|
|
|
NOV 04(Thu): DEPART USA
Depart from the USA for a transatlantic flight to Athens.
NOV 05(Fri): ARRIVAL ATHENS - EMBARKATION
Arrive in Athens. Meet and greet at the airport. Drive to Piraeus Port and embark your cruise ship, enjoying the fellowship of other Christians and excellent teaching.
NOV 06(Sat): THESSALONIKI - VERIA
Thessaloniki-Visit the Walls, The House of Jason where Paul lived and the Agora where he preached. Continue to Veria-ancient Beroea- to the memorial commemorating Paul's preaching to the local Jews in 54 AD.
NOV 07(Sun): KAVALA - PHILIPPI
Kavala (ancient Neapolis), the site where Paul, Timothy and Silas landed on the coast of Thrace. From there, visit Philippi where Paul lived, preached and was imprisoned and the Baptistery of Lydia, where the first baptism on European soil took place.
NOV 08(Mon): ISTANBUL
In the morning we arrive in Istanbul, one of the world's greatest historic cities. Formerly Byzantium, the center of the Eastern Roman Empire, this city is built on seven green hills and situated astride two continents. East meets West in every way. We visit the Topkapi Palace with its harem and fabulous treasure chambers, the Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque with its six minarets, and St. Sofia, converted to a mosque from a Christian basilica after the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
NOV 09(Tue): DIKILI - PERGAMON
A tour from Dikili (our port) is to Pergamon, the great city of Bergama and a city of the Book of Revelation. It is one of the best-preserved ancient sites in Turkey.
NOV 10(Wed): KUSADASI - EPHESUS
Journey to Ephesus, the marble city where Paul spent 3 years of his ministry. It was to this community that Paul may have written his epistle to the Ephesians. The ruins of Ephesus have been restored much like the city was in Paul's time. You will visit the ancient Agora and imagine where Demetrius, the silversmith, sold his silver shrines of the Greek goddess, Artemis. See the library of Celsus and enter the Great Theatre mentioned in the book of Acts.
NOV 11(Thu): PATMOS
Patmos, the "Holy Island" for the Christian faith. This is the place where the apocalyptic Revelation of John was written during his exile from the Roman Empire. We visit the cave and the monastery of St. John.
NOV 12 (Fri): PIRAEUS - ATHENS & CORINTH
The architectural splendors of the ancient city of Athens are as magical as ever. Follow your guide on a journey to the ancient Acropolis where you will see the Propylaea, the Parthenon and the Erectheum. View Mars Hill where Paul preachedthe gospel to the intellectual Athenian community of his day (Acts 17: 15-34). View the ruins of the Agora, ancient market place and center of Athenian public life, where Paul preached to the skeptical Athenians. You will view the Olympic Stadium, where the modern Olympics began and where the games returned in 2004. Visit Corinth (Acts 18: 1-18), a city that inspired of St. Paul's most familiar letter. You will visit the Archeological Museum, the Market Place, and Temples. Walk among the ruins and stand on the Bema where Paul stood. Read Paul's letter to the Corinthians and visualize his address to the Gentiles as he began the task of building Corinth's church. Imagine where Aquila and Priscilla lived and where they had their tent making business.
NOV 13 (Sat): AT SEA
NOV 14 (Sun): CAIRO
This morning our ship will dock in Port Said where you will disembark and travel to Cairo via the Land of Goshen. Begin your tour of Cairo with a visit to the Egypt Museum which houses the King Tut treasures and many other artifacts from Egypt's long history. Continue to the Great Pyramids of Giza and see this last remaining ancient wonder which was built before the time of Moses and the Israelites in this ancient land
NOV 15 (Mon): JERUSALEM
From Ashdod, you'll travel to Jerusalem to pray at the Western Wall. Stand upon the Mount of Olives and view the city as Jesus did. wander among the olive trees of the Garden of Gethsemane. You'll walk along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Enter the Old City and visit the Pool of Bethesda. Worship together in the Garden Tomb.
NOV 16 (Tue): BETHLEHEM
Your cruise ships is docked in Ashdod this morning. Travel to Bethlehem where you'll visit the cave revered as the place where Jesus was born (Matt. 1: 18-25; Luke 2: 1-7). The church, which was constructed on the site, is the word's oldest functioning church. Nearby you'll view Shepherds' Field where the Good News was first heard. Continue to Jerusalem where you will visit the Upper Room, the traditional site of the Last Supper. Continue to the House of the High Priest Caiaphas, where Jesus was tried before the Senhedrin. Finally, visit the Western Wall, the last remains of the Herodian Temple and the holiest site in Judaism.
NOV 17 (Wed): THE GALILEE
Your cruise ship docks in the port of Haifa. Travel inland to the Sea of Galilee. Much of the Gospel is centered around the Sea. You' ll stand on the Mount of the Beatitudes where Jesus gave his most famous sermon (Luke 6:12-49). At Tabgha, the traditional location for the calling of the desciples and the feeding of the 5000, you'll visit the Church of the Fish and the Loaves (Luke 9:10-17). You'll aslo visit the Chapel of the Primacy where three times Peter professed his devotion to the risen Christ (John 21). You'll travel to the shore town of Capernaum where Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, John (Matt 4:13)and later Matthew, and you'll stop by the River Jordan where those who wish to be baptized may do so.
NOV 18 (Thu): LIMASSOL - CYPRUS
Visit Paphos where Apostle Paul lived and preached during his first missionary journey. See the famous Saint Paul's pillar.
NOV 19 (Fri): RHODES
Rhodes, island of "roses", is the legendary home of the sun god Apollo. The old town (the largest inhacited medieval town of Europe) and its mighty fortifications (built by the crusaders of St. John) are the finest surviving exampl of defensive architecture. An optional tour takes us to Lindos. From the Acropolis a breathtaking view covering the great expanse of the Aegean Sea and St. Paul's Bay, where the Apostle cast harbor during his historic voyage to Ephesus.
NOV 20 (Sat): MILETUS/SMYRNA-PATMOS
Visit Miletus, where Paul delivered his touching farewell address the elders of Ephesus and predicted his death, for those wishing to visit the place.
Patmos, the "Holy Island" for the Christian faith. This is the place where the apocalyptic Revelation of John was written during his exile from the Roman Empire. We visit the cave and the monastery of St. John.
NOV 21 (Sun): PIRAEUS - DEPART ATHENS
Disembark the cruise. Transfer to the airport and fly back home.
|
