From the snowy crest of Mount Hermon to the salt shores of the Dead Sea, Israel is the place where cultures meet and have met for over 5,000 years. Enjoy the warm welcome of the Israeli peoples, indulge in the delectable cuisines that have grown out of the Levant, and experience the historic traditions and religions that live side by side in the Holy Land.
Many standard tours of Israel visit a few ancient sites and many Byzantine churches, but they ignore the recent history and current politics of the land. This is unfortunate, as part of what makes Israel so extraordinary is its uninterrupted history of relevance from ~3000 BC to today. This tour brings Amanda’s latest nonfiction book, The Red-Haired Archaeologist Digs Israel, to life!
On the RHA’s Tour of Israel, you’ll visit Jerusalem, Capernaum, and Nazareth. You’ll tour the restored ruins of Beer Sheva, Masada, and Megiddo, and picnic on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. But you’ll also learn how archaeologists’ work teaches us the real history of the entire region and see two of today’s disputed territories:
The Red-Haired Archaeologist’s Tour of Israel helps you to better understand Israel as it has existed throughout time, and as it thrives today. Click on the itinerary tab to read all the details!
And just for fun, upon arrival you’ll have a care package with some useful gifts from our Israeli tour operator (Immanuel Tours) and some RHA swag from Amanda that you can’t get anywhere else!
Abel Martinez is the founder of AM Israel Tours. He is a Jewish believer who considers Israel his real home and desires that others experience this magnificent country, people, and culture. Abel has a background in event planning and accounting, and he has taken hundreds of people to Israel since 2006. He previously was the travel manager for Zola Levitt Ministries where he organized and led numerous trips. Abel will join us as the tour leader and has already coordinated the site visits, hotels, flights, and all the other details so that those experiencing this amazing journey to Israel experience a worry-free and unforgettable trip.
Amanda Hope Haley is a lover of the Bible–its God, its words, its people, and its history. She writes, speaks, and podcasts as the Red-Haired Archaeologist, bringing readers and listeners along on her journeys to understand artifacts that can contextualize Scripture. She has a bachelor of arts in Religious Studies from Rhodes College and a master of theological studies in Hebrew Scripture and Interpretation from Harvard University. She contributed to The Voice Bible as a translator, writer, and editor; and she has been a content editor and ghost writer for popular Christian authors. Amanda and her husband, David, live in Tennessee with their always-entertaining basset hound, Copper—the other redhead in the family.
Arrival in Israel. Overnight at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv–Beach.
Visit the Eretz Israel Museum.
Tour the port city of Jaffa, one of the world’s oldest cities, and its Flea Market.
Enjoy a Walking Tour of the White City of Tel Aviv.
Dinner and overnight at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv–Beach.
Visit Ashkelon National Park.
Visit the ancient city of Lachish, which was destroyed by the Assyrians and later the Babylonians.
Dinner and overnight at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv–Beach.
Dig-for-a-Day with Archaeological Seminars at the Beit Guvrin-Maresha (3 hours).
Travel to Tel Beer Sheva, where archaeologists have uncovered two-thirds of a city dating from the early Israelite period (10th century BCE).
Visit Tel Arad‘s remains of a fortified Canaanite city and fortresses from the time of the Kings of Judah.
Dinner and overnight at the VERT Dead Sea Hotel.
“Climb” to Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
Enjoy a bob in the Dead Sea, or book yourself a spa treatment (not included).
Dinner and overnight at the VERT Dead Sea Hotel.
Tour Bet Shean National Park and the exhibit, Archaeology and the Impact on Urban Planning.
On a Golan Heights Winery vineyard tour, take a 4WD off-road trip through the unique terroir of the Golan Heights.
Dinner and overnight at The Magdala Hotel in Tiberias.
Visit the Jesus Boat museum.
Drive to Capernaum – the main center of Jesus’ teachings – to see “Peter’s house” and enjoy a picnic lunch on the Mt. of Beatitudes.
Tour the ancient city of Migdal (Magdala).
Dinner at Magdalena Restaurant.
Overnight at The Magdala Hotel in Tiberias.
Hike the Tel Dan nature reserve, a beautiful riverside paradise that lies among the ancient ruins of the biblical city of Dan.
Tour Armageddon – Megiddo National Park.
Dinner and overnight at the VERT Jerusalem Hotel.
Begin your day with a visit to the City of David including Hezekiah’s Tunnel and the Pool of Siloam.
Tour the nearby Western Wall and excavated tunnels underneath the Temple Mount.
Dinner and overnight at the VERT Jerusalem Hotel.
Ascend the Mt. of Olives for a view of Jerusalem. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane, where the ancient olive trees are believed to date back to the time of Jesus, and the Church of All Nations.
Enjoy a walk through the colorful Arab bazaar, and eat lunch in the local market.
Visit the Garden Tomb.
Dinner and overnight at the VERT Jerusalem Hotel.
Leaving Jerusalem, we’ll head south into the hills of Judea, arriving in H2, the Israeli controlled area of Hebron (the largest city in the West Bank) in a bulletproof public bus. We’ll visit the synagogue-side of the Tomb of the Patriarchs, before touring the Jewish “settler” neighborhoods of the city and the hilltop Tel Rumeida – site of a Bronze Age archaeological site, 20th-century army base, and the tomb of Ruth and Jesse.
Crossing over into H1, we’ll be met by a Palestinian guide and enter the bustling city center. After lunch with a Palestinian family, we’ll climb on top of a family home for a rooftop view of the city, learn about the difficult conditions of Palestinian residents and shop owners, and visit the mosque-side of the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
Dinner and overnight at the VERT Jerusalem Hotel.
Tour Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
Eat a farewell luncheon at Machane Yehuda outdoor market.
Transfer to Tel Aviv International Airport.
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Copper the basset hound travels the world with his friend, Amanda, while she digs on archaeological sites. On this trip to Bethlehem, the ancient city where Jesus was born, this adventurous dog follows his nose to an ancient stone manger. There he meets a new friend who tells him all about life in first-century Judaea and the night a special baby was born in the house Amanda’s excavating.
This book features
Join Copper as he learns the history of the first Christmas!