Where our Savior was baptized by John the Baptist
Our representative will meet you at the Airport and assist with visas and customs upon arrival. You will then be transported to Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, mentioned in the New Testament as the home of the siblings Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and, according to the Gospel of John, the site of a miracle in which Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Today this village is called al-Eizariya and is located in the West Bank about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Jerusalem on the south-eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. During the Crusades, it was referred to as Bethany by the Christians. There is a second Biblical site of this name, Bethany beyond the Jordan, or Bethabara. This is located on the Jordan River above the Dead Sea and is described in the New Testament as the site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Next head to the hotel un Bethany for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, travel to the mosaic-filled city of Madaba. There you will visit many different sites including: the Greek Church of St. George, which contains the wonderfully vivid map of the sixth century Holy Land; Mount Nebo (the site where Moses overlooked the Promised Land); and visit the Moses Memorial Church, which has mosaics from the sixth century which are currently being excavated. Then head to Umm Al-Rasas, which contains ruins from the Roman-Byzantine era; next you will go to Machaerus -known today as Mukawir. This dramatic hilltop is the traditional site of the execution of John the Baptist. It lies on a stark promontory overlooking the Dead Sea and protected on three sides by deep ravines. You will then proceed back to Bethany for dinner and an overnight stay.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then proceed to Amman which is the ancient and modern capital of Jordan. It was the capital city of the Ammonite Kingdom, Rabbath Ammon, and later the Greco-Roman city called Philadelphia. Next you will travel to Jerash, which boasts an unbroken chain of human civilization dating back more than 6,500 years. Then you will head to Anjara, where you will see the shrine of the Lady of the Mount at the Roman Catholic Church. It is believed that Jesus Christ and his disciples, including Virgin Mary, passed through Anjara once and rested in a cave there during a journey between Jerusalem and Galilee. This cave has long been a holy place for pilgrims and has now been commemorated with a modern shrine, the Church of Our Lady of the Mount. The cave has also been designated by the Catholic Churches of the Middle East as one of five pilgrimage sites. Then return to Bethany for dinner and an overnight stay.
After breakfast, enjoy a full-day visit to Petra. The most exciting and adventurous travel experience is this fascinating trip to Petra, “the Lost City.” One of the Seven Wonders of the World, it is hidden away in the encircling craggy rock mountains south of the Dead Sea. Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is known for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor, in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Lastly, head back to the hotel in Bethany for dinner and an overnight stay.
Have breakfast at the hotel, then head to the airport for departure.