STUDY TOUR
Friday 28 June – Saturday 13 July 2024
BB202 - 612/712/812/912
SMBC will be offering a Study Tour of Israel and Jordan from Friday 28 June to Saturday 13 July 2024.
Join us as we visit some of the key archaeological sites relating to important events recorded in the Bible. Come to Jordan and view the promised land from Mount Nebo, discover the lost city of Petra, then cross the Jordan River to Israel, sail the Sea of Galilee, enter Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and explore the Garden of Gethsemane, and much more!
Local experts with SMBC hosts Rev Dr Malcolm Gill and Dr Mark Stephens will help bring the Bible alive for you as you deepen your understanding of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus.
Credit Points:
ABB202 = 36hrs - Audit (no assessments)
BB202-612 = 12 credit points (1 unit) – DipTh, AssocDeg, BMin, BTh, BDiv
BB202-712 = 12 credit points (1 unit) - BMin, BTh, BDiv
BB202-812 = 12 credit points (1 unit) - GDDiv, MMin, MDiv, MTS
BB202-912 = 12 credit points (1 unit) - MMin, MDiv, MTS
BROCHURE WITH DETAILS AND COSTS HERE (2.2MB)
WATCH A VIDEO OF THE STUDY TOUR INFORMATION EVENING HERE
1. To register your interest in the study tour complete a booking form here and return it to Olive Tree travel at info@olivetreetravel.com.au
2. To confirm you would like to participate in the tour, please provide a deposit of AUD$500 per person by 23rd September 2023 (unless sold out prior). Submitting the deposit does not guarantee your place on the tour, as applications are assessed before final confirmation (paid to Olive Tree Travel)
3. Please also complete the SMBC Participant Assessment Form here
4. Note: The final balance of the full amount will be required in mid-late April 2024
TOUR ITINERARY
DAY 1 FRIDAY 28 JUNE – Depart Sydney
Depart Sydney this evening on your Emirates flight EK413 to Dubai.
DAY 2 SATURDAY 29 JUNE – Arrival Amman, Proceed to Petra
Arrive into Dubai this morning. Due to a lengthy transit, you’ll be transferred to a nearby hotel for a few hours of rest and relaxation. Transfer back to the airport in time for your onward Emirates flight bound for Amman. Arrive into Amman this afternoon. Proceed to Petra for dinner, hotel check in and a good night sleep.
DAY 3 SUNDAY 30 JUNE – Petra
Enjoy a full day to explore “the rose - red city” of Petra which, from 300 BC was inhabited by Nabateans. Take a horse ride through the dramatic “ciq” or canyon. See the Treasury, carved out of the pink stone, and continue past the Roman theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and Palace Tomb to the Roman road. If time permits, climb up to the High Place or the Deir or Monastery. Return to your nearby hotel for dinner and overnight.
DAY 4 MONDAY 01 JULY – Mt Nebo, Madaba, Jerash, Amman
Drive up the desert highway to Mt Nebo from where Moses viewed the Promised Land and is buried. Visit Madaba to view the ancient mosaic of Jerusalem. This afternoon we visit Jerash, another of the Decapolis cities with extensive archaeological excavations. Drive to Amman for dinner and overnight.
DAY 5 TUESDAY 02 JULY – Allenby, Jericho, Qasr El Yahud, Bet Shean, Tiberias
Cross the Allenby Bridge into Israel. Visit Jericho to see the excavations of the oldest city in the world. View the Mt of Temptations and visit Qasr El Yahud Baptismal site before we drive up the Jordan Valley to the Galilee. Visit Bet Shean, biblical Scythopolis to visit the Roman theatre, paved road and the excavations. Dinner and overnight is at your hotel on the Sea of Galilee near Tiberias.
DAY 6 WEDNESDAY 03 JULY – Sepphoris, Cana, Nazareth
Start with a visit to Sepphoris, home town of Anne, mother of Mary. Visit Cana, scene of the first miracle and visit the Church of the Wedding. Then go to Nazareth and see the oldest Church of the Annunciation as well as the Synagogue Church. Proceed to Nazareth Village for lunch and a visit. This is an excavated village dating from around 1 AD. The excavations have carefully renovated the synagogue and houses to give a unique insight into village life and agriculture, as it would have been at the time of Jesus. Return to the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.
DAY 7 THURSDAY 04 JULY – Magdala, Golan Heights, Banias, Kursi, Korazim
This morning we visit the recently excavated first century synagogue at the Magdala Center before we head up the Golan Heights to the Springs of Banias, also known as Caesarea Philippi where Peter said “Thou are Christ”. Continue to Tel Dan. Returning towards the Sea of Galilee we will visit Kursi and Korazim. Enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure. Meet back at the hotel for dinner and overnight at the Sea of Galilee.
DAY 8 FRIDAY 05 JULY – Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha, Mt Beatitudes, Jordan River
Visit the 1st century “Jesus Boat” found at Kibbutz Nof Ginosar. Enjoy a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee from Tiberias to Capernaum; there you will see an ancient synagogue and St. Peter’s house which was later converted into a church. Also by the shore you will visit Tabgha site of the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. Continue to the Mount of Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount is remembered. Return to your hotel on the Sea of Galilee for dinner and overnight.
DAY 9 SATURDAY 06 JULY – Megiddo, Muhraka, Haifa, Caesarea, Jerusalem
Drive to Megiddo overlooking the Jezreel Valley and considered the Armageddon of the New Testament. Proceed to Mukhraka, the site of Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal. Continue to Haifa and from Mount Carmel have a wonderful view of the area. Drive to Caesarea, once the capital of the Roman province, and see the aqueduct, theatre, Herod’s Palace and the harbour from which St. Paul was taken to Rome. Drive to Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
DAY 10 SUNDAY 07 JULY – City of David, Temple Mount, Jewish Quarter, Israel Museum
After breakfast we will spend the morning beside the Old City. Visit the City of David to enjoy an interesting walk to the Siloam Pools and Hezekiah’s Tunnels. View the Temple Mount and have a close observation of the mosques. Walk through the Jewish Quarter and visit the Palatial Herodian Mansion and Burnt House, which form part of the Wohl Museum. Then visit the Davidson Centre and the Western Wall. We finish the day with a visit at the Israel Museum and view the Model of Jerusalem as it was at the time of Jesus. Return to the hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
DAY 11 MONDAY 08 JULY – Mt Olives, Herodiom, Bethlehem
Drive to the Mount of Olives for a wonderful view of Jerusalem. See the Place of Ascension and the Pater Noster Church, and view the Palm Sunday Road. At the foot of the hill see the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees and the Church of All Nations. Visit Herodiom then continue to Bethlehem to the Nativity Church, the birth place of Jesus Christ. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem for overnight.
DAY 12 TUESDAY 09 JULY – Old City of Jerusalem, Mt Zion, Citadel, Garden Tomb
Enter the Old City once again. See the Pool of Bethesda where the angel ruffled the water, and St. Anne’s Church, the traditional birthplace of Jesus’ mother. Visit the Convent of the Sisters of Zion and pass the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa ending at the Church of The Holy Sepulchre. Leave the Old City through the bustling souk (bazaar). Visit the Tomb of the Kings on Mount Zion and visit the tomb of David, the Upper Room and the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu and the home of Caiaphas. Continue with a visit to David’s Citadel at Jaffa gate. End the day with a Communion Service at the Garden Tomb. Return to your hotel in Jerusalem for dinner and overnight.
DAY 13 WEDNESDAY 10 JULY – Bethany, Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea
Start the day with a visit to Bethany, home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. See the wine-press. Continue to Masada the last stronghold of Jewish resistance to the Romans. Then we visit Ein Gedi. Drive on to Qumran, where the Essene enclave was and see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden and later discovered, with time to dip into the salty waters of the Dead Sea. Return to your hotel and enjoy dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.
DAY 14 THURSDAY 11 JULY – Free day in Jerusalem
Enjoy the day for some free time or to wonder through the Old City. Final dinner and overnight is in Jerusalem.
DAY 15 FRIDAY 12 JULY – Depart Jerusalem
This morning after breakfast and leisurely check-out, we will have the chance to go shopping or do some more
independent sightseeing. Meet back at the hotel for transfer to Ben Gurion Airport ahead of the Emirates flight
bound for Dubai and then Australia.
**itinerary is subject to change**
Got questions? Email us or call us on +61 2 9747 4780
A great online opportunity to check out The Bridge gap year program from wherever you are!
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A great online opportunity to check out SMBC from wherever you are!