St. James Episcopal Church
New York

Led by
The Revs. Brenda Husson, Zachary Thompson, and Eva Suarez
Local Guides
Canon Iyad Qumri and Rami Qumri

Proposed Itinerary

12-Day Pilgrimage

January 17-29, 2023

Jan 18-21 Saint George’s Guest House

Jan 21-24 Sisters of Nazareth

Jan 24-28 Saint George’s Guest House

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, DAY 1: DEPART U.S.A

On our way to the Holy Land

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, DAY 2: ARRIVE BEN GURION AIRPORT / TRANSFER TO JERUSALEM

Arrival to Tel Aviv you will be met by your guide, transfer to our accommodation in Jerusalem. Introductions.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Saint George’s Guest House

Tel: ++972-2-6283302

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, DAY 3: HORIZONS OF JERUSALEM / HERODIUM

Walk down to Damascus Gate to get the feel for the distance and our surrounding. MT. Scopus, view the Judean desert, Mt. of Olives, view the city of David. Lunch. Depart for Herodium some 12 km. south of Jerusalem, on a hill shaped like a truncated cone that rises 758 m. above sea level, stood Herodium, the palace-fortress built by King Herod. It had a breathtaking view, overlooking the Judean Desert and the mountains of Moab to the east, and the Judean Hills to the west.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 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: Contemporary Issues – A Palestinian Perspective

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, Day 5: 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 Lunch, in Nazareth. 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

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, DAY 6: CHRIST CHURCH / SEPPHORIS

Sunday Eucharist at Christ Church in Nazareth, the liturgy will be celebrated in English and Arabic. Meet with Fr. Nael Abu Rahmoun. Lunch, Sepphoris, where we explore the excavations of the Roman / Byzantine city, the capital of Galilee at the time of Jesus.

Dinner and Overnight at the Sisters of Nazareth

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, DAY 7: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!!!!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, DAY 8: 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. Helen 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

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, DAY 9: OLD CITY / CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER

Group Photo. Briefing for the Holy Sepulcher. We then walk the Cardo to the Constantinian Entrance of the Holy Sepulcher, Lunch, continue our visit to the Holy Sepulcher.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

Guest Speaker: Lecture on Islam

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, DAY 10: WESTERN WALL / DOME OF THE ROCK / ISRAEL MUSEUM 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. Lunch. Israel Museum and the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed, will also visit a scale model of the City of Jerusalem, describing the city more as it would have been during Jesus time.

Dinner and overnight at Saint George’s Guest House

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, DAY 11: 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, 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, JANUARY 28, DAY 12: WAY OF THE CROSS / EMMAUS

Early this morning we walk and pray the Way of the Cross, Emmaus Nicopolis. We celebrate the Eucharist at the ruins of the Byzantine Church.

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for our return flight.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, DAY 13: RETURN TO USA

Early morning arrival at NYC airport