Journey to the Holy Land

The Roman aqueduct in Caesarea – built by the slaves of Rome under Herod the Great in the last years BC. In the houses of Caesarea were running water and sewage, in addition to this, there were public baths in the city – “baths”. All this required a huge amount of fresh water, which was supplied from sources in the mountains and water was supplied to Herod’s baths and to the table of Pontius Pilate.
Zichron Jacob is a picturesque village on the Carmel ridge, one of the first Jewish settlements in Eretz Israel, in the new history founded in 1882 with the money of Baron Rothschild and so named in memory of his father James. Jews from Romania settled here, began to grow grapes and produce wine. Old houses with tiled roofs and outbuildings are left on the main street of the city.
Rothschild Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Israel, which was divided around the grave of Baron Rothschild, a philanthropist who promoted the return of Jews to the promised land.
Haifa – Israel’s third largest city sprawls on the slopes of Mount Carmel. Center of the World Bahai Religion. Bahai (Persian gardens) – a wonder of the world, created in the late twentieth century. Unique architectural complex, striking beauty and grandeur.
The Church of the Prophet Elijah is a Russian Orthodox church on the eponymous courtyard of the Russian spiritual mission in Jerusalem, located on Mount Carmel, consecrated in 1913.
Starfish – the headquarters of the order of the Carmelites of the nineteenth century is located on the site of the cave of the prophet Elias. The monastery serves as the center of Carmelite spirituality for the whole world. The main part of the complex is the cathedral, which received from the Roman pope the honorary title of “Mother Church” and the status of the world center of the Carmelite Order.
Acre – the city of the Crusaders with underground tunnels, halls and oriental bazaar on the Mediterranean coast, is under the protection of UNESCO. During the tour we will visit the ancient Hammam (Turkish baths); we will see the walls of the city, the port, the ancient mosque, the Khan el Umdan caravanserai; walk along the narrow streets of the city, which was never able to capture Napoleon.
Stay at the Hotel St. Gabriel in Nazareth.
Dinner, free time.

Mount Tabor (in Hebrew Tavor from the word Tabur – umbilical cord) is the place where the miracle of the Transfiguration of Christ, described in the Gospels, took place. The mountain is crowned by two magnificent monasteries of the Transfiguration: Orthodox and Catholic, each of which in its own way preserves the special atmosphere of the holy place. From here, there is an amazing view of the Israel Valley.
Cana of Galilee is a small Arab village on the way from Nazareth to Tiberias, known from the Bible (John 2: 1; John 2:11), where the Marriage was in Cana of Galilee and where Jesus performed his first miracle: turning water into wine. Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George the Victorious in honor of the First Miracle of the Savior.
Nazareth is the native City of the Virgin Mary. The Basilica of the Annunciation on the site of the Sagrada Familia and the Church of the Archangel Gabriel at the source of the Virgin Mary
An evening stroll through Nazareth – plunge us into the unusual atmosphere of the largest Arab city of Israel. Mosaic Israeli society.
Return to the Hotel. Dinner.

The ancient city of Megiddo is repeatedly mentioned in the OT and NZ, the only place in Israel mentioned in the sources of all the great powers of the ancient Near East. Armageddon – known in Hebrew as Megiddo. This is a gigantic fortress and city, which were built by King Solomon, mentioned in (1 Kings 9:15). The place of the last battle of good and evil (angels and demons) at the end of time is in the End of the World, where “the kings of all the inhabited earth will participate” (Rev.16: 14-16).
Tel Megiddo is a national park, a unique archaeological complex with 7000 years of history. We will admire the gate built in 1550-1200 BC, the remains of the fortress, the remarkable hydraulic structures of King Solomon’s times, his stables, as well as the excavation of 26 layers of civilizations
Visit an Israeli family. The story of the owner of the house about himself and the family history, a small tour of the house and lunch with the owners of the house.
Beit Shean – one of the oldest cities in Israel. In the Talmud there are such lines: “If paradise is located on the land of Israel, then Beit Shean is its gate”. The city has the Skifopolis National Park at the archaeological site of ancient Beit Shean.
The complex includes a Roman theater, baths, colonnades on the streets of Cardo and Decumanus, where ancient shops covered with floor mosaics were located (visit).
Shaar ha Golan – kibbutz, literally “Gates to the Golan” – a collective farm on the border with Syria, founded in 1930 by Jews from Poland and the Czech Republic.
Communist paradise on a single piece of land: from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. The resilience of this idea for over a hundred years trying to prove the Israelis in kibbutz, arguing with God, fighting with enemies, surviving in the desert – and correcting the idea of ​​universal equality.
We will get acquainted with the history of the Kibbutz movement and the kibbutz Shaar ha Golan
Check in at Hotel La Perla in Tiberias.
Dinner, free time.

The Sea of ​​Galilee is the biblical name for the unique Kinneret Lake. This reservoir is called the sea because of its historical significance. It is also called the Gennesaret or Hinnereffe sea or Lake Tiberias (sea). It was on these shores that Christ began to preach, it was from the cities located earlier on these shores that most of his disciples and followers hailed. It was the Sea of ​​Galilee that became the first place where Jesus performed miracles to the world.
The Mountain of Beatitudes is the place of the Sermon on the Mount. Twelve Apostles were elected here.
Panorama of Lake Gennesaret.
Capernaum – worshiped the city of Jesus Christ. It was here, according to the Gospels, that the main preaching activity of the Messiah was carried out. From here, He goes to preach in Galilee. Look at the house of Saint apostle Peter, greek monastery and temple in the name of the twelve apostles.
Tabgha is the place of the miracle of the multiplication of bread and fish, where Jesus Christ fed 5 thousand people with five slices of bread and two fish (Mat. 14: 13-21; Mark 6: 30–44).
The Church of the Multiplication of Khlebov and Pisces The main attraction of the church is the restored mosaics of the 5th century, a unique example of early Christian art. Mosaics depict animals and plants, including lotuses. In front of the altar is a mosaic depicting fish and a basket of bread.
Magdala – the birthplace of St. Mary Magdalene. With the amazing excavations of the last years, the ruins of the ancient synagogue of the Christ period, the central square of the village (agora) and a monastery with a church of the 6th century were found.
The site of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Magdala in honor of St. Mary Magdalen, Equal to the Apostles, where, according to legend, the Lord cast out seven demons from it (Mark 16: 9).
We look at the temple and the miraculous source of St. Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene.
Lunch – in the menu “fish of Saint Peter”.
Boat Ride on Lake Genesaret where Jesus walked on the water and pacified the storm.
Return to the Hotel. Dinner.

Safed is a city of Jewish mysticism with numerous synagogues hiding between its narrow streets and art galleries in which bondage is woven, its center is Safed for the last five hundred years.
Nimrod Fortress is an ancient fortress located on a hill (800 m above sea level) in the Upper Galilee in the foothills of Hermon above the Banias Creek. Jews call this place the fortress of Nimrod in memory of Nimrod, the biblical king, who according to legend lived in these places: “Cush also begat Nimrod; This man began to be strong on earth. he was a mighty hunter before the Lord [God], and therefore it is said: “A strong hunter as Nimrod is before the Lord.” (Gen. 10: 8-9).
The elder of the fortress Nimrod hosted Richard the Lionheart, in whose eyes he ordered his soldiers to commit suicide, until Richard begged, asking him to stop.
Banias – one of the most beautiful nature reserves, which includes archaeological excavations, is located in northern Israel at the foot of Mount Hermon. One of the main attractions of the reserve is a number of fantastic waterfalls. We walk along the hanging trail over the canyon with raging waters.
Winery in the Golan Heights with tasting Israeli wine and a story about its creation.
Mount Bental is a very ancient, long extinct volcano. Located on the very border between Israel and Syria. It offers a beautiful view of Hermon and the Golan Heights.
The Bental Memorial is a military historical complex with a viewing platform located at an altitude of 1,165 m. The complex includes fortifications, bunkers, bunkers, and a gallery of sculptures from the remnants of Syrian armored vehicles.
Return to the Hotel. Dinner.

Judean Desert – the place of Baptism and the “Desert of the Holy City.” The name comes from “Judea” – the inheritance of one of the 12 tribes of Israel and the same name of the Jewish southern kingdom. Since ancient times, this place served as a refuge for hermits and rebels, one of the first was the future Jewish King David, who was hiding here from the persecution of his father-in-law, King Saul. At the mouth of the river Jordan baptized the people of John the Baptist. Even before the early Christians in the Judean wilderness, the Essenes sought purification and enlightenment.
Bethany is the settlement mentioned in the New Testament as the hometown of Lazarus, Mary and Martha (John 11: 1), where Jesus miraculously resurrected Lazarus four days after his death. Here He was on the eve of the solemn entry into Jerusalem. The main attraction is the tomb of Lazarus.
Along the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem
Monastery of George Khosevita on the site of the cave of the prophet Elijah. Here St. Joachim begs for his daughter the Virgin Mary. Today it is a beautiful monastery. All his cells, chapels and churches are located right on the cliff above the deep gorge.
Jericho is the most ancient city on the planet (XI – IX centuries BC). The city of ups and downs, glory and shame, death and rebirth. Oasis in the middle of the desert.
The Temptation Monastery or the Quarantal Monastery is built on a mountain where the Lord Jesus Christ cast himself to loneliness and fasting that lasted 40 days. Rise to the mountain of the Forty-Day Temptation of Christ, visiting the monastery.
Monastery of the Prophet Elisha – Greek male monastery. Here is the fig tree – the same tree that Zacchaeus climbed on to see the Lord Jesus.
Omayid Palace in Jericho – the remains of one of the deserted palaces of the first Muslim dynasty.
The Jordan River (Kaser el Yahud) – bathing in the sacred waters at the place where Jesus receives the baptism from John the Forerunner.
The Greek monastery of St. Gerasim, one of the oases of spirituality in the Judean desert, was built by Rev. Gerasim in 455. The temple was built on the site of a cave, where the Holy Family was hiding during the flight to Egypt. Here is the miraculous icon of the Virgin the Mammalian.
Sacral calligraphy – meeting-lecture with Avraham Borschevsky, certified calligrapher, Guinness Book of World Records record holder. A fascinating story about religion, history, Kabbalah, alphabets, Jewish customs, calligraphy, demonstration of parchments, feathers with a demonstration of the technique of the calligrapher.
Check in at Victoria Hotel in Jerusalem.
Dinner, free time.

Panorama of the Old City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.
The Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives (Imvomon) was built by Queen Equal to the Apostles between 330 and 378. at the place of the ascension of Jesus Christ.
“Pile” – the place of the Ascension of the Lord – in the floor of the chapel, there is a stone framed by a rectangular marble frame embedded in a natural rock. The stone has a recess in the form of a print of the left human foot. The Savior’s foot or “pile” – this was the name Russian pilgrims called this stone.
Russian female Spaso-Ascension Monastery on the Mount of Olives. On the territory of the monastery there is a place where, according to legend, the Mother of God stood during the Ascension, as well as the place of the First and Second Finding of the head of John the Baptist. The most magnificent panorama of Jerusalem opens from the belfry of the Olive Monastery, which is called the “Russian candle”.
Church of the Tears of the Lord (Dominus Flevit) – built on the spot where Jesus Christ stopped in front of the entrance to Jerusalem. By this time, He was already rejected in Nazareth, Corazim and Kapernaum, and, foreseeing further events, he stopped on the Mount of Olives directly opposite the Temple and could not refrain from tears, thinking about the fate of Jerusalem: “When he approached the city, then looking at it, cried about him. And he said: oh, if only you had found out on this your day, that it serves your peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes; for the days will come upon you, when the enemies will besiege you with trenches, and surround you, and constrain you from everywhere; And they will ruin you, and will beat your children in you, and will not leave you stumbling, because you did not know the time of your visit ”(Luke 19: 41-44).
Gethsemane is a locality at the foot of the western slope of the Mount of Olives, in the Kedron valley, east of the Old City of Jerusalem, in which the Gospel events took place. There are several Christian churches here: the Church of All Nations, the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, the Russian Orthodox Church of Sts. Mary Magdalene, Gethsemane grotto.
Temple of sv. Mary Magdalene – was built in 1885 by order of Emperor Alexander III in memory of his mother – Empress Maria Alexandrovna, whose heavenly patron was Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene. Here rest sv. the relics of the Great Martyrs Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and her cell-mares in. Barbarians.
Gethsemane Garden is revered as a place of prayer for more often Jesus Christ on the night of his arrest
The tomb of the Virgin is the greatest Christian shrine, where, according to the Holy Tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos was buried by the apostles. According to a legend known from the 4th century, the Virgin Mary died in Jerusalem in 57 at the age of 72, and the apostles buried Her in Gethsemane in a family tomb, where the burial places of her parents Joachim and Anna and husband Joseph the Baptist were.
Via Dolorosa – The Way of the Cross – the path of the suffering of Christ from the place of condemnation to the place of the Crucifixion. On Via Dolorosa are 9 of the 14 stops of the Stations of the Cross of Christ.
The last 5 stops are located on the territory of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the main shrine that unites all Christian denominations. It is a complex of buildings that were built on the site of Calvary, where, according to Scripture, Jesus Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected.
The Wailing Wall is part of a massive stone wall around the Temple Mount of the Old City of Jerusalem, which survived the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70. The Wailing Wall is considered the most sacred place in Judaism, a place of prayer where Jews mourn the destroyed shrine and pray to God for the revival of Israel.
Saturday meeting in a Jewish family in Jerusalem
The program starts at the Garbage Gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. During these hours, the square in front of the Wailing Wall is filled with hundreds of people praying for a variety of religious movements in Judaism. All are dressed in traditional holiday clothes and hats, and each group has its own characteristics. Then we go to the hospitable house, where we are waited for the “meeting of the Sabbath” at the family festive meal, which is held in accordance with all canons and religious rituals. At the beginning of the evening, Shabbat candles are lit and a blessing is pronounced. Then traditional Saturday dishes are served, challah is a special Saturday bread, Shabbat wine and the celebration of the “Queen-Sabbath” begins!
We return to the Hotel.

Wadi Og – is a dry bed near Kibbutz Almog and stretches to the Dead Sea. On the picturesque pedestrian path we are waiting for the ladders, the ascents and the passage through the narrow gorge.
The fortress of Massada – built by King Herod the Great on an inaccessible rock, is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The symbol of the heroism of the Jewish people during the period of the Roman conquest of Judea. The defenders of the fortress against the Romans preferred death to defeat. The Dead Sea is a unique natural clinic at a depth of 420 meters below sea level. Relaxation and swimming on the equipped beach.
Stay at the Beitlehem Diamond Hotel in Bethlehem.
Dinner, free time.

The Temple Mount is the place where the Jewish Temple stood and where the shrines of Islam rise today. It is believed that God put a “link of ha-shtia” on this place – the foundation stone, the cornerstone of the universe.
The Temple Mount is identified with Mount Moriah, where God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. “You did not spare your only son for Me, and I bless you and multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore,” the Lord said to Abraham.
At the top of this mountain, during a pestilence, King David saw an angel with a sword pointing to Jerusalem, and here he was told to build an altar to the Lord. When the sacrifice was made, the plague in the kingdom of Israel ceased.
The city of David is an archaeological park on the site of ancient Jerusalem, where water-supply systems and the tunnels of the Canaan time and period of the 1st temple have been preserved. Here 4-3 thousand years ago stood the fortress of Zion, conquered by King David, here began the story of holy Jerusalem, destroyed and restored, whose fate has not been interrupted for many centuries, like the water of the source of Gihon, who anointed the kingdom of David to the kingdom. We will go under the ground knee-deep in water along the Siluyama spring to the Siluyama font, and then we will repeat the way of the pilgrims to the temple.
Visit the building of the Knesset – the Israeli Parliament.
The Israel Museum is one of the richest archaeological collections in the world, where unique collections devoted to the history of the Holy Land, as well as a collection of works of classical and modern art are collected and presented. In the Temple of the Book you can see the ancient Torah scrolls, written more than two thousand years ago, found in Qumran near the Dead Sea. Model of Jerusalem and the Temple of the time of Jesus Christ.
The Mahne Yehuda Market is the center of modern Jerusalem, an oriental variety of aromas, tastes and colors, a favorite place of Jerusalem’s shopping. All that the land of Israel is rich in can be tried and purchased here. This first market outside the Old Town appeared in the 80s of the XIX century. in one of the new quarters of Jerusalem.
We return to the Hotel. Dinner. Free time.

Mount Zion – today rather a hill – has become a symbol of the Promised Land for all Jews in the world. After the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people were scattered throughout the world, having no more of their own country, the name of this mountain turned into a common name. It meant “home” or “place to return.”
The most revered and significant sights of Mount Zion are the tomb of King David, the upper room of the Last Supper, the Catholic Church of Sts. Peter and the Assumption Benedictine Monastery.
The Greek monastery of Onuphrius is in the field of blood bought for 30 pieces of silver from Judah.
The Monastery of the Cross is one of the most famous monasteries in the Holy Land. It is called the abode of Georgian glory or the abode in the name of the Holy Cross. The Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli once lived in its walls. According to an old legend, on the site of the monastery a tree grew, from which the Life-giving Cross was made.
Ein Karem – two important events connected with this place: the birth of John the Baptist and the meeting of the Virgin Mary and the righteous Elizabeth.
The Russian Gornensky Monastery – in 1871, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin), redeemed a plantation of olive trees in the village of Ein Karem near Jerusalem. On the purchased plot, a women’s community was organized, which after three years received its charter and was approved as a women’s monastery. On the territory of the monastery there is also a cave temple in honor of St. John the Baptist.
We return to the Hotel. Dinner. Free time.

The Church of the Nativity of Christ, is one of the most ancient temples of the Holy Land at the birthplace of the Savior. The main shrine of the temple is the cave of the Nativity of Christ, located under the central chapel. Near the southern entrance to the cave is the miraculous smiling Bethlehem Icon of the Mother of God.
The caves of the murdered Bethlehem babies and the Church of St. Catherine.
The caves in which the blessed Jerome Stridonsky labored – the translator of the Holy Scriptures in Latin.
The milk cave – according to legend, it was here that the Holy Family was hiding during the Beating of babies before fleeing to Egypt, fleeing from the soldiers of King Herod. The Mother of God, gathering to feed the baby, sprinkled inadvertently drops of her milk. The drops fell on a dark stone, which immediately turned into a milky white color.
The Shepherd’s Field – here the Angel announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds awake in the field:
“And the angel said unto them, Do not be afraid; I declare to you a great joy that will be to all people: for now a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born to you in the city of David; and here is a sign for you: you will find the Baby in swaddling clothes lying in the manger ”(Luke 2, 8-20)
In the cave where the revelation of the Angels occurred, three shepherds were buried, eyewitnesses to the events who wished to be buried in the place where they were honored to see the Glory of God.
The monastery of Savva the Sanctified is an ancient Orthodox monastery in the middle of the desert, existing without interruption for one and a half thousand years with a strict and unchanged charter.
The monastery of Theodosius Kinoviarkha – a female monastery, founded in 476 by Theodosius the Great near the cave, where, according to legend, the magicians who came to worship Christ stopped for rest on the way back (Matt. 2:12).

Hebron is the oldest city of the forefathers of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the capital of the kingdom of David.
The Monastery of the Holy Trinity on the site of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in honor of the Holy Forefathers of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Here is the oak of Mambre, under which, according to tradition, Abraham received three angels who came to him.
The Cave of the Forefathers – the Cave of Makhpela – the crypt of the patriarchs in the ancient part of Hebron, in which, according to the Bible (Gen. 23; 49: 29-32; 50:13), Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as their wives Sarah, Rebekah and Liah are buried .
Return to the Hotel. Dinner. Free time.

The stalactite cave is a natural miracle in the Judean mountains, where stalactites and stalagmites amaze with their diversity in a small area of ​​the cave.
Beit Guvrin – Mareshi is an archaeological museum on the site of ancient cities: Mareshi is a developed Jewish city of the First Temple era (3rd century BC) and the Roman city of Beit Gurvin, which was rebuilt on the ruins of Mareshi, one of the most impressive monuments of bygone times. Under the hill on which the city was founded, there were deposits of Cretaceous rocks, which were easily treated. This was used by the locals who built a large cave city with streets, dwellings, reservoirs, quarries, warehouses, shops for the production of olive oil, pigeon houses, prayers and cemeteries. Underground city functioned about 800 years
In the city, which arose on the site of Mareshi in the Hellenistic period, artifacts relating to the history of Judea were discovered three hundred years before Christ.
Church of St. George in Lod – at the burial place of the patron saint of Moscow
The city of Lydda (Lod) is the birthplace of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious.
Check in at the Margoa Hotel in Netanya.
Swim in the Mediterranean.
Dinner, free time.

Jaffa – Tel Aviv
Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the country. Once, in antiquity, it was the main port of the state in the Mediterranean. The history of the city begins during the rule of the Egyptian kings and the Roman authorities.
Immersion in the picturesque streets of Jaffa (Joppa), where according to legend, Noah built his ark and Perseus freed Andromeda. Where Andromeda is adjacent to the Apostle Peter and the house of Simon the Kozhevnik. We walk through the streets that remember Alexander the Great, Richard the Lionheart and Napoleon. We will see numerous galleries and a flea market.
The compound of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jaffa with a temple in honor of the saints Apostle Peter and the righteous Tabitha is located at the burial place of the righteous Tabitha, resurrected by the Apostle Peter (Acts 9, 36). The funeral cave of the family of rights has been preserved on the compound. Tabiths with a Byzantine mosaic.

Tel Aviv – in Hebrew – “the mound of spring” was founded as a Jewish quarter in the territory of the ancient port city of Jaffa, and later merged with it. This is the center of the colossal agglomeration of more than a dozen settlements, in turn surrounded by a ring of cities, it is a real metropolis on the seashore with more or less conventional boundaries. One of the best seaside resorts in Israel, is the business, cultural and economic center of Israel, is constantly evolving and transforming.
Neve Tzedek – a district of Tel Aviv, older than the city itself for 22 years, was founded in 1887 and became the first Jewish settlement outside the walls of Jaffa. The founders of the region purchased empty land from the Arabs and built 48 houses on this site – according to the number of families. Then there were more houses. Today this area is considered fashionable.
Rothschild Boulevard – one of the most important and iconic streets of Tel Aviv, located in the heart of the White City. Boulevard is a commercial center with large financial institutions, cultural center, main theater and concert hall of Tel Aviv. On both sides of the street there are buildings in the style of Bauhaus, which is considered to be the landmark style of Tel Aviv architecture, which allowed the city to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Carmel Market – colors of seasonal fruits and the pulse of life in a modern city.

We arrive in Tel Aviv at the Airport “Ben-Gurion” for Departure.