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We are going to follow the route of Exodus from Egypt to Jordan with an Egyptologist David Rohl. David Rohl is one the leading lights on the new chronology which more accurately dates Egyptian and middle eastern time lines.
This is our itinerary:
Day 1 Arrive at Cairo International Airport aOvernight in Cairo.
Day 2 Morning – We visit the Grand Egyptian Museum.Day 3 Morning – Leave Cairo and head for Bubastis to explore the Temple of the cat-goddess Bast. Then on to the romantic and spectacular ruins of Tanis where we also enter the Tomb of Osorkon II, which plays a major role in the New Chronology. There will be a packed lunch provided for the day. From Tanis we drive to Ismaliya for our overnight stay
Day 4 In the early morning we cross the Suez Canal and head into Sinai. Tracing the route of Moses and the Israelites, we head south to Ayun Musa, where we can explore the twelve springs and seventy palm trees of biblical Elim. Unfortunately, Serabit el-Khadim is currently closed so we will instead pass through the Wadi Feiran and visit the chapel there and where the Amalekites were encamped before they attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. We then pass by Rephidim (Wadi Refayid) and on to the er-Raha Plain where the Israelite camp was located at the foot of Mount Horeb. By special arrangement, we are privileged to be staying in the famous Saint Catherine’s Monastery for two nights.
Those who are fit and keen can make the 3 am climb up Gebel Musa – the traditional Mount Sinai – to view the spectacular sunrise, returning for breakfast in the monastery.
Day 5 Morning – A guided tour of the monastery by the monks, including the famous library. Then we visit the Shrine of Aaron where the Golden Calf was set up. Overnight in Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
Day 6 Drive through the wadis of eastern Sinai to the Egyptian resort of Taba, just south of the border with Israel at Eilat. On the way, we will make the short journey by boat to Pharaoh’s Island, possibly the site of Solomon’s port of Ezion Geber. Check into the 5-star Mövenpick Hotel on the west shore of the Gulf of Akaba. Overnight Taba.
Day 7 At 5 am (yes, I know it’s early), take the Catamaran to Akaba. Arrive at Tala Bay Marina in Akaba-Jordan where you will be met and assisted with customs and immigration formalities.
At 12:30 – After an early lunch (at 11:30) we drive to Wadi Rum
Once in the Wadi Rum, we will leave the coach and board 4x4 vehicles in order to proceed to your ‘Bedouin camp’. Check into the extraordinary 5-star Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel in Bubble Suites.
At 16:00 – Back into the 4x4s to explore the stunning Wadi Rum landscape. Venture into the magnificent desert (2 hrs 30 mins), while marvelling at mountains, beautiful canyons, awe-inspiring rock formations, stunning sand dunes and the remarkable desert sunset (weather permitting, between 18:30 & 19:00).
Day 8 At 12:00 – Drive to the rose-red city of Petra (2 hrs/129 kms) for a two-night stay. On route stop at Ain Mousa (Moses’ Spring) – the biblical site of Meribah Kadesh where Moses struck the rock with his staff and the spring was formed (Numbers 20:7-8). Continue to Little Petra (25 mins/13 km) where you will visit this extraordinary site, which is a miniature Petra, hidden amidst white sandstone, with its own small gorge (Siq el-Barid), impressive rock-hewn façades, water reservoirs, aqueducts and stairways. Little Petra was probably the major caravanserai of the Nabatean capital of Petra. Check in at the 5-star Petra Mövenpick Resort Hotel (upgraded rooms) for dinner and overnight in Petra.
Day 9 At 8 am – Explore the legendary city of Petra which was carved entirely out of solid sandstone rock more than 2,000 years ago and has been recently voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The visit to the breath-taking city starts from Petra’s Visitors’ Centre and is accessed by foot through the magnificent 1.2 km narrow Siq (gorge), which leads to Petra’s most famous First Century BC monument – the spectacularly carved Treasury, which appears dramatically as you enter the hidden city at the end of the Siq. The numerous stunning ruins of tombs, known as the Street of Facades, leads to the remarkable 3,000-seat rock-carved Theatre and a view of the Royal Tombs. A short distance from here is the start of the 700 steps (45 mins) that take us up to the High Place of Sacrifice where animal offerings were made at the rock-carved altars. Enjoy the remarkable views over the Mountains of Seir to the little white shrine atop Gebel Harun (biblical Mount Hor) covering the cave tomb of Moses’ brother Aaron. Descend via the Wadi Farasah trail, leading past the Lion Fountain, Garden Temple and Tomb of the Roman Soldier before reaching the Central City with its columned temples. Please wear comfortable shoes, as there is a lot of walking involved. A degree of fitness and mobility is required. Riding local animals in Petra is not recommended for safety reasons. Instead of walking back via the Siq, a new free shuttle service is now available to transfer visitors from the central city to the Petra Visitors’ Centre by the hotel, stopping on the way for about twenty minutes at the Cultural Village. Overnight Petra Mövenpick.
Day 10 07:15 – Drive on the ancient King’s Highway to as-Sela village, where we dismount for a five-minute walk to the stunning panorama point looking down into the Wadi Khanzira for a view of the ancient rock citadel of Sela at the head of the biblical Ascent of the Scorpions. Then it’s on to Madaba (4 hrs 30 mins/226 kms from Petra), the ‘City of Mosaics’, which is renowned for its magnificent collection of lavish Byzantine mosaics found in its churches & homes. The most famous and significant of all the city’s treasures is one of the oldest maps of ancient Palestine, the Sixth Century AD mosaic map which covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, depicting the major biblical sites from Egypt to Palestine. The extraordinary map offers a historical insight into the surrounding region and was originally made for the benefit of the pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. The River Nile, Mt. Sinai, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River & Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) are easily identified on this map, in addition to many cities such as Gaza, Bethlehem & the detailed Holy City of Jerusalem where one can still clearly make out the city walls, gates, the main street (cardo) and the domed Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Continue to Mount Nebo (15 mins/9 kms), which dates back to the time of the Moses and is believed to be the site of his burial place and from where he viewed the Holy Land. On the top of the 1000-metre hill are the ruins of Moses Memorial Church, built by the early Christians in the Fourth Century AD. Inside, are the remains of mosaic floor designs that feature hunting and herding scenes. From a viewing platform in front of the church and looking out towards the Holy Land, a visitor can see an Italian-designed bronze memorial of a snake on a cross which symbolizes the serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Mount Nebo commands excellent sweeping views over the Dead Sea and the entire Jordan Valley. On a clear day you can also see the rooftops of Jerusalem (46 kms) and Bethlehem.
Drive on to Bethany (40 mins/32 kms) – the most important New Testament site in Jordan. It marks the place in al-Kharrar Valley (Saphsaphas) where the Jesus Christ came 2,000 years ago to be baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Recent excavations have revealed caves, where hermit monks once lived, dug into the upper layers of the eastern side cliffs of the Jordan River, the remains of churches with mosaics and marble floors dating back to the Byzantine era, along with ancient baptismal pools, where pilgrims descended via marble steps into the water.
Continue to the Dead Sea (30 mins/21 kms) for a two-night stay at the lowest spot-on earth (423 meters below sea level). Check into the 5-star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea (standard superior sea view rooms). Dinner and overnight on the shore of the Dead Sea.
Day 11 Drive to the 2,000-year-old city of Jerash (1 hr 30 mins/94 kms) where you will visit one of the most splendid provincial cities anywhere in the Roman Empire. Entering the site from the southern end, walking past Hadrian’s Arch and alongside the impressive 244-metre-long Hippodrome, where chariot races took place in antiquity, one enters the ancient city of Jerash, into the lovely colonnaded Oval Plaza, connecting the Temple of Zeus, which overlooks it, with the main street, the Cardo, which is beautifully lined by Corinthian columns. Overlooking the Plaza is the extraordinarily well preserved and the most magnificent of all the city’s monuments – the South Theatre – which seats more than 3,000 spectators. Walking through the magnificent Colonnaded Street, one can see the Market Place and the Omayyad residential quarter. Further up is a Fourth Century AD Cathedral, St. Theodore’s Church, the impressively carved Nymphaeum (public fountain), an Omayyad Mosque, the arches of the West Baths and the North Theatre. We can also see the Temple of Artemis and the western churches if time permits.
Return to the Dead Sea, stopping on route at Tell el-Hammam, likely the biblical city of Abel Shittim where the Israelites camped before crossing the Jordan to conquer Jericho, and where Moses delivered his last great message to the congregation, encapsulated in the Book of Deuteronomy.
Day 12 Flight Home and have a week off to recover!!!!!!!
Day 10 07:15 – Drive on the ancient King’s Highway to as-Sela village, where we dismount for a five-minute walk to the stunning panorama point looking down into the Wadi Khanzira for a view of the ancient rock citadel of Sela at the head of the biblical Ascent of the Scorpions. Then it’s on to Madaba (4 hrs 30 mins/226 kms from Petra), the ‘City of Mosaics’, which is renowned for its magnificent collection of lavish Byzantine mosaics found in its churches & homes. The most famous and significant of all the city’s treasures is one of the oldest maps of ancient Palestine, the Sixth Century AD mosaic map which covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, depicting the major biblical sites from Egypt to Palestine. The extraordinary map offers a historical insight into the surrounding region and was originally made for the benefit of the pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. The River Nile, Mt. Sinai, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River & Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) are easily identified on this map, in addition to many cities such as Gaza, Bethlehem & the detailed Holy City of Jerusalem where one can still clearly make out the city walls, gates, the main street (cardo) and the domed Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Continue to Mount Nebo (15 mins/9 kms), which dates back to the time of the Moses and is believed to be the site of his burial place and from where he viewed the Holy Land. On the top of the 1000-metre hill are the ruins of Moses Memorial Church, built by the early Christians in the Fourth Century AD. Inside, are the remains of mosaic floor designs that feature hunting and herding scenes. From a viewing platform in front of the church and looking out towards the Holy Land, a visitor can see an Italian-designed bronze memorial of a snake on a cross which symbolizes the serpent lifted up by Moses in the desert and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Mount Nebo commands excellent sweeping views over the Dead Sea and the entire Jordan Valley. On a clear day you can also see the rooftops of Jerusalem (46 kms) and Bethlehem.
Drive on to Bethany (40 mins/32 kms) – the most important New Testament site in Jordan. It marks the place in al-Kharrar Valley (Saphsaphas) where the Jesus Christ came 2,000 years ago to be baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Recent excavations have revealed caves, where hermit monks once lived, dug into the upper layers of the eastern side cliffs of the Jordan River, the remains of churches with mosaics and marble floors dating back to the Byzantine era, along with ancient baptismal pools, where pilgrims descended via marble steps into the water.
Continue to the Dead Sea (30 mins/21 kms) for a two-night stay at the lowest spot-on earth (423 meters below sea level). Check into the 5-star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea (standard superior sea view rooms). Dinner and overnight on the shore of the Dead Sea.
Day 11 Drive to the 2,000-year-old city of Jerash (1 hr 30 mins/94 kms) where you will visit one of the most splendid provincial cities anywhere in the Roman Empire. Entering the site from the southern end, walking past Hadrian’s Arch and alongside the impressive 244-metre-long Hippodrome, where chariot races took place in antiquity, one enters the ancient city of Jerash, into the lovely colonnaded Oval Plaza, connecting the Temple of Zeus, which overlooks it, with the main street, the Cardo, which is beautifully lined by Corinthian columns. Overlooking the Plaza is the extraordinarily well preserved and the most magnificent of all the city’s monuments – the South Theatre – which seats more than 3,000 spectators. Walking through the magnificent Colonnaded Street, one can see the Market Place and the Omayyad residential quarter. Further up is a Fourth Century AD Cathedral, St. Theodore’s Church, the impressively carved Nymphaeum (public fountain), an Omayyad Mosque, the arches of the West Baths and the North Theatre. We can also see the Temple of Artemis and the western churches if time permits.
Return to the Dead Sea, stopping on route at Tell el-Hammam, likely the biblical city of Abel Shittim where the Israelites camped before crossing the Jordan to conquer Jericho, and where Moses delivered his last great message to the congregation, encapsulated in the Book of Deuteronomy.
Day 12 Flight Home and have a week off to recover!!!!!!!
