Day 1:   Saturday 21 September – Arrive in Israel

(Accommodation at Lutheran Guest House, Jerusalem)

Personal transfer to Jerusalem via private taxi or Nesher (public taxi).

• 13h30 Meet in lobby of the Lutheran Guest House
• 14h00 Ramparts Wall  Circle part of the old City of Jerusalem on the wall. The Ramparts Wall was built between 1535 and 1538, when Jerusalem was part of the Ottoman Empire, by order of Suleiman I. The length of the wall is 4,018 meters, the average height is 12 meters (39.37 feet) and the average thickness is 2.5 meters (8.2 feet). The walls contain 34 watchtowers and 8 gates.

When we speak of Jerusalem today, we speak of 3 different Jerusalem’s.

1. West Jerusalem is Jewish Jerusalem.  It is very modern and the seat of Israeli government, the location of museums and has trendy shops and coffee bars.
2. East Jerusalem is Arab Jerusalem.  It is also modern, but it is smaller and less developed.
3. Finally, there is the Old City of Jerusalem where our hotel is located.  This is biblical and historical Jerusalem.  We will stay right in the middle of all the action, inside the Old City walls built in the 1500s.   The Old City is filled with Jews, Arabs, Christians, Muslims, Armenians, tourists and pilgrims.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uzjgMqZQBI

• 6pm Dinner
• 7pm Evening meeting – get to know you

Day 2:   Sunday 22 September 

(Accommodation at the Lutheran Guest House, Jerusalem)

• Mount of Olives view of Old City and the Dome of the Rock  This will give you a good overview and a chance to see all the Biblical geography of Jerusalem that we will learn about over the next 10 days.  This is the classic view of the Temple Mount, the old site of Solomon and Herod’s temples

• Scale model of Jerusalem

• Dead Sea scrolls 
• Lunch in Bethlehem  We will go to Bethlehem and start our exciting journey of studying the life of Christ chronologically.
• Herodium (palace built by Herod near Bethlehem) One of the most interesting sites in all of Israel, the Herodium, which is located just outside Bethlehem.  This is one of King Herod the Great’s fortresses which he built in case he ever had to flee Jerusalem.  The building of this very unusual fortress, (named after Herod, hence Herodium) began in 24 B.C., was completed in 15 B.C., right before Christ was born.  Herod was buried here and his grave has recently been found after a search lasting over 30 years. As you stand on top of Herodium you will have an unobstructed 360 degree view: east toward Moab in Transjordan, from where Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem; south toward Tekoa where the prophet Amos was a shepherd; west toward Bethlehem; and north toward Jerusalem.  Below this fortress is the subtle transition from the wilderness to the cultivated area where shepherds lead their flocks from place to place, depending on the time of year.  It was in the shadow of this fortress the Prince of Peace was born.

• Rabbinical tunnels (underground tunnels walking along the original Herodian retaining wall to the Temple Mount)  The Rabbinic Tunnels take us deep underground and follow the retaining wall built by Herod for the Temple Mount.