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Israel and Jordan

Faculty: Bob Harder
Class Meeting Time: Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Trip Dates: May, 2026
Cost: $2,400

Stone stairway in Israel

Highlights

Step beyond the classroom and into the lands where faith, history, and culture collide. This course will take you on an immersive journey through Israel and Jordan where you will walk the paths of Jesus and dip into the waters of the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Red Sea. You will explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Bible and stand in the places where Scripture came to life. This class will be more than just history, however—it is also about engaging with the present. As we navigate the beauty and complexity of the Holy Land, we will meet with local Israelis and Palestinians, listening to their stories to gain a deeper understanding of the realities of the conflict that shapes this region today. If you are ready to challenge your perspective, grow in your faith, and experience the Bible in a way you never have before, this adventure is calling your name! We will start both our course and travels in Israel (Palestine), walking where Jesus walked – but we’ll also walk where Jesus would walk if he were here today, listening to Orthodox Jewish Rabbis, Muslim Clerics, Palestinian refugees, and Zionist Israeli settlers. We will study the history and culture of the Holy Land from the time of Jesus to the present day. We will try to unpack and understand the complexities of geopolitics, religions, wars, humanitarian crises, occupation, and oppression within the context of what Jesus meant when he said “blessed are the peacemakers.”

We will travel for nine days to Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Haifa, the Sea of Galilee, and Samaria, to Nazareth, Nablus, and Capernaum, and then on to Jerusalem, Jericho, Hebron, Bethlehem, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea. From there we will travel south to the Red Sea and cross over into Jordan at Eilat. We will spend nine days exploring and experiencing Jordan’s rich history and culture, including swimming in Red Sea at Tala Bay, a jeep tour in the Wadi Rum desert, a visit to a Bedouin camp within the Petra archeological reserve, Ghor al Mazra’a village, Bethany beyond the Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus, Mt. Nebo - where Moses looked out across the Holy Land, Ajloun Castle, Miriam’s house, visits to Sodom and Gomorrah to see the salt pillars and Lot’s Cave Monastery, and a visit with Palestinian refugees and Christian relief and development agencies in Amman. We will also visit the Za’atari refugee camp and learn about the entrepreneurial activities of the tens of thousands of Syrian refugees, and engage in service opportunities with several different ministries.

Tentative Itinerary

Day 1 Leave PDX
Day 2

Arrive in Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv

Haifa

Telos historical briefing

Mosque visit with Muslim cleric

Day 3

Depart for Nazareth

Nazareth Market Tour

Capernaum

Mt. of Beatitudes

Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee

Day 4

Depart for Jerusalem

Meeting with Israeli journalist, briefing on Israeli politics

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum

Day 5

Tour Old City of Jerusalem

Bethlehem Bible College with Palestinian pastor

Banksy Museum

Day 6

Church of Nativity

Visit Dheisheh refugee camp

Visit Israeli settlement

Visit Tent of Nations

Day 7

Tour of Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood

East Jerusalem

Visit Jacob’s Well, Nablus

Day 8

Visit Hebron with former Israeli soldiers

Meeting with Palestinian activists

Visit glass and ceramics factory

Day 9

Jericho Mt. of Temptations visit

Western Wall at sunset

Shabbat dinner with Jewish family

Day 10

Text study with Jewish Orthodox Rabbi

Visit Israeli community on the Gaza Border

(Netiv Ha’Asara) with Roni Keidar

Day 11

Tel Aviv-Jaffa

Walking tour

Parents Circle with Robi Dalemin and Layla

Day 12

Visit Masada, travel south to Eilat in order to enter Jordan

Arrival at Jordan Border, Tala Bay for swimming in the Red Sea

Day 13 Aqaba to Wadi Rum desert for a jeep tour
Day 14

Rum Village

Bus to Bedouin Camp within the Petra archaeological reserve

Afternoon hike, little Petra

Day 15

Ghor al Mazra’a village: crafts and lunch

Bethany beyond the Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus

Mt. Nebo, where Moses looked out across the Holy Land

Day 16

Visit Ajloun Castle

Lunch at Miriam’s house

Day 17

Visit site of Sodom and Gomorrah salt pillars

Lot’s Cave Monastery

Day 18

Day in Amman, shopping and free time

Flight from Amman to Portland