Saint Peter's Episcopal Church
Poolesville, MD

Led by
Rev. Emily Lloyd

Local Guides
Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri

Proposed Itinerary

12-Day Pilgrimage

February 22 - March 5, 2023

Updated on July 29, 2021

Feb 23-27 Saint George’s Guest House

Feb 27-Mar 2 Sisters of Nazareth

Mar 2-5 Saint George’s Guest House

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, DAY 1: DEPART USA

On our way to the Holy Land

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, Day 2: ARRIVE TEL AVIV / TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM

We arrive in Tel Aviv and are met by our guide, Canon Iyad Qumri. We are transferred to Jerusalem. Introductions

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Tel: ++972 2-6283302

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, Day 3: HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM / CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

In the morning we will drive to Mt. Scopus where we will look at the different dramatic settings of the Scripture. Lunch. Walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance to the Church of the Resurrection to the Holy Sepulcher.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, DAY 4: SHEPHERD’S FIELD / BETHLEHEM

We depart Jerusalem for Bethlehem and the Shepherds’ Field, visit a 1st century cave dwelling, Lunch is in Beit Sahour (Shepherds’ Field), ‘And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night’. Church of the Nativity located in Manger Square. It is the Oldest Church in Christendom, constructed by Constantine in AD 326 and the traditional site of the Nativity.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Lecture on Islam

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, DAY 5: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / WORSHIP AT SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH

We depart for the Western Wall near Elharam Esh Sharif (The Dome of The Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque). St. Anne’s Church and the pools of Bethesda. Sunday Eucharist at Saint Andrew’s Church in Ramallah, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, DAY 6: JERICHO / NAZARETH

Wadi Qelt early morning to get the feel for the desert, depart for Jericho to hike up Mt. of Temptation and view Tell Jericho, 20-minute meditation on Mt of Temptation. Drive through the Rift Valley to Nazareth. Lunch. In Nazareth we will visit Mary’s Well, the site of the only spring-fed fountain in the city, and most likely the place where Mary would have gone to draw water. We then visit the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation where we will have an opportunity to have an introduction to the Icon, we then follow on foot the path to the Latin Church of the Annunciation, the traditional site of the Angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary, telling her she would conceive Jesus, the Emmanuel.

Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

Tel: 972-4-6554304

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, DAY 7: SEPPHORIS / CAESAREA PHILIPPI

Depart for Zippori, Sepphoris, where we explore the excavations of the Roman/Byzantine city, Lunch, Depart for Caesarea Philippi (Banias)‘And Jesus went on with his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am? “.

Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, DAY 8: JORDAN RIVER / CAPERNAUM / BEATITUDES / TABGHA

Today we depart for the Sea of Galilee-Lake Kinnereth. Stop at the Jordan River for the renewal of Baptismal vows, Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, we then visit Capernaum where we see the Ancient Synagogue and St. Peter’s House. We continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, Lunch, visit to Tabgha (Heptapegon), The Loaves and Fishes Church and the Chapel of St. Peter’s Primacy.

Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

A treat you will not want to miss!!!!

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, DAY 9: BURQIN / NABLUS / TAYBEH

Depart for Burqin. Jesus had passed through Burqin on his way to Jerusalem from Nazareth, and as he was passing by the village he heard cries for help from ten lepers who were isolated in quarantine in a cave, Nablus to visit (St. Photini the Greek Orthodox Monastery), St. Photini lived in first century Palestine, she was the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water, the church built over Jacob’s well where will tour the church and drink from the Well, Lunch in Taybeh, visit Taybeh, the only 100% Christian town, in the fourth century the Emperor Constantine and his mother St. Helena built the church of St. George in the village, the ruins of the Church are still found on a hill in the town. Taybeh is also the home of the only Palestinian brewery in the Middle East.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Contemporary Issues — An Israeli Perspective

FRIDAY, MARCH 3, DAY 10: BETH-PHAGE / DOMINUS FLEVIT / GETHSEMANE / DEAD SEA

Walk the Palm Sunday Procession. We will stop at Pater Noster and Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over the city. It is known as Dominus Flevit [ Latin for “The Lord wept”]. Afterward, we will walk to the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations, Lunch at the Qumris in Jericho. Dead Sea, where you will have the option to swim – or really, float (Rocky Beach).

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SATURDAY, MARCH 4, DAY 11: WAY OF THE CROSS / EMMAUS

Stations of the Cross, Silent reflections at the Empty Tomb, Later in the morning we will depart for Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church.

FREE AFTERNOON

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

SUNDAY, MARCH 5, DAY 12: WORSHIP AT ST. GEORGE’S CATHEDRAL / ISRAEL MUSEUM

Sunday Eucharist at Saint George’s Cathedral, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Lunch. Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed. We will also visit a scale model of the Old City of Jerusalem, describing the city as it would have been during Jesus’ time.

Transfer to the Tel Aviv airport for our return flight home