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From the lobby of your hotel, we will take you on an amazing journey to the ancient Greco-Roman city of Jerash, which once covered an area of at least 800,000 square meters. The city experienced a lot: Roman conquest, unification, prosperity, Persian invasion, and prosperity again.
The earliest Arabs / Semites named their village Garshu. Later, the Romans converted the Arabic name to Gerasa, and the Bible calls this region “the country of the Gadarenes.”
This city died twice – in the eighth century AD from a strong earthquake and in the era of the Crusades from powerful mudflows that covered ancient buildings for ages. An amazing, but not the only case in history – the city went into oblivion to remain for centuries. In the first half of the twentieth century, archaeologists worked hard to uncover the former splendor of the distinguished member of Decapolis.
It should be noted that Jerash is perfectly preserved to this day and while walking along the cobbled streets of this ancient city, you can mentally travel back centuries and imagine the turmoil seething around: trade deals concluded by clever merchants of the Decapolis, retired Roman legionnaires enjoy mild Middle Eastern winters, residents stroll through the lush wedding shops or simply rush for a bucket of water.
From Jerash we smoothly move to Amman – the “city of contrasts”, where the old and the new are closely intertwined. Modern buildings, hotels, restaurants, galleries, and shops in the downtown area coexist with traditional coffee shops and artisan workshops.
On every corner you can find evidence of the city’s ancient past: the ruins of an ancient temple, the Umayyad palace, a Byzantine church, and a Roman amphitheater.
The Greco-Roman civilization left us with a legacy of a magnificent amphitheater in the heart of the old city and the ruins of a Roman temple of Hercules of the 2nd century. From the Christian civilization of the Byzantine era, the Citadel remained, adjacent to the pompous palace of the Governor, built at the beginning of the Ommiad era (VIII century AD).
After lunch at a local restaurant, we will return to your hotel of residence.
Dead Sea, 07.30 AM
8 – 11 hours
We will pick you up from the hotel lobby on a wonderful historical journey.
Arrival is the ancient city of Jerash, the best preserved of all Roman cities in the world.
We will take a closer look at the mesmerizing grandeur of the temples of Zeus and Artemis, walk under a huge triumphal arch, inspect three amphitheaters, walk through huge squares, and explore luxurious fountains and amazing colonnades.
On day 3, we will travel to Bethlehem and visit the ancient Church of the Nativity, where we can really touch the very place where Jesus was born. Built by St. Helena in the 4th century, it has been an active church and has never been destroyed ever since! Here, St. Hieronymus wrote the first Latin translation of the Bible – the “Volgata.” We will also visit the “Milk Grotto” and the “Shepherds Fields”. Please note that the tour to Bethlehem can be cancelled without prior notice due to security circumstances.
Returning to Jerusalem we will pass by the picturesque village, Ein Karem, the place where John the Baptist was born. We will visit the “St. John in the Mountains” Church, built on the place where the house of St. John was once standing. We will also visit the Church of Visitation, where St. Mary visited Elisabeth out in the vineyard, and prophesized her birth of St. John. You will spend the night in Jerusalem.
Tired but satisfied, we end the day with a delicious traditional lunch in one of the local restaurants.
Return to your hotel on the Dead Sea.
