Israel and Jordan, the Ancient Land - Study Tour with Austin Baptist Church - Sponsored Tours by Friendly Planet Travel

14 Days, $3920*
from Newark (EWR)

Includes airfare, fuel surcharges, great hotels, transfers, most meals, guided touring and more!

Hosted by Linda Smith
February 28 - March 13, 2009

We stand with Israel! Join friends at Austin Baptist Church as we explore ancient and modern history of God's Covenant Land. We begin our journey by experiencing Israel as she reclaims God's promise and statehood after 2000 years. Not only do we visit traditional Bible sites, walk in Messiah's footprints, we share the Country's heart in Communities of Judea and Samaria. Meet the Children of Promise as they live in uncertain times with unfaltering hope in the One who defines the times.

Additionally, we visit Jordan and explore the ancient Decapolis city of Jerash, inhabited as early as 3200 BC. We look toward Canaan from Moses' vantage point and experience the beautiful and breathtaking Petra.

You will be blessed by joining us and will return home with an enriched understanding of God's Land, His Holy Word, and Hope in the eternal Covenant. Don't miss this lifetime opportunity!

Your tour host,
Linda Smith

Our Touring Program

Day 1, Saturday, Feb 28: Depart USA. Depart USA for our nonstop overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2, Sunday, March 1: Arrive Israel. Welcome to Ben Gurion Airport. After arrival and assistance through customs, we're off to our hotel for a much needed rest. Enjoy the Mediterranean Sea with dinner and overnight at the Sheraton Moriah Hotel in Tel Aviv. (D)

Baptism at Yardenit

Day 3, Monday, March 2: Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Meggido, Galilee . After your first Israeli breakfast, visit Independence Hall and witness the historical momemnt as Israel becomes a State. We proceed north to Caesarea, Roman capital of Judea. Herod's building determination is evident as we see a beautifully restored theater, harbor, water system and ruins of the ancient city. We travel inward to visit Meggido with its past and prophetic history. Before we reach our kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee, we drive to Nazareth Village which recreates farm life in a 2,000 year old Galilean village, much like the boyhood home of Jesus. Nof Ginosar. (B,D)

Boat ride on the Galilee

Day 4, Tuesday, March 3: Galilee and Golan Heights. Boat ride on the Galilee. Visit traditional churches marking Jesus's miracles, including Capernaum, Tabgha, and Mount of Beatitudes. Drive to Caesarea Phillipi and headwaters of the Jordan. Visualize the Golan's critical importance as you stand on Mt. Bental. The day culminates with an opportunity for baptism in the Jordan River. Return to Nof Ginosar. (B,D)

Amman citadel © Jordan Tourism Board

Day 5, Wednesday, March 4: Jerash, Amman. After breakfast, proceed to the Sheik Hussein Bridge for crossing into Jordan. Upon arrival on the Jordanian side of the border we will be met by our guide and drive to Jerash, one of the best preserved cities of the Roman Empire. Proceed to Amman for a panoramic city tour and then on to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Le Meridien (B,D)

The Siq, Petra, Jordan

Day 6, Thursday, March 5: Mount Nebo, Madaba, Petra. We drive to Mt. Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land, and then to Madaba, where the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land is found. Finally we arrive at the Nabatean city of Petra, a secret and mystical city carved more than 2,000 years ago in pink sandstone. After touring the ancient city, including a portion on horseback, we proceed to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Taybet Zaman Village Hotel (B,D).

Day 7, Friday, March 6: Allenby Bridge, Jerusalem. After an early breakfast, we board our bus and drive north to the historic Allenby Bridge. After crossing back into Israel, we drive to Jerusalem and experience our first Shabbat in the Land. Our first view of the Holy City is an amazing overlook. We ask blessings for the trip and for Jerusalem. Dan Panorama Hotel (B,D)

Jerusalem Old City & Dome of the Rock

Day 8, Saturday, March 7: Jerusalem, Walking Tour of the Old City. Following a leisurely breakfast, we have a guided walking tour of the Christian Quarter. While exploring the Via Dolorosa, we visit St. Anne's and Bethesda Pools, Lithrostrotos at Ecce Homo Convent, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchur. Experience the Arab bazaar and enthusiasm of Damascus Gate. Communion at the Garden Tomb. Dan Panorama Hotel (B,D)

Mount of Olives Gethsemane

Day 9, Sunday, March 8: Jerusalem. New City, Jewish Quarter. This is another walking tour in the morning, beginning with a visit to the Glass Museum and the Western Wall with tunnel tour. Continue to the Southern excavations, Herodian Mansions, and the City of David. We end the day with a visit to Yad Vashem, memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Dan Panorama Hotel (B,D).

Jewish quarter

Day 10, Monday, March 9: Masada, Jerusalem. Today we experience Masada, where Jewish defenders made their final stand against Rome (73AD). Drive along the shore of the Dead Sea, making short stops at Qumron and Ein Gedi. Visit the new Masada Museum. Walk down the original Roman Ramp on the backside of Masada, and drive through the desert to a Bedouin oasis for lunch. Camel rides are available. Before returning to Jerusalem, we stop at the Valley of David and Goliath. Dan Panorama Hotel (B,L,D).

Day 11: Tuesday, March 10: Samaria. Protected bus tour of Judea including Herodian, Hebron, and Gush Etzion Center with Sound and Light Show. Our visit to Bethlehem depends on the prevailing political situation at the time of our tour. Return to Jerusalem. Dan Panorama Hotel (B,D).

Praying in Shiloh

Day 12, Wednesday, March 11: Samaria, Shiloh, Dead Sea. An amazing day to see Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for over 400 years. We will visit an outpost and meet Sondra Baras, Director of Christian Friends of Israeli Communities. Tree planting and visits arranged by CFOIC. Return to Jerusalem. Dan Panorama Hotel (B,D)

View from Masada

Day 13, Thursday, March 12: Mount of Olives, Jerusalem. Mount of Olives' walk following the traditional Triumphant Entrance on Palm Sunday. View desecrated Jewish cemeteries. Enter the Teardrop Church. Grotto, Church of all Nations, Gethsemene. On to Gallicantu (House of Caliphas) with ancient steps to Kidron Valley. In the afternoon, visit the Israeli Museum and Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea scrolls are displayed. At the end of the day, visit the model of Jerusalem as it was in 66 AD, before Jerusalem was ransacked by the Romans. Return to our hotel to prepare for our farewell dinner and late evening departure for home. (B,D)

Day 14, Friday, March 13: Depart Israel/Arrive USA. Our nonstop flight arrives to USA later this morning.

Destination FAQs

For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Israel, click here.

For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Jordan, click here.

Israel and Jordan, the Ancient Land - Study Tour with Austin Baptist Church Prices

Per Person, double occupancy:	$3920
Taxes, Fees & Sept. 11 Security Fee:	$100
Tips:	$180
Single Room Supplement:	$950
Optional Travel Insurance:	$129

Reservations

Please download the reservation application and fax or mail it to us, together with your $300 per person deposit. Fax to: 215-572-9803. Mail to P.O. Box 505, Jenkintown, PA 19046.

Reservation application PDF (requires free Acrobat Reader)

For additional information, please contact:

Linda Smith
3607 Palomar Lane
Austin, TX 78727
Tel: 512-388-1603

About your tour host, Linda Smith

Jeremiah 31:5 "Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria. The planters will plant and will enjoy them."

Linda Smith lives in Austin, Texas where she is involved in her "day job" as an Executive Assistant at the Supreme Court of Texas. She is an active member of Austin Baptist Church and a member of the Lewis Timberlake Class. For over 15 years, she was a fully-involved participant in Bible Study Fellowship and Community Bible Study. She is a widow, mother and grandmother. As a breast cancer survivor, she leads Special Friends, a cancer support group.

Her deeper calling, however, has been to the State of Israel where she has traveled and visited regularly over the past twenty two years. God has given her an intense love for the land and the Jewish people. She openly shares her own story with the hope of giving her audience a personal insight into the region and its complicated existence. In Austin, she is involved with a Christian-Jewish coalition who work together to support Israel and is committed to a weekly Torah study. She has lived in Jerusalem on two separate occasions, volunteering at Bridges for Peace and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.

As a special opportunity, Linda spent many summer vacations living in the Old City of Jerusalem at the Ecce Homo convent. From this unusual vantage point and situation, she had an extremely wide exposure to the people who live there, including the Jewish community, Arab Christians and Arab Muslims. She developed international friends and teachers who individually and collectively give her unique perspective to the momentous events happening each day in the holy land. Linda plans and leads tours to the holy land. With her experienced teaching and planning, these groups explore the Bible lands from a Christian viewpoint, and include a historical overview of all peoples living there. In attempting to understand the middle east, it is imperative to see the people with their intermingled and tangled hopes and dreams. Her many years of involvement in Bible study confirm God's unconditional promise to the Jews and she firmly stands on this premise. Linda supports Israel, Jerusalem as its undivided capitol, and the unquestioned right of the original Chosen People to be in their land.

14 Days, $3920*from Newark (EWR)

Hosted by Linda Smith February 28 - March 13, 2009