Meeting History in Ancient Judea: Bethlehem, Jericho & Jordan River Day Tour

Activities:

• Begin your tour in Bethlehem

• Bethelehem - Bethlehem (Hebrew: "House of Bread") is celebrated as the site where Jesus Christ was born. It is a town south of Jerusalem, remembered in the Jewish tradition as the hometown of King David. Joseph and Mary arrived to the city from Lower Galilee during the Roman census - where they had to register, as Joseph was a descendant of King David - "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child" (Luke 2:4-5).
  
  The first church at the site was built by Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine around 326 CE. This church later was destroyed and then rebuilt at the beginning of the 6th century in its present form by Emperor Justinian. The Church of the Nativity is thus one of the oldest Christian churches in existence. Visit the traditional birthplace of Jesus' birth.

• Church of the Nativity - Manger Square stands in front of the Church of the Nativity. As you enter the Church, you will proceed down to the Grotto of the Nativity which marks the spot of Jesus’ birth.

• Shepherds Field - View the Shepherd's Fields. In the caves of these fields, you are still able to see the soot marks of fires that shepherds lit to keep warm.

• Drive to Jericho

• Jericho - Jericho is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and the city with the oldest known protective wall around it. The Book of Joshua tells how Jericho was miraculously conquered by Joshua and the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land (Joshua 6:1-27). It is situated in the Judean Desert, 864ft below Sea Level, not far from where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. At the time of Jesus, Jericho was known as an oasis city. In fact, Herod the Great built his winter palace near here - because of its warm climate and freshwater springs. Back then and also today, the conditions in the area are perfect for the cultivation of dates, hence its biblical description as the “City of Palm Trees.” In the New Testament, Jesus passed through Jericho, where, amongst other things, he heals a blind man (Luke 18:35-43).

• Continue to Qsar el Yahud

• Qasr el Yahud - Jordan River - According to tradition, Qasr el Yahud (Arabic: Tower of the Jews) is the baptismal site on the Jordan river, marking Jesus’ spiritual birth. As John the Baptist called the People of Judea to baptize in the Jordan River, he was referring to a long-existing sentiment in Jewish heritage towards the river: present in numerous miraculous stories, this is where the ancient Hebrews crossed to enter the Land of Israel, and where the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven (Joshua 3:15-17, Kings 2 2:1-17). It was regarded as a sacred body of water, prominent in the scripts - it is mentioned 167 times in the Hebrew Bible (!!) - more than any river, stream, lake, or sea in the Old Testament.
  Today Qasr el Yahud is an integral part of any pilgrimage tour, and twice a year, mass baptisms are arranged on this site.