Caravansary Adventure Tours

 Day   5    SAT                                                                                                                                                             ACCO /GALILEE

Today we start with a visit to the ancient Crusader port of Acco. Explore the Crusader ruins and enjoy a seafood lunch in one of the many seaside restaurants. Afternoon drive to the city of Nazareth. We stop at the Church of the Annunciation and Mary’s well.  We leave behind the hustle and bustle of the city and step back 2000 years to the time of Jesus at Nazareth Village before travelling towards the upper Galilee. Drive thru Cana where Jesus preformed his first miracle. Pass the Horns of Hattin where the Crusader armies fought those of Saladin. Onward to the serenity of the Sea of Galilee where we will check in to our hotel in Tiberias.

Acco is only referenced once in the Bible by this name. In Judges 1:31, it is referred to as one of the places the Israelites failed to hold. In the New Testament, Acco was known as Ptolemais, and was one of the stops on Paul’s final return to Jerusalem (Acts 21:7). Ptolemais was situated on the main sea and land route in ancient times. It served as the main port of the region until Caesarea was built. Herod the Great received Augustus Caesar at this site, since Caesarea had not yet been completed.



 

Jesus spent his boyhood years in Nazareth before beginning his ministry when he was about 30.  After moving his home to Capernaum, Jesus returned to teach in the synagogue of Nazareth twice more, but was rejected both times.  On one occasion the townspeople were so outraged at Jesus that they tried to throw him off a cliff to his death.

Nazareth Village features a carefully researched re-creation of Jesus hometown. The original farm has been restored with olive trees, terraces, ancient wine press, irrigation system and stone quarry. Exact replicas of first century houses, synagogue, mikveh and olive presses have been carefully built using the same methods that would have been used by Joseph the carpenter. The scenes are brought to life as “Villagers” populate the farm and houses, living and working with the same type of clothing, pottery, tools and methods that Mary and Jesus would have used.