Sacred Journeys - Holy Land
The Healing Spirit of Peace
A Sacred Journey to the Holy Land
March 30 – April 11, 2008
Past Tour
Tour Leaders: Eliana Gilad is a spiritual peace activist, author,
internationally recognized composer of healing music, and founder of the Voices
of Eden Healing Music and Peace Center in the Galilee, Israel. She has been
teaching, giving lectures, workshops and healing music concerts for over 15
years. Eliana is the author of Quiet in the Eye of the Storm: Living Peace in a
War Zone, her latest book about how to remain calm and peaceful inside, even
when life around you goes awry. Learn more about Eliana, and your
Local Tour Guides - Yosi & Seffi on our
About Your Tour Leaders page.
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Tour Description
You must BE the change you want to see in the world – Mahatma Gandhi
Imagine sitting in an ancient cave listening to the sounds of Miriam’s Drum
as it was used by the biblical prophets and prophetesses… or visiting the sacred
birthplace of Mary Magdalene…or visiting the birthplace of ancient Jewish
mysticism – Kabbalah. Imagine listening to the soothing sounds of David’s harp
in a Judean Desert Monastery...or being led in a special ceremony to reconnect
with the balancing healing power of the ancients at the Temple Mount. Imagine
visiting an ancient town where Jews, Christians and Muslims have continuously
lived in peace for centuries…if you can imagine this, then you are ready to join
us on a journey of peace and transformation that will change your life.
On this special journey we will meet with several Living Masters of Peace – such
as Ramzi Aweda, a Druze, who lives in a mountainside cave and has amazing
stories of spiritual adventure; and Sara Hatan, a Kurdish Jew who fled her
native village in Iraqi Kurdistan some 60 years ago and recently returned to
reclaim the ancient prayer books which she had left in safe keeping with her
Muslim neighbors. In the Judean Desert we will meet Seffi HaNegbi, a modern day
desert visionary steeped in tradition of the ancient ways of the Judean desert.
These are just a few of the amazing people you will meet who have a vision of
peace for our changing world.
We will soak in the powerful healing energies of the ancient Roman Hot Springs,
and we will float and rejuvenate our bodies at the Dead Sea. We will spend time
in the Judean Desert – a place where the silence is complete and the vistas are
never-ending…where prayer is natural and spontaneous and where we can journey to
our true essence.
You will have a chance to contribute your own special mark towards peace,
healing & transformation in this region and in your own life. Internationally
renowned peace activist and composer Eliana Gilad, a mystic who lives and works
peacefully with Jews, Christians and Muslims will share with you how to live in
harmony even when life around you goes awry. You will experience ancient
practices and healing music at the sacred sites, helping you to live with
yourself and others in peace. Please join us in nurturing and growing peace on
this incredible journey!
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About your Tour Leaders:
Eliana Gilad is a spiritual peace activist, an author, internationally
recognized composer of healing music, and founder of the Voices of Eden Healing
Music and Peace Center in the Galilee, Israel. As an expert in the conscious use
of voice and rhythm as natural healing instruments, a practice that goes back to
ancient matriarchal times, her unique wordless music has been medically
researched in the neonatal ward of Meir Hospital (50/50% Jewish-Arab), where
physicians discovered that it lowers blood pressure and heart rate. It also
increases focus and quality of sleep. Gilad is a frequent keynote presenter and
performer at healing music, medical, and peace conferences throughout the world
at events which include the Legends of Non-Violence Conference (2007), where she
presented alongside Arun Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi's grandson), and Yolanda King
(Martin Luther King, Jrs daughter). Gilad has given concerts at the United
Nations in New York, the UNESCO International Conference in Nazareth, Israel,
and the 2003 Thank Water Conference at the shores of the Sea of Galilee, for
example, where she presented alongside Dr. Masaru Emoto of What the BLEEP Do We
Know?! fame, author of Messages from Water. Eliana, who holds a degree in Near
Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley and Eastern Music from Bar Ilan University is
dedicated to share her life of peace in the Holy Land. Her goal is to provide
people with a transformational experience while allowing them to contribute to
the peaceful healing of the region as well as to their own inner healing. She is
passionate about helping people to overcome their fear and misconceptions over
Israel-Palestine, formed by mass media habituated to sensationalism, politics
and segmented sound bytes targeted to the lowest common denominator television
ratings. People who come on a Spirit of Peace tour experience a multi-faceted
constructive view of the region. She takes people to non-tourist places to meet
with everyday masters of living peace from all segments of life. One comes away
uplifted, inspired with hope for a brighter future.
Local Tour Guide: Yosi Ya'ari was born and raised in Israel and educated
in Canada. Yosi directed the archaeological dig at Gamla, capital of the Jewish
Golan from 87 BCE to 68 CE when it was destroyed by the Romans. A multi-faceted
man with an impressive multi-faceted background, Yosi's true love is guiding
people through Israel, Sinai and Jordan, and providing them with a unique
combination of historical archaeological and contemporary perspective on the
region and it's peoples.
Judean Desert Guide: Seffi HaNegbi is a modern day desert visionary
steeped in tradition of the ancient ways of the Judean desert, with its unique
archeology, cultural heritage, esoteric nature, and calming influence on those
who live in it, and those who visit it. All of these elements have played a part
in shaping the people who have lived in the desert, and the cultures that have
developed there. "Desert Time", or in Hebrew, "Zman Midbar", is the realization
of Seffi's lifelong dream of establishing a dwelling of peace in the Judean
desert to preserve the ancient desert cultures and the natural habitat. They
offer programs filled with intellectual and emotional content, built upon sacred
principles: respect for the desert, the protection of its environment, and the
learning from it. Seffi is committed to drawing on the desert's history of trade
and cultural relationships, as a way to contribute to the peace process that is
now evolving in the Middle East.
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Tour Summary
Day 1 Arrive Tel Aviv, transfer Jerusalem
Day 2 Jerusalem
Day 3 Jerusalem
Day 4 Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee
Day 5 Sea of Galilee
Day 6 Sea of Galilee
Day 7 Sea of Galilee
Day 8 Nazareth
Day 9 Sea of Galilee to the Judean Desert
Day 10 Judean Desert
Day 11 Judean Desert to the Dead Sea
Day 12 Masada – Qumran – Jerusalem
Day 13 Transfer Jerusalem/Tel Aviv. Depart
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Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Sun, March 30: Arrive Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem
After arriving at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, shuttle to your hotel, our
meeting point in Jerusalem. Settle in and enjoy the realization that you have
actually arrived! You are in the ancient city of Jerusalem, home of King David
and a host of ancient prophets and prophetesses. Enjoy a stroll on the city
streets enjoying the distinct local aromas and delicious tastes of the Holy
City. After dinner on your own, the group will convene for a personal welcome
and briefing session with Eliana Gilad, your spiritual leader who lives by the
spirit of the ancient Israelites.
Overnight: Jerusalem (3 nights)
Day 2 Mon, March 31: Jerusalem (B, L, D)
Eternal Hope for Peace
After enjoying an exotic and fulfilling Middle Eastern breakfast, we will
journey to the Mount of Olives, for our sacred Opening Ceremony with Eliana,
where spiritual guidance will be sought and our group intention for peace and
healing set.
We will continue our pilgrimage by foot, visiting the ancient spots sacred to
the three monotheistic religions, beginning with the gardens of Gethsemane, the
Lions Gate, Via Dela Rosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Western Wall,
and Dome of the Rock. We will enjoy a delicious lunch in the colorful and
aromatic Old City Marketplace.
After enjoying dinner at the hotel, feel free to return to the Old City or enjoy
a stroll downtown guided by the Jerusalem stars twinkling overhead.
Day 3 Tue, April 1: Jerusalem (B, D)
Resonances of Ancient Past, Present and Future
After breakfast we will visit Yad V'Shem Holocaust Memorial. This unique, world
famous museum will provide us with a background to consider how our personal
behavior in life contributes to either destruction or resurrection. Where have
you been fearful and destructive in your life? Here we will discover how to take
the worst from life and turn it alchemically from dross into gold. You will
discover the many righteous individuals, who even during one of humanities
darkest periods, found the strength and courage to give their all in love.
From here, we will continue to visit the House of the Book where the Dead Sea
Scrolls are kept. The Dead Sea scrolls include texts from the Hebrew Bible,
discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran
(near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, on the northwest
shore of the Dead Sea) in the West Bank. The texts are of great religious and
historical significance, as they are practically the only known surviving
Biblical documents written before AD 100.
The biblical City of David, situated on the southern slope of Mount Moriah, is
the next stop on our journey. Under King Solomon the city was extended northward
and included Mount Moriah. The bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to the city
made it the Israelites' national, religious, and administrative center. King
Solomon had the lateral valley separating the city from Mount Moriah filled in.
This "miloh" (infill) area, as it was known, became the site of many new
palaces, while the Temple was built on the summit of Mount Moriah.
We will take a journey through the mysterious underground water system carved
through ancient rock dating to more than 3000 years ago.
We will return to the Old City where we will spend the afternoon and evening
meeting with spiritual peacemakers of Jewish, Christian and Muslim origin. We
will learn how they are forging a hopeful new future together and will enjoy a
homemade repast with local delicacies.
Day 4 Wed, April 2: Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee (B, L, D)
Path of the Ancient Prophets and Prophetesses via the Jordan Valley and Jezreel
Valley through to the Sea of Galilee.
After breakfast we check out of the hotel and resume our journey. Our next stop
is the Judean Desert Monastery where we will take time for our inner exploration
through a guided meditation accompanied by the soothing sounds of David’s harp.
We will continue to the Roman ruins of Beit Shean. Here we will visit the
ancient amphitheatre and the site of the ancient oracles, where a group of
powerful prophets and prophetesses received visions that ruled in the hearts,
minds, and souls of mankind.
We will have lunch at a nearby kibbutz, Kibbutz Sha’ar HaGolan, and learn about
this unique way of life.
After lunch we will visit the Yarmukian Museum. Because so little is known yet
about the cultures of the Stone Age, of which the Yarmukians are one example,
their carved figurines are even more mysterious. One of the figurines is of a
seated woman with exaggerated hips, holding her breasts. It is thought that she
is a fertility goddess. Maybe the Yarmukian goddesses do not so much symbolize
fertility as much as a longing for abundance in general. Eliana will lead us in
an exploration of our forgotten ancient roots, how it may affect us in our
modern day life and how reconnecting with them can help bring us back to
balance.
Check in at our guest house nestled upon the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Enjoy
a fresh fish banquet for dinner.
Overnight: Kibbutz Ein Gev Guest House (5 nights)
Day 5 Thu, April 3: Sea of Galilee (B, L, D)
Mysticism, Nature and Healing – Hazor – Hula Lake – Safed & Kabbalah
We begin today with a visit to the ancient Canaanite temple of Hazor, designated
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hazor was the prototype for King Solomon’s Temple.
In the Bronze Age, Hazor, which lies on the Fertile Crescent, was a more
important a city than Jerusalem. Both the male and female aspects of Divinity
were honored. Eliana will perform a sacred musical rite and will lead us in a
special ceremony to reconnect with the balancing healing power of the ancients
at the Temple Mount.
We will also travel to the lookout above the Biblical Lake Meron (Lake Hula)
whose surrounding swamps were drained in the 1950s as an attempt to alter the
environment to suit agricultural needs. Though initially perceived as a great
national achievement for Israel, with time it became evident that the benefits
from transforming the "wasteland" of Lake Hula and its swamps were limited.
After nearly 50 years of an unsuccessful struggle to utilize the drained
valley's resources, the Israeli government finally recognized that they made a
mistake and that a successful development can endure only if a balanced
compromise between nature and development is reached. Thus, a small section of
the former lake and swamp region was recently re-flooded in an attempt to
prevent further soil deterioration and to revive the nearly extinct ecosystem.
We continue to the center of ancient Jewish Mysticism – Safed where we will
meander the ancient alley ways, mystic synagogues and thriving artist quarter.
We will learn about the Kabbalah - ancient Jewish mysticism - and afterwards
enjoy a gourmet dinner set in an ancient stone building.
Day 6 Fri, April 4: Sea of Galilee (B, L, D)
The Galilean Masters of Living Peace
After breakfast, we will enjoy a morning meditation with Eliana
at the shores of Galilee. Then we are off to the Druze village of Maghrar where
we will meet with Ramzi Aweda in a mountainside cave to hear his amazing story
of spiritual adventure. The Druze are a creed of people who broke off from
Mohammadism, and whose roots go back to ancient Egypt.
We continue to Sakhnin, the largest Arab town in the Galilee, where pain and
conflict have sprouted a new movement of reconciliation efforts and the mystic
Sufi sect have contributed a new example of creative peacemaking. From there we
travel one of the country's most beautiful roads to Pek'in ancient community of
peace, where Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze have lived peacefully, side by
side, for many millennia. We will meet with Jamila, peace leader and maker of
medicinal soaps and herbal oils according to the Druze tradition.
Lunch in Beit Jan in a Druze Village and afterwards enjoy a nature walk through
the beautiful and easy trails of Meron Mountain.
We will enjoy an authentic northern meal following in the ancient tradition of
our Galilee hosts. In the evening we will journey back to our roots to
rediscover the health and healing of this sacred path of ancient biblical olive
trees, with a special touchstone to incorporate into our closing ceremony.
Day 7 Sat, April 5: Sea of Galilee (B, L, D)
Mary Magdalena and the Footprints of Miracles
We begin our day at Mary Magdalena's well, where Magdalena met Jesus. Just as
modern religions have underplayed the importance of Magdalene's powerful role in
humanity, so we will witness how this well is also underplayed. While nature
surrounding it is scattered with trash, the waters of the spring remain crystal
clear. Eliana will lead us in a special meditation at the well, with the energy
of the pure water providing inspiration for the earths healing.
From the Magdalena's spring, we continue on to Tabgha, the site of the miracle
where Jesus fed 5000 people with fish and loaves of bread. We will explore how
to take that which seems impossible in our lives and turn it around to produce
miracles.
From here we continue to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave his sermon on
the mount, and then to Capernaum, location of the ancient synagogue from where
he led his congregation.
At lunch we will meet with Sara Hatan, a Kurdish Jew who fled her native village
in Iraqi Kurdistan some 60 years ago. Recently, she returned, walking through
Turkey and Iraq, back to her village to reclaim the ancient prayer books which
she had left in safe keeping with her Muslim neighbors. We will enjoy an
authentic Kurdish meal including making special honey bread here while she
describes her recent trip by foot through Iraq to her Kurdish village of birth.
Dinner is in the ancient port city of Acre, nestled on the Mediterranean coast.
After dinner we will visit the Jewish Arab Acco Theater to learn how Jews and
Arabs are settling their pain and conflicts in creative ways. Over the last
twenty years, this innovative award winning theatre has inspired models all over
the world for creative conflict resolution. The theatre itself is located in an
ancient crusader hall, and the entire city of Acco has been designated a UNESCO
world heritage site.
Day 8 Sun, April 6: Nazareth; Healing & Medicinal Farm; Roman Hot Springs (B,
L, D)
Nazareth, the City of Peace, Ecological Renewal and Roman Hot Springs
We continue our spiritual journey with a visit to Nazareth, which today has a
Christian, Jewish, and Muslim population. We will visit the Church of
Annunciation, the old city and the White Mosque. Only four miles away lies the
ancient city of Zippori. This was the administrative and intellectual capital of
Galilee, known as the "city of peace'". Zippori features beautiful mosaics and
an elaborate ancient reservoir. It was described as "the ornament of all of
Galilee". While known primarily as a Jewish city, it became the seat of a
Christian bishopric in the 5th century CE. And here, on a hilltop there is a
church and a watchtower in memory of Anne and Joachim, the parents of Mary,
Mother of Jesus.
From Zippori, we continue to Bustan HaGalil to the beautiful Healing and
Medicinal Herb Farm famous for it's cultivation of ecological renewal.
In the late afternoon we will journey to the ancient Roman Hot Springs nestled
in the triangular region bordering Israel, Jordan and Syria. The natural hot
mineral baths soothe the body, mind and soul. While you enjoy a soak in the
ancient pools, contemplate the powerful energy of healing with optional body
treatments. We will enjoy a delicious dinner at the Hot Springs.
Day 9 Mon, April 7: Sea of Galilee to the Judean Desert (B, L, D)
From Slavery to Freedom - Judean Desert – Birth of the Monastic Refuge –
Spiritual, Political and Personal
After breakfast we check out of our hotel and drive south to Beth Guvrin, a
truly amazing place, with it's sacred caves and excavations. We will visit the
spectacular Columbarium Cave with its mysterious double cross formation. In the
Bell Cave, Eliana will lead the group in a mystic meditation to help us connect
to and heal those dark cavernous places inside of each one of us. They will
loosen their grip upon our psyche so that we may heal deeply and enjoy inner
peace.
From there we will continue to Tel Arad, the ancient shrine from time of the
Biblical Kings which marked the borderline between the Promised Land and that of
the Desert. We continue to Lakiyya to learn about the Bedouin women's weaving
cooperative and the Bedouin’s ancient tribal way of life.
After this, we will continue on into the heart of the Judean desert, just as
Abraham, Moses and Jesus did when they sought spiritual guidance. In the place
where the silence is complete and the vistas are never-ending….where prayer to
God is natural and spontaneous…journey to your true essence in a barren and
unspoilt land. Sense the force of the desert as it awakens your inner self, and
the power of creation that demands to be revived.
We will meet with Sefi HaNegbi and stay at his unique ecological and spiritual
center, our Desert Dwelling Experience. Making use of solar and wind power, and
honoring every aspect of the desert ecology, this center is built out of all
natural materials, has eighteen sides and a round opening to the sky. Every side
has a window with a desert view. The nature of the structure and its relative
isolation enable deep work to be done.
Seffi is a modern day desert visionary steeped in tradition of the ancient ways
of the Judean desert, with its unique archeology, cultural heritage, and
esoteric nature, and its calming influence on those who live in it, and those
who visit it. All of these elements have played a part in shaping the people who
have lived in the desert, and the cultures that have developed there. "Desert
Time", or in Hebrew, "Zman Midbar", is the realization of Seffi's lifelong dream
of establishing a dwelling of peace in the Judean desert to preserve the ancient
desert cultures and the natural habitat. They offer programs filled with
intellectual and emotional content, built upon sacred principles: respect for
the desert, the protection of its environment, and the learning from it. Seffi
is committed to drawing on the desert's history of trade and cultural
relationships, as a way to contribute to the peace process that is now evolving
in the Middle East.
Overnight: Ecological Desert Dwelling (1 night)
Day 10 Tue, April 8: Judean Desert (B, L, D)
A Spiritual Journey in the Judean Desert
In a place where the silence is complete and the vistas are never-ending, where
prayer is natural and spontaneous, journey to your true essence in a barren and
unspoilt land. Sense the force of the desert and allow it to awaken your inner
being.
The Journey includes walking in the desert, solitude, prayer, and yoga &
meditation with Sefi HaNegbi. Walk in Nahal Rahaf, Nahal Kidod, along the Kidod
Cliffs, the Heatekim Cliff near the Dead Sea, the Moab mountains and Bikaat
Kanaaim.
The object of this journey is to take "time out" from regular life – to reflect,
to revitalize, to touch the spirit, to soar to new heights within, and to return
home with renewed sense of purpose and direction.
Tonight we eat under the stars and sleep in authentic Bedouin tents. (mattress &
sleeping bag provided).
Overnight: Authentic Bedouin Tent (1 night)
Day 11 Wed, April 9: Judean Desert to the Dead Sea (B, L, D)
Chalice of Monotheism - Judean Desert - Floating Faith - Dead Sea
We deepen our sacred desert encounter, grounding and anchoring this sacred
journey and intent for continuing our life changing transformational experience
back home. After enjoying our desert lunch we take off again towards the
twenty-first century with the deluxe, pampering spa facilities of the Dead Sea
Spa Resort, on the shores of the Dead Sea.
Enjoy a curative and rejuvenating experience at the Dead Sea as you relax and
integrate all that you have learned on the journey thus far.
Overnight: Dead Sea Spa Resort (1 night)
DAY 12 Thu, April 10: Masada – Qumran – Jerusalem (B, D)
Liberation from the Bonds of Slavery
This morning we take off for Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site representing
the human dilemma of becoming a slave or taking one's own life to remain free.
We will have a sacred workshop to help us liberate ourselves from our personal
inner bonds of slavery.
We continue to the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and where
the Essene Community lead an austere, natural and deeply mystical life. Lunch at
the caves.
Continue on to Jerusalem. After checking into our hotel, enjoy a free afternoon
to wander and contemplate your encounters over the last week and a half. We will
have dinner together and then conclude our life changing journey with a sacred
closing ceremony to anchor our intentions for continuing to make peace in our
daily lives back home.
Overnight: Jerusalem (1 night)
DAY 13 Fri, April 11: Depart Jerusalem. Return to your home city (B)
After breakfast you will be met by our group representative who will help to
arrange for your transfer back to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, according to
your flight schedule.
(B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
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Tour Inclusions & Price
Tour Includes:
Roundtrip transfers from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem and return
10 nights first class hotel accommodation
2 night Desert Dwelling Experience in the Judean Desert
All meals (except Day 1 and lunch Days 3 & 12)
Entrance fees to all places of visits
All sightseeing and activities mentioned in the itinerary
Transportation by deluxe coach/vehicle throughout
Local Tour Guide throughout
Eliana Gilad as your Tour Leader throughout
Desert Guide for Judean Desert experience
Luggage porterage at hotels
Tips & Gratuities for Tour Guide & Driver
Added Features:
Travel with spiritual peace activist, author, & internationally recognized
composer of healing music, Eliana Gilad
Opening & Closing Ceremonies with Eliana
Healing ceremonies and meditations at the sacred sites led by Eliana
Meet with several Living Masters of Peace in the Holy Land
Visits to Healing and Medicinal Herb Farms and Roman Hot Springs
Judean Desert Spiritual Experience
Pampering at the Dead Sea Spa Resort
Visits to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Temple of Hazor, the city of
Acco, and Masada
Tour Does Not Include:
Airfare to Tel Aviv
Cancellation & Medical Insurance (Canadians ask us for a quote)
Cost to obtain valid passport
Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks and telephone calls
Any item that is not specifically detailed on our website or in the final
trip itinerary
Tour Price Per Person Single Supplement
USD $3695.00
USD $790.00
Note: The single supplement is ONLY for those who would like to secure a private
room throughout the tour, at the indicated additional price. If you are not
traveling with anyone you know and would like to share a room, we will be happy
to work to find you a suitable roommate. Per our Terms and Conditions,
registration for the tour will be held open until two weeks before the departure
date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If by that date we have
not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to
pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate this
process.
Sacred Earth Journeys,
Ste 220 - 133 E. 8th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. V5T 1R8 Canada
Tel: (604) 874-7922, Toll Free 1-877-874-7922 www.sacredearthjourneys.ca