Meet the Women of the Bible
Co-hosted by Dr. Bill Creasy and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
(author of Women at the Time of the Bible)
December 27, 2016 - January 8, 2017
Join Dr. Creasy and your fellow Logos
students as we “Meet the Women of the
Bible,” telling their stories where they
lived, experiencing the world of the
Bible through their eyes. This will be a
FABULOUS teaching tour, co-hosted by
Dr. Creasy’s friend and celebrated biblical
author Miriam Feinberg Vamosh, author
of The Scroll, Women at the Time of the
Bible and Daily Life at the Time of Jesus.
Day 1 • Tue., Dec. 27: Los Angeles/
Tel Aviv
We depart for Israel from Los Angeles
International Airport.
Day 2 • Wed., Dec. 28: Tel Aviv
After arriving at Ben Gurion Airport, we
transfer a short distance to our hotel in
Tel Aviv. This afternoon you may wish
to stroll along the Promenade, watch the
sunset over the Mediterranean and relax
in the sidewalk cafes. Dinner tonight is
at our hotel. Get a good night’s rest, for
tomorrow is a big day! (D)
Day 3 • Thu., Dec. 29: Tel Aviv/
Mt. Negev/ Dead Sea
After breakfast, we depart Tel Aviv and
journey south into the Negev. We visit
Beer Sheba, where we meet Abraham
and his wife, Sarah; Isaac and his wife
Rebecca. Two of the most extraordinary
women in the Bible, Sarah and Rebecca,
become the mothers of Isaac and the
twins, Jacob and Esau, and matriarchs
of the Israelite nation (Genesis 17:19).
Although living in a profoundly
patriarchal society, both Sarah and
Rebecca powerfully influence events that
have repercussions even today (Genesis
12-36).
Late morning, we visit a Bedouin
women’s weaving center in the Bedouin
town of Lakiya to see a hands-on
demonstration of a biblical women’s
craft, and learn about the way an ancient
biblical culture survives to this day.
This afternoon we arrive at our Dead Sea
resort, our home for the next two nights.
(B, D).
Day 4 • Fri., Dec. 30: Dead Sea –
Mt. Negev and Aydat National Park
This morning we awaken to a view across
the Dead Sea of the mountains of Moab,
the native land of Ruth the Moabite
and the third woman mentioned in the
Gospels. We travel through the Negev
Highlands to Aydat National Park for
a walk to a desert spring. Return to our
hotel for a relaxing late afternoon at the
Dead Sea. Dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 5 • Sat., Dec. 31: Dead Sea/ Masada/
Jericho/ Galilee
Today we journey from the Dead Sea to
Galilee, making important stops along
the way and meeting extraordinary
women.
This morning we depart for our visit
to Masada. We ascend via cable to the
famous isolated cliff of the Judean
Wilderness and visit the Herodian
palace and zealots’ fortress. Though not
mentioned in the Bible, two modern
stories take us into the lives of women
who lived at Masada during the Jews’ last
stand against the Roman Empire in 73
B.C.
This afternoon we drive to Jericho. We
visit the ancient Tel and the remains of
the walls of Jericho where Rahab hid the
spies as they reconnoitered the city (Josh.
2:3). Here we pose the question: “Why
would Rehab betray her own city and
people?”
We travel along the Jordan Valley to the
Sea of Galilee, where we have dinner and
relax at Nof Ginosar, a kibbutz and retreat
center. We will spend three nights here,
on the western shore of the lake. (B, D)
Day 6 • Sun., Jan. 1: Galilee – Mount of
Beatitudes, Capernaum and Magdala
After breakfast, we ascend the Mount
of Beatitudes (Matt. 5-7) where Jesus
uttered the immortal words of the
Beatitudes. From this beautiful spot
we have a panoramic overview of the
Sea of Galilee, where Jesus did the vast
majority of his teaching, preaching and
healing. After a brief service, we drive
to visit Capernaum (Matt. 4:13), where
both Jesus and Peter lived and which
served as “headquarters” for Jesus’ public
ministry. The archeological remains
enable us to visualize how Jesus taught in
the Capernaum synagogue, healed Peter’s
mother-in-law, where he was anointed by
a sinful woman and healed the demonpossessed Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-3).
After an optional lunch of St. Peter’s
fish, this afternoon we journey a short
distance south along the shore with a
visit to Magdala, a 1st century authentic
Galilean village and the home town of
Mary Magdalene. We tour the ancient
synagogue that Jesus most certainly
would have visited as well as Duc in
Altum, the new Conference Center
dedicated to the Women of the Bible (and
where Dr. Creasy and Ana were married
last November!).
Before dinner we visit the Jesus Boat at
Ginosar and then board our early evening
private boat ride on the Sea of Galilee in
a replica 1st century fishing boat. As the
sun sets Dr. Creasy tells the story of Jesus
walking on the water and of Peter’s trying
to do so, as well! (It really is a very funny
story!) We return to our hotel for dinner
and overnight. (B, D)
Day 7 • Mon., Jan. 2: Galilee – Upper
Galilee: Dan, Banias and Bethsaida
This morning we drive to the Upper
Galilee to the Dan Nature Reserve and
visit the ancient remains of Dan. We will
learn the story of the tribe of Dan, their
rejection of land on the coastal plain
and their attacking and exterminating
“a peaceful and unsuspecting people”
in Laish (Judges 18). The story and what
follows raises a topic that we cannot
ignore: women as victims in a patriarchal
society. The Dan River is one of three
runoff streams from Mt. Hermon that
form the upper Jordan River. We will view
an arch dating back to the time Abraham
visited Dan (Gen. 14:14), the ancient altar
(1 Kings 12:29); and overlook Lebanon.
We continue to Banias nature reserve. The
second runoff stream from Mt. Hermon
is the Banias River. We visit the cultural
pagan site and have a lovely hike down
to a spectacular waterfall in the lush and
fertile hills.
We drive along the coast of the Sea of
Galilee to Bethsaida, visiting the biblical
site (the third most mentioned in the
Gospels) where Jesus healed the blind
man (Mark 8:22). This evening we have
dinner at our hotel. (B, D)
Day 8 • Tue., Jan. 3: Galilee/ Nazareth/
Megiddo/ Jerusalem
This morning we say “goodbye” to Galilee
and travel south “up to” Jerusalem. On
the way we visit Nazareth, where we
learn the story of Mary, Jesus’ mother,
and the details of daily life in this little
village of two hundred or so people.
Mary, Joseph and Jesus lived in Nazareth
for over twenty years. We visit sites that
illuminate Mary’s life. Our first visit is at
the Church of Mary’s Well, with a short
teaching in the church’s courtyard about
women “going to the well in the evening,”
and walk over to the Church of the
Annunciation.
We drive to the “brow of the cliff,” where
we will have a panoramic view of the
Jezreel Valley, Mt. Tabor, Nain and other
sites. At Mt. Tabor, we meet Deborah and
Yael, two women warriors who defeat
Jabin, “king of Canaan, who reigned in
Hazor” with 900 iron chariots (Judges
4-5). In this profoundly patriarchal
society, we must ask: “Why is a woman
leading Israel?” It should make for a very
interesting discussion!
This afternoon, we travel to Megiddo,
site of the battle of Armageddon in
Revelation 16: 16. This is a FABULOUS
archaeological site, and here we discuss
the book of Revelation.
We travel across Mt. Carmel to the Valley
of Sharon (Rose of Sharon) and ascend the
Judean Hills to Jerusalem. This evening
we check in to our hotel, which will be
our home for four nights. (B, D)
Day 9 • Wed., Jan. 4: Jerusalem – Mount
of Joy, Mount of Olives, Garden of
Gethsemane and Western Wall Tunnels
After breakfast, we drive to the Mount Joy
to visit the tomb of the Prophet Samuel
near Jerusalem and recount the story
of Hannah and the miraculous birth of
Samuel (1 Samuel 1). We proceed to the
Mount of Olives and ascend the Augusta
Victoria Tower for a panoramic view of
the Old City of Jerusalem, Judean Desert,
Moab Mountains and the Dead Sea. We
also visit the Tomb of the Prophetess
Hulda (2 Kings 22: 14).
At the Mount of Olives, we visit
Bethphage and its Franciscan Chapel with
rare medieval frescoes depicting Jesus
entering Jerusalem and the resurrection
of Lazarus.
We follow the “Palm Sunday Route” and
descend to Dominus Flevit, where Jesus
wept over the city (Luke 19:41). Our next
visit is the Garden of Gethsemane at the
foot of the Mt. of Olives for teaching and
private time in prayer. In the garden, Dr.
Creasy tells the story of Jesus’ mother
Mary, exploring what it must have been
like for her during Holy Week, seeing her
son moving inextricably toward the cross.
As Jesus suffers agony in the Garden, so
must Mary have suffered, knowing what
lay ahead. We walk down to the Church
of All Nations and view the Rock of
Agony, located in the garden.
This afternoon we stop to have a late
lunch (on our own) at the Ramat Rachael.
These are the tallest olive trees in the
world! Before returning to our hotel, we
take a short walk for a panoramic view
of the Judean Wilderness, Bethlehem,
Mount Herodion and the fields of Ruth
and Boaz.
After dinner, we take a night tour of the
Western Wall Tunnels, where Miriam
discusses the role of women in the
synagogue of Jesus’ day. (B, D)
Day 10 • Thu., Jan. 5: Jerusalem –
Bethlehem, Shepherds’ Field, and
Excavations of the Ancient City of David
This morning we drive to Bethlehem,
David’s birthplace, Jesus’ birthplace
and the home of Ruth and Boaz. Our
first stop is the “Church of Mary’s Seat”
(the Kathisma), where tradition says
Mary rested on her way to Bethlehem
to give birth to Jesus. A remarkable site
that brings together the women of the
Old and New Testaments, brilliantly
imagined through Miriam’s insightful
teaching.
We enter Bethlehem to visit the Church of
the Nativity, which marks the traditional
location where Jesus is born. From the
Grotto we head toward “Shepherds’ Field,”
where the shepherds “watching their
flocks by night” are told of Jesus’ birth.
Here, too, Ruth walks the dusty roads,
looking for a field in which she can glean
barley, only to find her great love, Boaz.
Before our departure from Bethlehem, we
visit a local olive wood workshop.
Arriving back in Jerusalem, we explore
excavations of the ancient City of David,
the site of Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the
Pool of Siloam (John 9:1–11), where Jesus
healed a blind man. Here we view the
remains of King David’s Palace, roofs of
ancient Jerusalem. We return to our hotel
for dinner and overnight. (B, D)
Day 11 • Fri., Jan. 6: Jerusalem – Church
of the Flagellation, Via Dolorosa,
Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Ein
Karem
Today we reach the climax of our journey
with the death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus, what it meant to the women in his
life—and what it means to us today.
This morning we enter the Old City
and begin with a visit to the Church of
Flagellation. Here Jesus is brought before
Pontius Pilate where he is accused of
“claiming to be a king,” treason under
Roman law. After interrogating him,
Pilate finds no evidence that Jesus is
guilty of any crime, but to assuage the
crowds Pilate has him flogged at this site.
We walk along the Via Dolorosa, the
Stations of the Cross, from the
Pretorium to the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre. Here, we visit the Chapel
of Adam, where according to tradition
Adam and Eve were redeemed by
Jesus, and we see an empty tomb
from Jesus’ times, as seen by the three
Marys (John 20:11-18).
We will enjoy some free time in the
Old City for lunch on our own and to
try our hand at bargaining for olive
wood and other items in the colorful
market and shops.
This afternoon we drive to picturesque
village of Ein Karem to visit the
Dr. Bill Creasy and Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
Photograph by Ana Maria Vargas
Church of Visitation, named after Mary’s
visit to the summer house of the parents
of John the Baptist. In Luke 1: 39 we read:
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried
to a town in the hill country of Judea
where she entered Zechariah’s home and
greeted Elizabeth.” The ancient historian
Theodosius tells us that the distance from
Jerusalem to the home of Zechariah and
Elizabeth is five miles, and tradition holds
that Zechariah and Elizabeth lived in
Ein Karem. Here Dr. Creasy and Miriam
teach about this remarkable elderly couple
and their relationship with Mary.
Later in the evening, we return to
Jerusalem for dinner at our hotel. (B, D)
Day 12 • Sat., Jan. 7: Jerusalem/ Jaffa/
Tel Aviv
After breakfast, we check out of our
hotel and travel to the Garden Tomb.
Almost certainly not the place of Jesus’
burial, this beautiful location offers an
excellent visual aid, however, to what
Jesus’ tomb would have looked like. We
visit the Empty Tomb, tour the garden
and attend a Communion Service. This is
also a perfect location to end our “Meet
the Women of the Bible” journey. Here
we summarize what we have seen, discuss
what we have learned and explore what it
means to us today.
We depart Jerusalem and head “down”
to Jaffa. We stop and visit the interfaith
women’s Rana Choir of Jaffa for a short
concert and get acquainted with a unique
project in the Holy Land. Tonight we will
have a delicious farewell dinner in biblical
Joppa. After dinner, we make our way to
Ben Gurion Airport for our flight home.
(B, D)
Day 13 • Sun., Jan. 8: Arrive Los Angeles
We arrive home in Los Angeles. Never
again will we read the Bible in black and
white; now we will read it in living color
and Dolby® sound!
Meet the Women of the Bible — $5,499.00
Travel Insurance
Trip prices are per person in U.S. dollars based on double
occupancy and include: roundtrip group coach air from Los
Angeles; U.S. and Intl. departure taxes; group transfers from
group flights to group lodgings; accommodation and sightseeing
per itinerary; breakfasts and dinners per itinerary (listed as “B”
or “D” in the daily itinerary); entrance fees to sights visited as
noted in the itinerary; destination group ground transportation;
local guide(s) and all standard taxes and gratuities. Price
based on a minimum group size of 26+. Single occupancy is at
additional cost.
Executours Travel offers travel insurance, provided by Travelex.
Travel insurance must be purchased prior to or along with
final payment. This insurance provides insurance coverage that
only applies for a covered trip. The purchase of travel insurance
is not required to purchase this trip or any other product or
service from Executours. You may already have coverage that
provides similar benefits, and you may wish to compare the
terms of this coverage with your existing coverage. If you have
questions about your current coverage, call your insurer or
agent. Executours is not qualified to answer questions about the
benefits, exclusions or conditions of the travel insurance or to
evaluate your existing coverage. Terms, exclusions, and limits
are governed by the coverage documents (available on request).
Travel insurance payment is non-refundable. Estimated Trip
insurance premium is $449.00 per person.
All offers may be withdrawn at any time without prior notice.
Trip price does not include airline baggage charges, travel
insurance cost, individual transfers, optional items or personal
expenses, or other items not listed as included in the itinerary.
Lunches, meals/dinners not listed on the itinerary as included,
and beverages at all meals are not included.
Post-booking changes in fees, fuel surcharges, and taxes may
result in surcharges to each traveler. By taking this Trip, each
Trip participant agrees that Executours may pass along such
increases to the Trip member to offset increased taxes, fees, and
fuel surcharges and agrees to pay the additional charges to offset
them.
Executours and/or Dr. Creasy reserve the right to cancel this
trip for any reason in their sole judgment, including insufficient
minimum number of participants. Dr. Creasy, Imagine
Tours and Travel and/or Executours may adjust, omit or limit
itineraries, stops or activities and/or substitute hotels or flight
arrangements as circumstances warrant in their sole judgment.
Information and pricing is subject to change without notice.
Additional restrictions, terms and conditions apply. We cannot
be responsible for incomplete or inaccurate representations,
which may not be under our control. In the event of a pricing
error, misrepresentation or omission, we reserve the right to
adjust pricing or make other corrections.
Payment Schedule
A deposit of $500.00 ($1,349.00 for single supplement) per
traveler is due with registration. Full payment must be received
by August 26, 2016.
Health/Mobility
Many sites and features of this trip require walking on
uneven surfaces, climbing stairs and inclines, and at times
significant exertion in order to see and experience all aspects
of the itinerary. Some sites are not suitable for and/or cannot
be fully accessed by persons with limited mobility, including
persons who use a wheelchair or walker. Trip members should
consult their personal physician for individual assessments and
recommendations. Any trip member who requires an attendant
or assistance must arrange for such assistance at the passenger’s
sole cost. Such assistance cannot be provided by Executours,
Imagine Tours and Travel, or Logos Bible Study or other Trip
participants.
Registration Form
A signed registration form is required from each traveler
agreeing to the terms and conditions for the trip.
Seller of Travel and TCRC disclosures, insurance disclosures,
and legal disclaimers are incorporated by reference and are
available in the registration form and on Executours’ website at
www.executours.com/logos.
Refund and Cancellation Fees Per Person
If written cancellation is received by Executours by the date(s)
specified below, cancellation fees/penalties and refunds are as
follows, per person:
From registration until Aug. 26, 2016, cancellation fee is:
$350.00.
Aug. 27 – Sep. 23, 2016 – cancellation fee is 25% of Trip price.
Sept. 24 – Oct. 21, 2016 – cancellation fee is 50% of Trip price.
Oct. 22 – Nov. 4, 2016 – cancellation fee is 75% of Trip price.
On/after Nov. 5, 2016 – 100% cancellation fee (no refund).
If final payment is not received by August 26, 2016, a late
payment fee of $100 will be assessed or your registration will be
cancelled and subject to the cancellation fees above.
Travel insurance payment is non-refundable.
Space is Limited!
To Book or For More Information
E-mail us at [email protected]
Call us at (800) 323-7004, or
See our website at www.executours.com/logos
Executours Travel Service
A Branch of Tzell Travel Group
11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1675
Los Angeles CA 90025 • (310) 552-0786
CST #2002434-40