Interfaith tour Israel and Palestine 5-15/11/17

This tour is a joint venture of Jews, Muslims, Christians, Israelis and Palestinians that have worked together for years in promoting peace and friendship between the people.

We invite you to explore our wonderful country, in the spirit of religion and mysticism: Kabala, Gnosticism and Sufism all have their roots in Israel. Worship of the goddess, Legends of the Holy Grail. Israel has many sacred sites, special places and buildings to visit. It is a treasure of symbolism, sacred architecture and art.

By getting to know the spiritual traditions we create a common denominator that overrides the differences. We invite you to an exploration journey of human quest during the ages. In a way that will unravel the true treasures of this blessed land

Program leaders and organizers

Zeev Ben Arie, Founder and Manager of "Mysteries of Israel."

Abd al salam manasra
born in Nazareth abd is a musician and s Sufi sheikh from the kadiri order, active participant in peace initiatives around the world, ambassador of peace and interfaith dialogue

Itinerary
The following is a projected itinerary, which is subject to changes

Day 1 galilee is the gate

It is a 2000-year custom of pilgrims from all over the world to start the Israel tour from the galilee, which is the gate to Israel.
We will start the tour in a beautiful kibbutz guesthouse at the heart of the galilee, meeting all our Arab and Jewish friends and enjoying a wonderful traditional musical evening and dinner, in the spirit of Abraham

Night in the Galilee

Day 2 ancient roots

In this day, we will follow the "old religion" ancestral pagan beliefs, cities and shrines. Did you know that Israel has the oldest human settlements in the world, stone circle, megaliths?
The ancient religion was centered around a goddess, and practiced astrology, theory, magic.

we will visit the following places
- Megiddo, (known as Armageddon) center for goddess worship
- Hazor, ancient Canaanite capital of Israel and one of the most impressive archeological sited in Israel
- Golan heights stone circle (the biggest and most ancient in the world) and megalith culture

Night in the Galilee

Day 3 Jewish mysticism

The galilee was inhabited by Jews after the exodus and became a center for Jewish life and mysticism in the last 2000 years. The bible had deeper meaning to it, explained by the Jewish Mishna, Talmud and kabala

We will visit the following places:
- Zefat the city of kabala
- meeting with kabala artists
- Zippori, the place where the Jewish Mishna was compiled and an ancient roman city
- unknown ancient remains of Jewish village in the mountains from biblical times
- Yodfat "Masada" of the galilee, the story of Jewish struggle against the romans

Night in the Galilee

Day 4 in the footsteps of Jesus

Jesus grew up in Nazareth, a small village at his time, did his ministry around the Sea of Galilee. His teaching is more than meets the eye and were elaborated by mystics and gnostic groups during the ages.

We will visit the following places:
- Christian sites around the sea of galilee: kefar nahum, Tabaha, mount of beatitude
- Nazareth and surrounding
- meeting with Christian priests in Nazareth

Night in the Galilee

Day 5 Sufi Islam, Druze and Baha'i religions

Israel in the Quran is described as the blessed land, the place of the night journey, muhamad encounter with god; it is the land of prophets and saints. The Sufi movement is the mystical part of Islam, organized in orders with a strong representation in Israel.The Baha'i and Druze sects emerged as independent religions out of the Sufi movement.

We will visit the following places:
- the city of Akko, capital of Israel in crusader and ottoman times
- the Sufi center of the world shadeli order in Akko
- the shrine of prophet khider venerated by the Druze sect in kefar yasif
- the hilliest place for the Baha'i new world religion near Akko

Night in the Galilee

Day 6 Jewish Jerusalem

The Jews pray three times a day towards Jerusalem, which symbolizes for them the connection between their national destiny and god. The creational process started in Jerusalem and the redemption at the end of times will happen in Jerusalem. The Jewish temple stood on a hill for 1000 years, but as time went by Jerusalem, with the help of the prophets became a concept and ideal rather than a physical place

We will visit the following places:
- the wailing wall and kotel excavations, the most sacred place for jews in the world
- Jewish synagogues and yeshivas in the Jewish quarter, where Jewish kabaka developed
- city of david where it all began
- meet with Jewish scholars and rabbis

Night in Jerusalem

Day 7 Christian Jerusalem

Jesus was crucified, died, and was resurrected in Jerusalem. He taught the disciples the secret doctrine on the Mount of Olives for 40 days and then ascended to heaven. At the end of times he will descend and reenter the city as messiah from the east

We will visit the following places:
- the holy sepulcher. Here Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected, the holiest place for most Christians on earth
- the via dolorosa – way of suffering as an analogy to human quest
- mount Zion and the place of last supper. Here lived the first Christian community
- churches and secret places in the Armenian and Christian quater
- meeting with Christian monks and nuns

Night in Jerusalem

Day 8 Muslim Jerusalem

The night journey of Muhammad symbolizes the spiritual journey one has to do in order to reach god, Jerusalem became during the ages center of Islamic mystics called Sufi. One of the three holiest places of Islam, place of the wonderful dome of the rock. We will get to know the Arab side of Jerusalem and the neighboring Beth lehem, which is Palestinian territory

We will visit the following places:
- the dome of thee rock from the outside and temple mount
- Sufi places. Tombs. Mosques and madrasa in Muslim quarter
- we will go to Bethlehem to see the nativity church
- we will discover eastern Jerusalem and the Palestinian Beth lehem

Night in Jerusalem

Day 9 bringing it all together

In this day, we will see the interfaith vision of a united human culture with Jerusalem as a prayer place for all nations, Shared by Jewish prophets, Jesus and Muhammad.

We will visit the following places:
- the Israeli museum including the dead sea scrolls
- Rockefeller museum in east Jerusalem, a vision of unity
- Mount of Olives place of ascension and redemption of all three religions.

Night in Jerusalem

Day 10 Judean desert and the Dead Sea

Not just a day of relaxation and enjoy in desert atmosphere, but also getting to see and experience some of the most fascinating sites in Israel

We will visit the following places:
- Jericho – the oldest human agricultural settlement in the world, and the nearby karantal holy mountain, in the Palestinian territory
- place of baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river
- the archeological essence community site, and ancient Jewish monastic and mystic community of healers. Where the dead sea scrolls were found
- Nebi musa – Muslim holy site related to prophet mosses
- bath in the dead sea
- Rockefeller museum in east Jerusalem, a vision of unity
- Mount of Olives place of ascension and redemption of all three religions.

Night in the desert – Jericho area

Day 11 prayer

After peace prayer and morning meditation in the desert – transfer to ben gurion airport or back to Tel Aviv/ Jerusalem

What is special about our program?

- story of Israel that is not told by others
- Israel as a micro cosmos of human quest
- meeting with Sufis and kabala mystics
- meetings with scholars and Christian monks and nuns
- introduction to Sufi music and dance
- introduction to Jewish kabala and Christian spirituality
- acquaintance with the Baha'i and Druze religion
- visit of ancient sacred sites
- traditional Palestinian cuisine at home in Nazareth
- spirit of interfaith dialogue and respect
- acquaintance with the Arab and Palestinian side of Israel
- full program
- small group

Sufis in Israel
The Sufis are the mystic sects in Islam, and their goal is to reach union with God, which they do through dance, music, storytelling, art, aesthetics and different meditations and spiritual techniques. The Sufis emphasize love as and the importance of the teacher. Throughout the centuries, Israel was a place of Sufi mystics.

 Throughout history, cooperation and co-relations between Sufis and Jews were common. In Egypt, for example, in the middle centuries, a group of Jews, calling themselves Hasidim, wanted to renew Judaism in the spirit of Sufism. They claimed that the Sufis learned their practice of dance and song from the Jewish prophets, and now the Jews needed to learn it back from the Sufis.

 Sayings of Rabbi Abraham ben Meimon (12th century):  “Don’t think it improper to compare the behavior of the prophets with the behavior of the Sufis, for the Sufis have imitated the prophets and did as they did...”

Price: 2200$

What's included
airport greeting and hotel transfer
5 nights in a beautiful kibbutz guesthouse
4 nights in special guesthouse in Jerusalem
1 night in the desert
dinners and big Israeli breakfast
entrance fees to all sights
all the interfaith activity
all religious exposure and meetings
professional guidance of zeev ben arie

Not Included:
International flights, Participants are responsible for their own air travel to/from Israel and will be met at Ben Gurion airport
guide/driver gratuities
lunches'
Medical insurance
all that is not included

Payment:

By bank transfer or credit
we require a registration fee of 500$ to ensure hotel reservations
the rest 1 month before arrival