Visiting Israel: The Vacation of a Lifetime
By Julie Cooper
If
you’re researching your next overseas vacation and you decide to check your
options using the Internet, get ready. Typing “international travel” into an
online search engine will likely overwhelm you with more than a million sites
to sift through. Even for the most discerning Christian travelers who take into
consideration a travel budget and the choice of quality locations, the
possibilities may seem endless. However, of the many rewarding travel options
available to Christians today, no trip is more spiritually significant than a
trip to Israel – the Holy Land.
In
Israel – and nowhere else – can you see the Bible
come alive before your very eyes. You can walk where Jesus walked and sense God’s
presence in your life like never before. From the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan
River to Caesarea and Jerusalem, you can literally stand on historical sites
straight out of the Scriptures.
In spite of hundreds of other exotic vacation spots around the world,
people have continued to flock to Israel for so many years that it is often
called the oldest tourist destination on earth. In 
Israel,
visitors can experience the Mediterranean, the desert, mountains, green valleys,
lakes, rivers, and cities and towns of every size. They can also find the
very best in dining, accommodations, shopping, and entertainment.
Over
the past two years the number of visitors to Israel, particularly from the
United States, has been rising steadily. In 2007, over 500,000 Americans
visited Israel – more than in any other single previous year since Israel’s
founding as a modern state in 1948. Sixty percent of these visitors were
Christian, with most traveling on group trips. Eighteen percent were from the
Midwest region. In response to these rising numbers, the Israel Ministry of
Tourism recently re-opened their Midwest Region office in Chicago to assist
those in the area who are interested in visiting Israel.
The
Midwest Region office is headed by Tourism Consul Uri Steinberg, who says, “We
are excited to be in the Midwest, providing accurate and credible information
for potential visitors to Israel. We appreciate the support of our Christian
friends and are looking forward to working with the Christian community in
realizing their journey of a lifetime to the Holy Land.”
While
many Christians have the desire to visit Israel, some are concerned about
issues of safety. Judging by the headlines and images one sees from major
news sources, it is easy to believe that Israel is practically a war zone
– certainly not a tourist destination. However, such images portray only a
small and isolated part of the whole situation in Israel. Not only is Israel
safe for tourists, it is in fact safer to visit than most major American cities.
Israelis do not think twice about letting their children walk to school alone
or taking the bus to the mall. As one Christian leader who has led dozens
of group tours to Israel once remarked: “The most dangerous part of a trip
to Israel is the drive to your local airport.”
Day 1: Take a non-stop transatlantic
flight from any number of U.S. gateway cities. There are 10 daily non-stop
flights from the United States to Tel Aviv, and even more flight options with
short layovers in Europe.
Day 2: Arrive at Ben Gurion
International Airport in Israel. Take a late afternoon tour of Jaffa (biblical
Joppa), an ancient port where Peter saw a vision atop the house of Simon the
Tanner and from which the prophet Jonah embarked.
Day 3: Visit Caesarea, ancient Roman
capital of Judea, rebuilt by Herod; the Roman aqueduct and theater; and the
Crusader castle. Travel to Megiddo (Armageddon). Drive to Muhraka on Mount
Carmel where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal. Visit Cana and Nazareth
(Jesus’ boyhood home) and Mount Tabor, one of the possible sites of the
Transfiguration. End the day in Tiberias at the Sea of Galilee.
Day 4: Explore sites of Jesus’ ministry
at Tabgha, Mount of Beatitudes, and Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of
Galilee. Like Jesus and the disciples, you can sail on the Sea of Galilee.
Ascend the Golan Heights to view the Galilee region and visit the baptismal
site (Yardenit) on the Jordan River.
Day 5: Travel down the Jordan River
Valley. Discover the ruins of Roman-Byzantine Bet Shean, one of the oldest
cities and largest archaeological excavations in Israel. Drive down the Jordan
River valley to Jericho and the Mount of Temptation and ascend through the Judean
desert to Jerusalem.
Day 6: Visit Mount Zion, the Upper Room,
and the Tomb of King David. Tour the Old City’s Jewish Quarter, Western Wall
and Tunnel, Zion Gate, and the Cardo. Visit Israel’s modern Parliament and the
Supreme Court buildings. Explore the Israel Museum, the Shrine of the Book
(housing the Dead Sea Scrolls), and
Yad Vashem, Israel’s poignant Holocaust Memorial.
Day 7: Travel to Masada (Herod’s
magnificent palace and fortress and the site of the Jewish revolt against Rome
in A.D. 66-73) and float in the Dead Sea. Then drive to Qumran (the center of
the Essenes sect, where the Dead Sea
Scrolls were found in 1947) and the lush desert oasis of En Gedi. Return to
Jerusalem.
Day 8: Starting atop the Mount of
Olives, retrace Jesus’ steps during his final days in Jerusalem. Walk the Palm
Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane. Visit Caiaphas’ house, the Via
Dolorosa (the Way of the Cross), and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (the
traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion). Then, highlight this spiritually
moving day with communion at the Garden Tomb.
Day 9: Enjoy a day of leisure, spending
more time in the Old City or visiting additional sites.
Day 10: Say “Shalom” to Israel and
return home to the U.S.
There
are many opportunities for Christians to plan a trip to the Holy Land, either
on their own or with a group. The best place to start is the Israel Ministry of
Tourism website: www.goisrael.com. One can find lists of American tour
operators, sample itineraries, and information on everything from
transportation to what to pack. The Ministry of Tourism has also recently set
up an online community, where individuals can share their experiences from
visiting Israel and ask questions to licensed Israeli tour guides. The online
community can be found at community.goisrael.com.
For
Christian leaders who are interested in taking members of their church to
Israel, the Ministry of Tourism offers special Tool Kits to guide you through
the whole process. Pastors and ministry leaders may request this free kit by
visiting www.israeltoolkit.com or by calling 1-(888) 774-7723.
Whether
you’ve been a Christian for most of your life or you’re new to the faith and
whether you’re a pastor, leader, or layman – a visit to Israel will touch
your heart and spirit in a way that will leave you longing to go back and
experience it all over again. Visit Israel – you truly will never be the same!
Julie
Cooper serves the Israel Ministry of Tourism as the Director of Public Relations
for the Midwest Region office in Chicago.
