There is not another city that has been the cause of so many armed conflicts as Jerusalem. The Jews prayed and pray in her direction three times a day during centuries.
The hustle and bustle of this beautiful town, the noisy local markets, the sanctity of the holy places for Judaism, Christianity and the Islam, and a close association with the Bible al wait to be experienced by travelers of all ages and interests from all walks of life.
Thousands of Christian pilgrims visit Jerusalem every year, and small crosses carved on the stone walls along the steps leading to the Chapel for the Finding of the Cross are silent and touching witnesses to the fulfillment of their dream.
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel as the Jews call it, is the last remains of the wall surrounding the temple and is sacred to the Jewish People as a religious and national symbol. People push notes of prayers, requests and desires that are addressed to G-d.
The monumentum which resembles a Nabatean tomb, known as Absalom´s tomb, which is cone shaped top and located in near the Old City, has stood in the Kidron Valley facing the Temple Mount since the time of the Second Temple. Jewish People believe that the resurrection of the dead would begin there when the Messiah arrive so it´s a place used during centuries for burying the dead. Many great scholars are buried there.
Although the precise origin of the Hebrew name for Jerusalem, Yerushalayim remains uncertain, scholars have come up with a variety of interpretations. Some say it means “legacy of peace” — a combination of yerusha (legacy) and shalom (peace). “Shalom” is a cognate of the Hebrew name “Shlomo,” i.e., King Solomon,” the builder of the First Temple. Alternatively, the second part of the word could be Salem (Shalem literally “whole” or “in harmony”), an early name for Jerusalem that appears in the Book of Genesis. Others cite the Amarna letters, where the Akkadian name of the city appears as Urušalim, a cognate of the Hebrew Ir Shalem (this last part from Wikipedia).
Four Days Daily Regular Tours
Filed Under Galilee Tours, Jerusalem Tours | Leave a Comment
Departing Sat, Sun.& Mon. from:
Netania 6:30 hours
Hertzlia 7:00 hours
Tel Aviv 7:15 hours
Jerusalem 8:30 hours
The pick up time from Netaniya can be changed to 07:45 and from Jerusalem to 06:00 (depends on tour destination)
Price:
469$ Per Person
Highlights
Day 1: Jerusalem New & Old.
Overnight Jerusalem hotel. Panoramic overview from the Mount of Olives, overlook Jerusalem-new city and the Temple Mount Esplanade of old city. Travel along the Kidron Valley to view the Garden of Gethsemane and the walls of the city . Via the Armenian Quarter enter The Western (Wailing) Wall square via the local Bazaar to the Christian Quarter, the Stations of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – the site of the crucifixion. Walk along the 1700 year old Byzantine main street, the Cardo
and the renovated Jewish Quarter. Ascend Mt. Zion - Hall of last supper, David’s tomb - enter the 500 year old city ramparts. Stop for overview of Bethlehem and Judean Desert. Tour the new city, see Knesset, Menorah and government buildings. Visit Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. Drive back to hotel in Jerusalem.
* Modest dress and comfortable shoes required.
* *On Saturdays Holocaust Museum is closed. Substituted by visit to Garden of Gethsemane.
*** You may replace this tour also with Tour 2A: Jerusalem & Bethlehem.
Day 2: Massada & Dead Sea .
Overnight Tel Aviv hotel. Descend to the Judean Desert via the inn of the Good Samaritan. Ascend Massada by cable car to tour the 2000-year-old fortress and palace built by King Herod. Drive via Ein Gedi, stop at Qumran,
view the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Float in the mineral-rich Dead Sea - at 400m. below sea level, the lowest place on earth. Take a mud-bath! And benefit from the therapeutic qualities of the natural Dead Sea mud. Drive back to hotel in Tel Aviv.
* Recommended hats, bathing suits, towels, comfortable shoes and beach thongs.
Day 3: Caesarea Haifa, Acco. Rosh Hanikra .
Overnight in north. Exit north to Caesarea, the ancient Roman Capital and port. Walking tour of theatre and archaeological ruins and excavations. Continue to Haife, Mt. Carmel, scenic view of Bahai garden, city and port. Drive to Rosh Hanikra to visit the limestone grottos and view border with Lebanon. Return via Acre to visit the Crusader underground city and crypt. Walk through the Old City market. Return to hotels.
Day 4: Nazareth & Sea of Galilea
Begin the journey north by travelling along Israel’s scenic coastal plain via the plain of Armageddon to Nazareth.
In Nazareth visit the Church of Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph’s carpentry. Onwards via Kafer Cana to view the Mount of Beatitudes and Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish at Tabgha. Stop to view the ruins of the ancient synagogue of Capernaum and the city of Christ. Drive via Tiberias to the site of baptismal on the Jordan River. Return via scenic view of Mt. Tabor, the site of transfiguration.
Suggestions/Tips
* The order of the days and sleeping arrangements might be changed
* Rates differ during Peak Season & Holidays
* Single supplement $45 per night
