Bethlehem & Jericho Tour

Leave Jerusalem for neighboring Bethlehem (City of Bread) hometown of King David and birthplace of Jesus. From Manger Square walk to the Church of Nativity and descend to the grotto, the place where Jesus was laid in the manger. Also visit the Catholic church of St. Catherine, the Greek church, the Milk Grotto where Mary fed Jesus and Shepherd's Fields. Pass the Inn of the Good Samaritan on the descent to the Judean Desert and overlook Wadi Kelt and the Monastery of St. George. Overlook the breath taking view of the moon landscape Judean Desert. Short stop at sea-level and continue to Jericho - the oldest city in the world, where we stop at the ancient mound and the crumbled Canaanite walls as we recall the conquest of the city by Joshua. We stop at the sycamore tree which Zacchaeus climbed in order to get a better view of Jesus and stop for overview of Mt. Temptation. Visit the mound of Ancient Jericho where 25 ancient cities were uncovered.

Places along the Bethlehem & Jericho tour route:

Bethlehem, Manger Square

Manger Square, a plaza named after the nearby Manger used on Christmas Eve. Here festivities and carol singing occur on Christmas.

Church of the Nativity

This church marks the manger or grotto cave where Jesus Christ was born, the church was built in 565AD, over the centuries the Crusader and Byzantine Empires have left their mark on the church. The church is shared by Roman Catholic, Armenian Apostolic and the Greek Orthodox.

Grotto

The Church of the Nativity is built over the grotto where Mary and Joseph stayed on Christmas Eve and Jesus was born. We descend into the grottos below the church and see other alters and caves devoted to religious figures.

Church of Saint Catherine

The adjacent Church of St. Catherine is a 15th century Roman Catholic Church where the annual Christmas Eve Midnight Mass is held. This church also has hidden passage ways, and a number of underground chapels, stunningly beautiful stained glass window depicting the nativity scene.

Greek Church

This Greek Orthodox Church is one of the Christian denominations represented in Bethlehem, notice the ornate decoration of the Greek Church.

Milk Grotto

Cave Chapel where Mary nursed Jesus and as a few drops of her milk fell to the ground the walls of the cave turned white.

Shepherd's Field

This is where the shepherds watched their flocks by night on Christmas Eve and the Archangel Gabriel came to them to tell them of the eminent birth of G-d's son, Jesus Christ.
Inn of the Good Samaritan
We pass by the setting for Jesus' parable of a good man helping out a stranger at the Inn of the Good Samaritan as we go south into the Judean Desert.

Judean Desert 

The mountainous range of the Judean Desert illustrates how the unpopulated Biblical wilderness may have appeared to Jesus when he was led their by the spirit.

Jericho

This is the oldest known continuously populated city in the world and known for the Biblical story of the falling of the city walls during the Battle of Jericho. We explore the remaining city fortifications and Tell es-Sultan built on the ruins of civilizations going back 9,000 years.
Sycamore Tree of Zacchaeus
The Jericho tax collector Zacchaeus climbed this tree wanting to get a better look at Jesus when he visited the city. This is documented in the Bible:"…Zacchaeus…being short could not see over the crowd…he…climbed up into a sycamore tree…because Jesus was going to pass that way".

Mount temptation

We take the cable car to the summit of this mountain where Jesus was tempted by the devil, today a Greek Orthodox Church marks the spot.

Palace of Hisham

This is a large archeological find of the Omayyad winter palace ruined by an early earthquake. There remains evidence of a mosque, mosaics and rooms.

Passports Compulsory This tour is subject to Palestinian Autority regulations. Palestinian Guide meets tour only at border post. Change of vehicle may be required for entry to Palestinian Authority territory.