Israel and Palestine

Oak Hall have been travelling to Israel for over forty years - experience that we have used to hone these tours so that they are packed with interest. Israel and Palestine provide an ideal opportunity for us to explore the Scriptures in the locations where the events took place.

Enjoy being with a friendly Oak Hall group for the study tour of a lifetime. Each tour stays at either two or three hotels to make the most of our time in the country. We explore three main locations and their surrounding areas: Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Galilee.

A walk around the city walls of Jerusalem helps us to find our bearings. The bazaars within the walls are crammed with merchants selling every conceivable type of merchandise.

Our excursions will also take us to explore all the key sites, such as the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Western Wall. There have been very interesting, recent discoveries dating from the time of King David to the Babylonian destruction of the city.

For the adventurous in the group, wading through the water tunnel built by King Hezekiah is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. The Israel Museum contains much of archaeological interest. In the Shrine of the Book we can examine the Dead Sea scrolls, which give further proof of the reliability of the Scripture texts.

We will drive through the Judean Desert, seeing part of the old track from Jerusalem to Jericho where the story of the Good Samaritan is set. At the Wadi Kelt we look out over the wild countryside where the Lord Jesus Christ faced the temptations. It also gives us an insight into the lifestyle of John the Baptist who lived in this wilderness.

The desert is full of surprises for those who enjoy the great outdoors, with desert flowers, and the sudden springs gushing from the sides of ravines and giving life to the soil. At night the silent desert is cool and majestic; in the day it is hot and dry, with a shimmering grandeur.

At Qumran we see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Here a sect lived away from civilization awaiting a coming Messiah, and the remains of their buildings can still be seen.

At the oasis of En Gedi we will be right by the Dead Sea. This beautiful area, where David hid from Saul, has lush vegetation and fascinating wildlife. We cool our feet in the clear, fresh waters of King David’s Spring and understand the significance of streams in the desert.

The Dead Sea with its rich content of mineral salts is 1,200 feet below sea level. We have the opportunity to swim in the special waters and afterwards to bask in the desert sunshine. At Masada we visit the ancient Judean fortress. The cable car takes us up to the heights where the defenders fought against the Romans after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

At Bethlehem, we look out from the hills across the fields where the shepherds received the joyful news on the first Christmas. In the town we visit Manger Square and the busy, narrow streets that were equally crowded on that important night.

We climb the ancient mound where the city of Jericho stood. It is a moving experience to read the account of the taking of Jericho as Joshua obeyed the Lord’s instructions. We consider the significance of faith for all those involved in the story. Jericho is still a place of springs and we have a chance to enjoy locally grown fresh fruit.

The area around Lake Galilee is green and beautiful, with the Golan heights in the distance. Capernaum is the location of the little fishing town where Jesus stayed with Peter. A later synagogue gives us a suitable place to read the record of the declaration by Jesus that He is the Bread of Life.

We sit by the shore at Tabgha and consider the feeding of the five thousand and also the reinstatement of Peter following the resurrection. We also visit the site of Korazim which, together with the town of Capernaum, heard Jesus preach yet still rejected Him.

A relaxing boat ride takes us across the beautiful Sea of Galilee with all the stories of fishing, storms and the Lord's care.

At Dan we see the gushing springs in the foothills of Mount Hermon. Further south, these become the rushing waters of the River Jordan.

Banyas (Caesarea Philippi) has the caves where Baal was worshipped and later the god Pan was revered. Here too, political power was recognized with the building of Herod’s palace. We read of how Jesus brought His disciples to this area to ask them who they considered Him to be. Peter made the declaration upon which the Church was founded.

We visit a fascinating reconstruction of a village as it would have been in the time of Jesus and meet a shepherd, weaver and carpenter. The donkey turns the olive press as we sit by the village well. Later we listen in at the synagogue. The Bible accounts come alive.

At Megiddo we explore the fortress site which guarded the plains below. So many Old Testament battles were fought here. A Canaanite High Place testifies to the corrupt religious practices overthrown by the Israelite invasion. The drinking troughs remind us of the huge number of horses stabled here by King Ahab. We can imagine the shouts of the charioteers as they battled on the plain below. Also called Armageddon, it illuminates some of John's vision in Revelation.