Day 1

Today begins my first tour through Israel. I woke up this morning in the old stone Gloria Hotel. The city is still and all that can be heard are birds and an occasional church bell. There are very few cars in the old city.

Today we visit Bethlehem and Herodium. We'll see the church of the Nativity and the Dead Sea Scrolls museum. On the way out of Jerusalem we'll see the the Mount of Olives and a few other sites. We'll focus our study on the beginning of Jesus life and his preparation for ministry.

Matthew 2:1-3
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.