“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”Hebrews 11:8
“Get thee out of thy country” – with this call the story of Abraham begins, and with it the journey of God's people. He set out without knowing his destination, trusting solely in the promise of the One who called him. This tour takes up the idea behind the international Abraham Path, an initiative that originated at Harvard University: faith is lived on the way, and encounters with people are part of the journey.
For nine days you follow in the patriarch's footsteps through the land of the Bible. In Beersheba you stand at the well over which Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech. In Hebron you visit the Cave of Machpelah, which he bought as a burial place for Sarah, and at Mamre the place where he entertained the three men. Bethel and Shechem, where Abraham built altars, lead further north as far as Dan, where he went to rescue Lot.
In between, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Sea of Galilee open up the view to the fulfilment of the promise in Jesus Christ. A journey to the cradle of faith in the one God – shaped by desert, hill country and water.
At the well of Beersheba we read of Abraham's covenant with Abimelech and of the grove he planted there.
Above the Valley of Sodom the account recalls the judgment on the cities and Abraham's intercession before it.
According to tradition this is Mount Moriah, where Abraham was ready to offer up Isaac (cf. 2 Chr 3:1).
In the garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives, on the night of the betrayal, Jesus prayed for the readiness to do the Father's will.
By the oaks of Mamre Abraham received the three visitors and the promise of a son.
Abraham bought the cave as a tomb for Sarah – his first possession of his own in the Promised Land.
Between Bethel and Ai Abraham pitched his tent, built an altar and called upon the name of the LORD.
At Shiloh, after the conquest, Israel set up the tabernacle – the way of the fathers flows into the worship of the people.
Here Abraham received the promise of the land, and centuries later Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's Well.
Above the Sea of Galilee we read the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus interprets the promises to the fathers anew.
Abraham pursued the kings who had carried off his nephew Lot as far as Dan.
In the house of the centurion Cornelius, Gentiles received the Holy Ghost for the first time – the blessing of Abraham reaches the nations.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.
Ben Gurion Airport → Tel Aviv
After landing at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv you are welcomed by your local guide, who helps you with your first steps in the country. The evening is for arriving: over dinner together the group gets to know one another, and a first look at the story of Abraham sets the tone for the days ahead. You spend the first night in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv → Tel Beersheba → Kfar Hanokdim → Arad
The drive leads south into the Negev. Tel Beersheba, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves a well associated with Abraham, a reconstructed altar and the ground plan of a biblical city. At Kfar Hanokdim you enter a tent in the style of the patriarchs and learn how people have lived in the desert for thousands of years. If you like, you can take an optional camel ride before sunset. Dinner and overnight in Arad on the edge of the Judean Desert.
Arad → Mount Sodom → Wadi Sohar → Masada → Dead Sea
At Mount Sodom, which consists almost entirely of salt, you walk down through the salt shafts. A viewpoint shows the Valley of Sodom and, opposite, the mountains of Moab. In Wadi Sohar you hike between white rocks to a Roman fortress. Then the cable car takes you up to Masada, where fortress and synagogue tell of the Zealots' last resistance against Rome. A swim in the salty water of the Dead Sea rounds off the afternoon.
Mount of Olives → Gethsemane → Kidron Valley → City of David → Via Dolorosa
From the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem lies spread out before you. Along the Palm Sunday path you descend to Gethsemane and on into the Kidron Valley with the Tomb of Absalom and the tomb of the prophet Zechariah. In the City of David, recent excavations reveal remains of the Canaanite fortress. Through the gates of the Old City you follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. An optional visit to the Temple Mount with the Dome of the Rock is possible – according to tradition the place of the binding of Isaac.
Jerusalem → Bethlehem → Hebron → Mamre → Jerusalem
In Bethlehem you visit the Shepherds' Field, David's Well and the Church of the Nativity. Then you travel to Hebron and the Cave of Machpelah, one of the holiest places in the land: Abraham acquired it after Sarah's death, Isaac and Ishmael buried him here, and with the exception of Rachel the other patriarchs and matriarchs were also laid to rest there. At Mamre the remains of a Byzantine church recall Abraham's encounter with the angels. Return to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem → Nabi Samwil → Bethel → Shiloh → Nablus → Tiberias
The first stop is the tomb of the prophet Samuel on the hill the Crusaders called the “Mount of Joy”. In Bethel you see remains of the sanctuary where Abraham and Jacob encountered God. Shiloh recalls the tabernacle. Near Nablus, ancient Shechem, come Jacob's Well and Mount Gerizim, the holy mountain of the Samaritans; if time permits, also a Samaritan synagogue. In the evening you reach Tiberias.
Tiberias → Mount of Beatitudes → Capernaum → Tabgha → Hippos → Hamat Gader
In Tiberias the day begins at the Tomb of the Matriarchs, which Jewish tradition locates here. From the octagonal church on the Mount of Beatitudes the view sweeps across the north of the lake. In Capernaum a synagogue from a later period shows where Jesus taught and healed; at Tabgha the feeding of the multitude and his appearance by the lake are remembered. After a St Peter's fish lunch come Hippos on the Golan and the hot springs of Hamat Gader.
Tiberias → Tel Dan → Nimrod Fortress → Hermon → Ein Qiniyye → Tiberias
Through the Bethsaida Valley you drive to the Dan Nature Reserve at the sources of the Jordan. Tel Dan is known for Jeroboam's cult site and a Bronze Age city gate. You continue to Nimrod Fortress and up to Mount Hermon; the visit to Maqam Ibrahim, which recalls the covenant with Abraham, depends on security clearance. Finally you visit the Druze village of Ein Qiniyye and the oak grove of the prophet Hazouri.
Tiberias → Plain of Sharon → Caesarea → Ben Gurion Airport
On the last day you drive through the Plain of Sharon to the Mediterranean coast. In Caesarea, where Peter baptised the centurion Cornelius and Paul was held prisoner before his voyage to Rome, the circle closes: from here the message of the one God was carried to the capital of the empire and into all the world. Afterwards the transfer takes you to the airport.
The tour price depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive your personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.
Enquire →⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.
The price is on request. We will prepare a personal offer for you – free and without obligation, tailored to date and group size.
No. The tour begins and ends at Ben Gurion Airport; on request we will enquire about suitable flight connections for you.
Yes, Bethlehem, Hebron, Bethel, Shiloh and Nablus are on the route. The visit to Maqam Ibrahim on Mount Hermon is subject to security clearance.
There are shorter walks, for example in Wadi Sohar, at Mount Sodom and in Jerusalem. You go up Masada by cable car.
Yes. Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee and Caesarea show how the promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus Christ and the worldwide Church.
In the Footsteps of Abraham – Bible Tour through the Holy Land
8daysGospels · GenesisWalk where Jesus walked: from Carmel via Mount Arbel and the Valley of the Doves to the Sea of Galilee, through an oasis by the Dead Sea and the Kidron Valley to Jerusalem.
15daysGenesis · The Early ChurchFrom Harran, where Abraham set out, to the monasteries of Tur Abdin, where prayers are still said in Aramaic today – with a night at Mor Gabriel Monastery.
8daysGenesis · The Early ChurchA week through north-eastern Turkey: cliff monasteries on the Black Sea, the city of churches at Ani, a devotion before Ararat and biblical reliefs on Akdamar.