Jerusalem in its Glory
"Ten portions of beauty came down to the world, nine went to Jerusalem, and one to the rest of the world" (the Talmud). Jerusalem is where everything began. It was the place chosen by King David to build his palace, where King Solomon erected the first temple and where later the second temple was built by Jews returning from Babylon and later perfected by King Herod. We shall start our tour by going back in time as we visit the City of David. We will climb up to an observation point and imagine David looking down on Bathsheba bathing on her roof. From there we shall head towards area G and look at authentic seals from the First Temple era. We shall walk through the waters of the Siloam Tunnel built by King Hezekiah to bring water to Jerusalem in the times of the Assyrian siege 2,700 years ago. We end by strolling through a street from the days of the Second Temple period to the Western Wall which will be our final destination.
To the Lowest place in the World
You must have wondered how it feels to float on the water of the Dead Sea and what the true story of Masada is. Join me on a one day tour to the Judean desert. We shall take the cable car to the top of Masada, walk through the fascinating buildings found there and hear the story of the last Jewish rebels who fought against the Romans in 73 CE. We shall then drive to the wonderful springs of Ein Gedi and go on a short walk in the beautiful nature reserve around the David waterfall and river. We shall end the day with a swim – more accurately a float – in the warm waters of the Dead Sea.
In the Footsteps of Jesus
This tour takes us back in time to 33 AD after Jesus was sentenced to death by the Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate. He was led through the famous Via Dolorosa all the way from Antonia Fortress, where the trial took place, to the Golgotha Hill where he was crucified. We start our tour on the Mount of Olives where we will enjoy a panoramic view of the Old as well as the New City of Jerusalem. This will give us a preliminary orientation. We shall then take the trail that goes down the mount, on the way visiting the churches of Pater Noster, Dominus Flevit and Gethsemane. We then enter the Via Dolorosa and walk through the way, pausing at each of the 14 Stations until we reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which will be our final destination. On the way, we will refresh ourselves with freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and other local food and enjoy the magical atmosphere of the Holy City.