BibleLands' first modern pilgrimages began in 1958 when a small advertisement appeared in the Star in the East – 'A tour of the Holy Land – if sufficient support is forthcoming – write for particulars'. As it turned out, many people did write for particulars and, in those days before mass air travel, the pilgrims - aged between 16 and 73 - travelled by coach, train and boat to the Middle East.
For most of the travellers, walking in Jesus' footsteps had been a dream of many years and, gazing over a hushed Galilee in the breaking dawn, or standing quietly in the Church of the Nativity or at the Garden Tomb, was an experience that words could hardly express.
BibleLands continues this practice of leading pilgrimages to the Middle East, enabling travellers not only to visit religious, cultural and tourist sites, but also the opportunity to meet with local Christians, living and working in the lands of the Bible.
Click image to download a brochure for the May 2008 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land [106kB pdf]
Click image to download a brochure for the October 2008 Pilgrimage to Jordan and the Holy Land [196kB pdf]
Click here to download a booking form to use for either Pilgrimage
BibleLands' Partnerships in the Holy Land developed and flourished after the Second World War. Today, BibleLands has 20 Overseas Partners in the Holy Land, providing health, education and community development services. BibleLands’ support of its Partners’ work and witness is even more vital in the current situation. Visits to some of these Partners will be an integral part of the Pilgrimages detailed below.
BibleLands will be leading two Pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 2008.
The first will travel to the Holy Land from 23 to 31 May 2008,
and will be led by Friends of BibleLands in Scotland and
the North, although it is open to all.
Join the group, which will visit all the major sites of Jesus’
ministry, including Lake Galilee, Cana, Capernaum, Bethlehem and
sites around Jerusalem, and a ‘float’ in the Dead Sea. As well as
visiting these historical sites, the group will meet with some of
BibleLands’ Overseas Partners, the living stones of the
Holy Land, seeing the work that they do and gaining more of an
understanding of the situation in which they live and work.
This pilgrimage will be led by Douglas Callander, one of BibleLands'
Trustees, and Ruth Thomason, a Friend and long time supporter of
BibleLands. The cost will be £930 per person, on a
half-board basis, sharing a twin room. This cost includes flights
from London to Tel Aviv. Single rooms are available for an
additional supplement of £144.
For more information on this Pilgrimage, please download the
brochure
here.
BibleLands’ second Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to also
include three full days in Jordan, will take place between 22
October to 1 November 2008. This trip will be led by Friends
of BibleLands in the North, and flights will depart from
Manchester.
Join this trip, which will begin with a tour of Petra, the
‘rose-red city, half as old as time’, as well as other historical
and Biblical sites in Jordan. The second part of the tour will be
spent visiting sites of interest in the Galilee region, before
travelling south to the Dead Sea and sites around Jerusalem and
Bethlehem. Amid these visits, the group will meet with some of
BibleLands’ Overseas Partners, seeing the work that they do
and gaining more of an understanding of the situation in which
they live and work.
This pilgrimage will be led by Rev. Daniel Burton, the current
Chairman of BibleLands’ Board of Trustees, and Ruth
Thomason, a Friend and long time BibleLands-supporter. The
cost will be £1,095 per person, on a half-board basis, sharing a
twin room. Single rooms are available for an additional supplement
of £220.
For more information on this Pilgrimage, please
download the brochure
here.
To book on either of these inspiring Pilgrimages, please download the booking form here, print double-sided (if possible) and complete and return it to Worldwide Christian Travel (address as on the booking form). Alternatively, contact Sharon Eldred on 01494 897950 or complete the form below, for a brochure and booking form to be sent to you.
The group spent 3 days visiting significant sites in Cairo, including the pyramids and sphinx at Giza, the Tutankhamen exhibition, Coptic and Islamic Cairo, and the Khan al Khalili souq. The following 3 days were spent at the Anafora Retreat Centre, in the desert region of the Nile Delta. Anafora is a haven of prayer and peace, where, in a retreat specially designed for BibleLands, the group were led in reflecting on Desert Spirituality and the Coptic Orthodox Church. A final day was spent touring the Mediterranean town of Alexandria.
BibleLands has supported Christian-led Partners in Egypt for many years, and currently partners more than 15 organisations. During this pilgrimage the group visited one of these Partners, seeing the work that they do and gaining more of an understanding of the situation that they live and work in. Each of the Partners provide care and education to children and adults with a variety of needs, ranging from social needs to physical disability.
This pilgrimage was led by Rev. Daniel Burton, who has served as a BibleLands’ Trustee since the 1980s and who is the current Chairman. Bishop Thomas, the Coptic Orthodox Bishop of El Qussia Governorate in Upper Egypt, led the Retreat in Anafora.
BibleLands was intending to lead a pilgrimage to Lebanon and Syria from 30 October to 10 November 2006, but due to the situation in Lebanon this was postponed.
When this trip has been rescheduled, we hope that travellers will be able to visit significant sites in Lebanon, including the cities of Beirut, Byblos, Tyr and Sidon, and sites in the Bekaa Valley. In Syria, the group will stay in Damascus whilst visiting Maaloula, a village where the common language is still Aramaic, and the medieval citadel of Krak des Chevaliers, as well as the city of Tripoli.
This tour visited all the major sites of Jesus’ ministry, including Lake Galilee, Cana, Capernaum, Bethlehem and sites around Jerusalem, and a trip to the Dead Sea. Amid these visits, the group met with some of BibleLands Project Partners, seeing the work that they do and gaining more of an understanding of the situation that they live and work in.
Tricia Pruden writes:
"On Friday 26 May, 24 individuals arrived at Tel Aviv. We were an eclectic group, ranging widely in age, denomination and background, but by the end of our trip we felt we had come together through an amazing shared experience.
We visited the sights of Nazareth and Galilee and then drove down the Jordan valley, stopping off at areas of historical and biblical interest on the way. We also indulged ourselves with a float in/on the Dead Sea. The final part of our visit was centred on Jerusalem. The journey took us back to the time before Christ, showed us what His world would have been like and then moved us on to life in the Holy Land today. It was a very special experience that left us all with a deeper understanding of the Bible and its context.
Our guide was excellent, as was our group leader, Douglas Callander, who was always ready to share his time with us. Douglas is a BibleLands Trustee with an extensive knowledge of the Holy Land and his confidence and ability enabled us to make the most of each moment.
We met BibleLands Project Partners – living stones who carry out God’s work today among the vulnerable and disadvantaged. We were in tears hearing of the problems they faced trying to live their lives amid fear, turmoil and the collapse of the economy. Some of us were angry and some just saddened. I came back determined to do more to make a difference.
Asked what the highlights of the pilgrimage were, one of my fellow travellers responded: “The unscheduled walks through Jerusalem and, above all, Holy Communion beside the Garden Tomb on our last afternoon, followed by the walk down the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane.”
Everyone has a different special memory of the trip, but I know that none of us will ever forget it."
