The Exodus Experience
A pilgrimage in Egypt, Sinai, Israel & Palestine
11 Days, 1-11 November 2011
$3,142 from New York
elective program
The Wonders of Petra
$712 returning on 14 November 2011
This pilgrimage will acquaint participants with the geographical and cultural settings of the Bible. It will emphasize the themes of liberation in the Bible, especially in the story of the Exodus. It will explore points of contact between Christianity, Islam and Judaism and build appreciation for the traditions and heritage of the three Abrahamic faiths. The pilgrimage will introduce participants to Christian origins in Egypt, desert sprituality and the nature of Christianity in Egypt and the Holy Land today. Person to person learning experiences with indigenous Christians will supplement field trips. The pilgrimage will include morning and evening fora on historical and contemporary themes, visits with church workers and mission sites.
Registration
Form
follow this link to open and print registration material and program conditions
Daily
Itinerary:
click on this link to view the full syllabus including the daily itinerary
Day 1 Your journey begins with your departure from the
USA.
Day 2 Upon arrival in Cairo, you will be met and asissted through arrival procedures and baggage claim and then escorted to your hotel.
Day 3 Following breakfast, your first full day of touring will take you to Egypt's most popular sites, the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx. We will also explore the Egyptian Museum with its outstanding treasuries of artifacts spanning 5,000 years. Time permitting, you will also vist the Khan el Khalili Bazaar for your first experience shopping Egyptian style.
Day 4 Today's excursion brings you deeper into Egypt's past, visiting the Step pyramid in Saqqara and the monuments of Dahshur, the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid.
Day 5 Departing Cairo, we enter Sinai, stopping at the Springs of Moses and passing through Wadi Feiran. We will arrive in St. Katherine's Village for an overnight.
Day 6 Today, depending on how early you would like to rise, you can join the Orthodox liturgy if you would like. You can also attempt to climb Mt. Sinai with the help of a camel or on your own steam. Either way, the views are stunning. We will also experience a personalized introduction to the special collections of the St. Katherine's Monastery. The library holds the best collection of ancient manuscripts after the Vatican collection.
Day 7 Departing St. Katherine's Village, we make our way to Taba, where we enter Israel. Journeying up the Araba, we stop at the Dead Sea before arriving in the Jerusalem area for our next few overnights.
Day 8 Today's touring takes us to Bethlehem where we will visit the Church of the Nativity, the herodian and the Shepherds' Fields, the Israel Museum, the Shrine of the Book and the 2nd Temple Model.
Day 9 Starting on the top of the Mount of Olives, we explore the Old City of Jerusalem on foot. You will visit the Western Wall and the Temple Mount, walk the Via Dolorosa, visit the Lithostratos and conclude with moments of reflection at the Church of the Resurrection
Day 10 Our day begins with an overview of the Wadi Qelt and St. George's Monastery. Those who would like can hike to the monastery and through the Wadi Qelt to Jericho. We will also visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and Masada.
Day 11 Those on the 11 day program return
to the USA.
3 Day Elective: The Wonders of Petra
Day 10 If you have elected to join the excursion to Petra, after touring Qumran and Masada, you will be transferred to the King Husseing Bridge, enter Jordan and journey on to Wadi Musa, where Petra is located. Overnight in Wadi Musa.
Day 11 Today, you will have the whole day to explore the Rose Red City, with several options from which to choose. Overnight in Wadi Musa
Day 12 After a morning vist to Little Petra and the neolithic settlement of al Beidha, you will follow the King's and the Desert Highways to Amman with stops at Shoback Castle, Umm Risas and Madaba (time permitting).
Day 13 full day tour of Jerash, the best preserved Hellenistic city in the Eastern Mediterranean, Amman, including the Citadel and downtown. Overnight in Amman
Day 14 return to the USA.
