| Following the Steps of Moses |
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(Egypt and Jordan)
November 2 - 14, 2008 
With tour leaders Paul Zehr and Ed Epp TourMagination has planned a new itinerary to follow the steps of Moses in Egypt and Jordan and invites you to see these two countries from a different perspective. The tour begins in Cairo and visits the usual sites and then goes to the Land of Goshen where the Israelites sojourned for many years and were enslaved and where Moses was born and raised. After crossing the Suez Canal, the tour continues through the wilderness where the Israelites wandered on their way to the Promised Land. The tour ends in Jordan where you will stand on Mt. Nebo where Moses looked into the Promised Land. Paul Zehr, retired Eastern Mennonite Seminary teacher and retired bishop from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who has taught both Old and New Testament courses, will be the Bible teacher on this tour. Ed Epp, as Vice President of Mennonite Economic Development Associates, developed MEDA’s program in Egypt and led a tour with TourMagination to Egypt to visit MEDA’s projects there. He also served as MCC’s Middle Eastern Director and lived in Jordan so he is well acquainted with the countries of Egypt and Jordan. He will serve as co-leader of the tour. Sunday & Monday, November 2 & 3 The tour departs from Liberty International Airport, Newark, and Pearson International Airport, Toronto, on overnight flights to Cairo, Egypt, via Frankfurt, Germany. It will be Monday afternoon when we arrive in Cairo. Lodging for four nights in Cairo. Tuesday & Wednesday, November 4 & 5  Great Pyramid at Giza Thursday & Friday, November 6 & 7 This morning we will drive west of the Giza Pyramids through the desert to an oasis called Fayoum. The surrounding natural environment is beautiful and gives you a good impression of what life may have been like in ancient Egypt. There we will also visit the mud brick pyramids of the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt dating back to 2100-1400 BC which falls within the time period that Abraham visited Egypt. Drive back to Cairo. On Friday we will go to the Land of Goshen (towns of Ramses and Pithom), a place where the Israelites grew, flourished and were eventually enslaved and where Moses was born and raised. We will continue on to Ismailia, one of the famous Suez Canal cities, where we will stay for the night. Saturday & Sunday, November 8 & 9 We will start the day by visiting Succoth where the Israelites gathered the day before the Exodus; then to Fayed (Marah) where Moses told the people not to drink the bitter water. Then we will cross the famous Suez Canal that separates Africa and Asia to the springs of Moses where Moses hit the stone and water appeared. The next stop is Wadi Ghrandal (Wilderness of Zin) where the miracle of manna and quails took place and Wadi Firan (Rephidim) where the Israelites fought the Amalekites. Lodging for two nights at St. Catherine Village. We will spend Sunday in St. Catherine which is the place where Moses climbed up the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. There is a Greek Orthodox Monastery built on the supposed site of the burning bush and the well where Moses met his wife Zipporah. We will also visit the area where the Israelites camped and built the golden calf. After midnight there will be an optional tour for those who wish to climb Mount Sinai.  The Treasury in Petra Monday we will leave St. Catherine and continue across the desert to Petra, Jordan, an ancient city carved into the sides of a deep gorge. Petra was the capital city of the Nabatean people who flourished over 2,000 years ago along this area of a major trade route. It was forgotten for hundreds of years until it was rediscovered in 1812. Overnight in Petra. On Tuesday we will enter the ancient city on foot or by horse-drawn carriages to see the amazing temples, tombs and dwellings chiseled from the rose-colored limestone. Then we will travel on to the Dead Sea where you can float in the salt water of the Dead Sea. Wednesday & Thursday, November 12 & 13 We have some stops to make on our way to Amman today. We will see a Crusader Castle, one of the finest castles in the Middle East. We will visit Bethany-on-the Jordan, where it is believed John the Baptist preached and possibly baptized Jesus, and then on to Mt. Nebo to visit the church built on the site where Moses viewed the Promised Land. We will be in Amman for two nights. On Thursday, we will tour Amman, the Roman Decapolis city of Philadelphia, originally built on seven hills. We will see Citadel Hill and the remains of the Roman temple of Hercules. In Madaba, we will see the 560 AD mosaic map of Palestine and Lower Egypt. Then we will meet with Mennonite Central Committee workers in Amman, followed by our Farewell Dinner. Friday, November 14 We will have an early morning departure for Frankfurt and our flights onward to Newark and Toronto. You will return home with many insights into the life of Moses and the biblical story, as well as new friendships formed while traveling together. For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance. |
