Israel Trip 2024
Exploring the Biblical Roots of Self-Governance
What better place to learn, understand, and be equipped to apply the true meaning of self-governance than its birthplace in the Holy Land?
This trip will take us to locations across the country, from Jesus’ home base near the Sea of Galilee… to the desert where David hid from Saul… to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. We will walk in the very places described in Scripture that give us direction on how and why we should pursue a life of self-governance in service to the Lord and for our fellow citizens.
More than ever, we must have clarity on who we are, where our beliefs come from, and how they’re applicable in everyday life as citizens in our Republic.
ALL SPACE IS FILLED FOR THE 2024 TRIP.
Registration is open for a 2025 trip.
Get those details and register.
The trip will take place from June 1-12, 2024. (We will depart the U.S. on Saturday, June 1, putting us on-ground in Israel on Sunday, June 2. We will depart Israel and land back in the U.S. on June 12.)
The estimated cost per person for this once-in-a-lifetime experience in Israel – including round-trip flights, hotel accommodations, three meals per day, and travel in Israel – is approximately:
▪️ Economy Airline Seating: $5,050.00 per person
▪️ Economy Premium Airline Seating: $6,610.00 per person
▪️ Business Class Airline Seating: $11,590.00 per person
Note: These prices are reliable estimates but subject to change. We will have the exact pricing once airlines make tickets available for our travel dates.
This is a “pass-through” trip; Texas Scorecard is organizing and leading, but not making money on, this educational voyage to Israel.
Space on this trip is limited to just 30 spots. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Seats are reserved based on our receipt of your deposit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Payment Due Dates
Please contact the trip coordinator at israeltrip@texasscorecard.com for details. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Seats are reserved based on our receipt of your deposit.
Due Now: $500 per person. This is refundable until Aug. 31, 2023. The initial $500 deposit can be made online; the deposit link will be sent to those who register.
Sept. 1, 2023: An additional $500 per person. This payment must be made by check, or by credit card with an added convenience fee. [By Sept. 1, 2023, at least $1,000 per person should be paid.]
Nov. 1, 2023: $1,000 per person. This payment must be paid by check, or by credit card with an added convenience fee.
Dec. 1, 2023: Total balance due, based on your seat selection for the flight. This payment must be made by check or by credit card.
How/when do I make a deposit to secure my spot?
A refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure your seat. It becomes non-refundable on August 31, 2023.
Where does the trip start/finish?
The trip will begin and end in Newark, NJ. You are responsible for getting yourself to Newark on time for the departure, and then home from Newark.
Other Expenses
Your payment covers airfare from Newark, NJ, to Tel Aviv and back; all ground transportation in Israel; hotels; and three meals per day (while in Galilee and at the Dead Sea), plus gratuities.
You are responsible for your own “spending money” for souvenirs and gifts, as well as eating separately from the group. (You will be responsible for your own lunch when we are in Jerusalem.)
You are responsible for getting yourself to Newark on time for the departure, and then home from Newark.
What is the clothing/attire?
The weather in Israel will be comparable to the weather in Texas! You should bring a light jacket for the morning and evenings, as well as a small umbrella. High temperatures in June can range from the upper-70s to 100 degrees.
Wear comfortable walking/hiking shoes, and bring a hat and sunscreen.
If you plan to get into the Dead Sea, bring a swimsuit!
If you plan on getting in the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, or Hezekiah’s Tunnel, bring water shoes.
Men and women are encouraged to dress in a conservative fashion.
NOTE: Several visits include sites where modest clothing is required; that is defined as clothing that covers the shoulders and knees of both men and women. Windpants over shorts is acceptable, as well as “wrap skirts.”
COVID-19 vaccine?
Israel does not require tourists to have received a COVID-19 shot to enter the country.
Who is the tour guide?
Your American discussion leader will be Michael Quinn Sullivan. We will also have a licensed Israeli tour guide with us, providing important historic and cultural insights as well as access to certain venues not readily available to tourists.
How physically demanding is the trip?
This a “fully engaged” trip. You will be unpacking what you see, experience, and learn for months afterward!
On the one hand, this can be considered a physically demanding trip. Very few of the historic sites in Israel are accessible to those with severe physical limitations or impairments.
You will definitely get in your “steps,” and you should view this trip as an excuse to up your daily walking now to get ready!
Ideally, you should be able to walk up to 2 miles over rocky or inclined surfaces.
On the other hand, we scheduled the trip in such a way as to maximize your flexibility. We will stay four nights in one hotel in the Galilee region, one night in a hotel at the Dead Sea, and the remainder of the nights will be in a third hotel in Jerusalem.
On the Itinerary
Megiddo: Over 20 layers of history, representing 7,000 years of life from different civilizations
Dead Sea: Landlocked hyper-saline lake residing below sea level
Mt. Carmel: Site where Elijah called out the false prophets
Gideon Spring: Where God winnowed Gideon’s army
Tel Dan: The main spring feeding the Jordan River where a golden calf was placed in a false temple; also, the site where the only historical evidence of the House of David was found
Beit She’an: Ancient Roman city where Saul’s body was hung following his defeat in battle
Jericho: City that Joshua and the Israelites conquered after crossing the Jordan River
Qasr al-Yahud: Joshua’s crossing, and Jesus’ baptism site
Be’er Sheva: Where Abraham made his oath
Valley of Elah: Site of the battle between David and Goliath
Beth Shamesh: Site where the Ark of the Covenant was returned to the Israelites from the Philistines
Shiloh: Site of ancient Jewish tabernacle
En Gedi: Probable cave where David hid from Saul
City of David: Original city that David took over and where he built his palace
Tunnels of Hezekiah: Water tunnels leading into the City of David (optional!)
Western Wall & Tunnels: Originally a part of the outer wall surrounding the Second Temple, now the holiest site in Judaism
Caesarea Philippi: Another source of water for the Jordan River, and one of the places Jesus referred to as hell during his teaching
Shepherds’ Fields: Approximately where Jesus’ birth was heralded
Caesarea by the Sea: King Herod the Great’s palace and Hippodrome on the Mediterranean
Valley of Tears: This valley, in the Golan Heights, was where one of the largest tank battles in history took place during the Yom Kippur War in 1973
Hippos: Decapolis, where the man from whom Jesus cast out demons into a herd of pigs lived among the tombs
Chorazin: Another small village where Jesus based much of his ministry
Capernaum: Town serving as the center of Jesus’ operations and home to Peter
Mt. of Beatitudes: Location of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount
Peter’s Primacy: Site where Jesus laid out a breakfast of bread for His disciples after the Resurrection
Zippori (Sepphoris): Ancient wealthy business center near Nazareth with multiple mosaics from the time of Christ
Ancient (“Jesus”) Boat: Excavated ancient boat has been restored and preserved
Bethlehem: Site of the birth of Jesus
Pool of Siloam: Site where Jesus healed the blind man
Bethesda Pool: Site where Jesus healed the paralytic man, next to the Church of Saint Anne
Top of Mount of Olives: Site where Jesus wept for Jerusalem
Garden of Gethsemane: Site where Jesus sweat blood in anticipation of His coming sacrifice, after which He was arrested
Palace of Caiaphas: Where Jesus was taken first after being arrested
Herod’s Palace: Where Jesus was taken to appear before Herod
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Possible site for Jesus’ crucifixion and burial
Garden Tomb: Possible site for Jesus’ crucifixion and burial
Valley of Gahenna: Valley running alongside Mount Moriah that Jesus often used as a picture of hell during his teachings
Magdala: Recently excavated zealot stronghold that was destroyed by the Romans
Gamla: Zealot stronghold in the Golan Heights that the Romans laid to siege to and eventually destroyed
Qumran: Site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found
Masada: Mountaintop fortress of King Herod the Great later occupied by the last of the Jewish Zealots, who were eventually defeated by Rome
Burnt House: Excavated ancient house from the Second Temple period showing the city was burned during the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans
Yad Vashem: Holocaust Museum/Memorial
Shrine of the Book: Home of the Dead Sea Scrolls
