesday, October 18, 2017 – 01:45 – Sunday, October 29, 2017 – 01:45