Explore Jordan with BASMay 16 - May 26, 2009 |
 FREE Travel/Study E-BooksIsrael: An Archaeological Journey
Exploring Jordan: The Other Biblical Land
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The land traveled by the Israelites on their way to the Promised Land and the place where Jesus was baptized, Jordan has a rich history and many numerous Biblical connections. It also boasts a long civilization with many fascinating Ammonite, Edomite, Moabite, Nabatean and Roman sites. Plus it has the stunning city of Petra, the city carved in red stone that was made famous by Indiana Jones. Spend an entire day with us at this exciting site, enjoy a day of water and sand in sparkling Aqaba, and also see dozens of fascinating ancient sites. We have carefully planned this exciting journey with archaeologists to focus on the Biblical connections with this ancient land. Come enjoy Jordan with us and return with a wealth of knowledge!
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ItinerarySaturday, May 16, 2009
Departure by air from New York to Amman, Jordan.
Day 1 | Sunday, May 17, 2009
Arrive at Queen Alia Int’l Airport in Amman, Jordan, where the BAS group will be met and transferred to the Regency Palace Hotel. After check in, the group will enjoy dinner and an introductory talk on the country’s long history, with a focus on its many Biblical connections. Overnight at the Regency Palace Hotel.
Day 2 | Monday, May 18, 2009
After breakfast, our group departs for a tour of the city of Amman, which, like ancient Rome, was built on seven hills. In Biblical times, the city was known as Rabbah (or Rabbath) Ammon; in Roman times it was a member of the Decapolis, ten cities linked by commerce and Roman administration. Highlights in Amman include the Citadel, the Roman theater and odeum and a nymphaeum (a temple and fountain dedicated to the nymphs). We will continue to see the cliffside caves at Iraq Al Amir (“Caves of the Prince”) and then on to Jerash, another member of the Decapolis and home to spectacular Roman-era remains that recall Beth-Shean in Israel. Visitors pass through a Triumphal Arch and see the Hippodrome, a home to sports and spectacles that could hold 15,000 people. We will see the Temple of Zeus and the Cardo Maximus, the main street flanked by beautifully carved columns. Also here are numerous churches from the early centuries of Christianity, many of them featuring elegant mosaics. Lunch will be at a Lebanese-style restaurant in Jerash. Return to Amman for dinner and overnight at Regency Palace Hotel.
Day 3 | Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Breakfast, then depart to see the archaeological excavation at Tell el-Umeiri, which features a reconstructed four-room house, of the type thought to have been used by the early Israelites. We then visit Um Jimal, the Roman city built of black basalt stone, Mafraq, with its view of the (now extinct) Jebel Druze volcano, and Um Qais, which was known as Gadara in Biblical times. This was the site of the incident in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 8); while Jesus was visiting the land of the Gadarenes, he encountered two people tormented by demons; Jesus cast the demons out into a herd of swine that were grazing nearby. Gadara was another member of the Decapolis and boasts a museum (which served as the home of the Ottoman governor), a colonnaded street, baths and mausoleums. We will have lunch at Romero Um Qais, then on to Pella, an archaeological tell (mound) in a lush setting and which has been occupied for 6,000 years. Also today we will stop at Tell Deir Alla, where the Balaam inscription was found; the inscription mentions by name the Biblical figure famous for his talking donkey. We will enjoy dinner in the Kan Zaman village on our way back to Amman, where we will overnight at the Regency Palace Hotel.
Day 4 | Wednesday, May 20, 2009 After breakfast, we depart to visit the famed Desert Castles, a string of fortifications built in oases east of Amman. At Qasr Amra (the “Red Castle”), an early Islamic period hunting lodge, be sure to note the murals displaying wild game, look at the mosaic floors underneath you and, in the domed steam room, be sure to look up to see the depiction of the night sky. At Qasr Kharanneh we will see Jordan’s only three-story Arab castle; Qast Azraq, along a centuries-old trading route, served for a time as Lawrence of Arabia’s headquarters, and we will see the room in which he recuperated after being tortured by the Turks. We will have lunch at the Azraq Palace Hotel and then continue to Bethany, where tradition says John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Our last stop for the day is at the Dead Sea, where we will check in at Dead Sea Spa Hotel, have dinner and spend the night.
Day 5 | Thursday, May 21, 2009
After breakfast, we head to Mount Nebo, from where Moses looked on the Promised Land but from which he could not enter. From the peak of this sacred mountain, we, too, will look into Israel and see the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, Jericho and the hills of Jerusalem and Hebron. We go next to the St. George Church at Madaba, with its famed mosaic map of the Holy Land. Constructed in 560 and made of two million colored stones, the map depicts Byzantine-era Palestine, especially Jerusalem. We will visit Mukawer, or Machaerus, a desert fortress built, like Masada, by the infamous King Herod and where Salome is said to have danced. After lunch at the Haret Jdoudna restaurant, we will continue on to Um Rassas, which boasts 15 churches, including the Church of St. Stephen and its intricate floor mosaic. We will also visit the Dead Sea Panorama, the hilltop complex that explains the Dead Sea and why it is shrinking. We return to the Dead Sea Spa Hotel for our dinner and overnight.
Day 6 | Friday, May 22, 2009
Breakfast, then depart to visit Ghor Safi, the Byzantine-era church and monastery at the traditional site of Lot’s Cave, where Lot and his daughters fled after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Next we visit Kerak, the unofficial capital of southern Jordan and home of a well-preserved Crusader castle, one of the finest in the Middle East. After lunch at the Kerak rest house, we move on to Wadi Hasa, on the boundary between ancient Moab and Edom, and Shobak, with its own Crusader castle, though this one was heavily rebuilt by the later Mamlukes and Ottomans. At the end of the day, we arrive in Petra, where we will have dinner and overnight at the Panorama Hotel.
Day 7 | Saturday, May 23, 2009
Start off with a full breakfast and get ready for one of the highlights of the trip: a full-day tour of Petra. You’ve seen it in the Indiana Jones movies, now see this spectacular site for yourself. Called Sela in the Bible, Petra is best known for the building-like facades cut into the local red stone during the Nabatean era. We will approach the site through the Siq, a narrow passage through the surrounding mountains. The most famous structure—more than 150 feet tall—is the Khazneh, or Treasury, but there is much else to see: the Royal Tomb, the Palace Tomb, an amphitheater, a colonnaded street and the Temple of the Winged Lions. We will have lunch at the Basin restaurant among the ancient ruins; at the end of the day we return for dinner and our overnight at the Panorama Hotel.
Day 8 | Sunday, May 24, 2009
Today we will enjoy the wonderful views from Little Petra, inhabited in Nabatean times and home to the Painted House, rock-cut stairs and striking facades. Next will be Beida, first settled 9,000 years ago, when man was first experimenting with agriculture; then we continue to Wadi Rum, one of the most spectacular natural settings in the Middle East, with striking mountains, canyons, springs and rock bridges. After lunch at the Wadi Rum rest house, we begin a 2-hour Bedouin 4x4 jeep tour in the desert. Then we’ll continue to Aqaba, were we will have dinner and overnight at the Aqaba Gulf Hotel.
Day 9 | Monday, May 25, 2009
Take your time at breakfast as today is free day of leisure in Aqaba, the resort town on the Gulf of Aqaba (also known as the Gulf of Eilat) and its famed coral reefs. Enjoy a wide range of water sports—swimming, boating, diving, snorkeling or just lying along the golden beach. Dinner at Floka restaurant and overnight at the Aqaba Gulf Hotel. (No lunch included on this day).
Day 10 | Tuesday, May 26, 2009
After breakfast, we will be transferred to Queen Alia International Airport, with full assistance with luggage and check-in. Depart for New York and your homes, where you can begin to tell friends and family of your once-in-a-lifetime visit to Jordan.
The tour director may make changes to the itinerary to accommodate local conditions.
Terms and ConditionsPayments: A deposit of $1500 per person is required to secure your place on the program, along with signed application form. (Full deposit may be refunded only if the Biblical Archaeology Society [BAS] withdraws the offer of the program.) Final payment is due to BAS no later than March 1, 2009. Thereafter, late fees may be issued by some land and air providers. Tips, Taxes, misc.: Shown separately is the total for service charges and gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff, for bus drivers, local guides, and payments for international air taxes (including fuel surcharges), visas, and border crossings. Cancellation & Refund Policy: All cancellations for any reason and at any time must be received in writing and will be subject to a $500 per person administrative fee. Cancellation between 90-61 days of departure will be subject to additional loss of some non-recoverable sums from independent providers of land and air services. No refund is available 60 days or less prior to departure. Air tickets once issued are non-refundable. Itinerary length: Flight times are subject to change without advance notice. BAS/Canaan Tours are not responsible for changes and delays in airline schedules and cannot reimburse passengers for expenses resulting from airline delays. Because airlines often change flight times and dates at the last minute, BAS/Canaan Tours strongly recommend the purchase of domestic tickets, which can be changed without heavy fees and penalties. If airline changes flight schedules, BAS/Canaan Tours reserve the right to lengthen or shorten the itinerary accordingly, and whenever possible, you will be notified in writing. If airline changes necessitate an extra overnight, you will be charged (per night) the full cost of the hotel room. Passport Requirements: A valid passport, good for at least 6 additional months from date of return (November 26, 2009) is required of all tour members. Tour Price Includes: Air Transportation: Round-trip flights, group economy class, scheduled from John F. Kennedy International Airport. Departure tax and Federal Inspection Tax additional as estimated. Your tickets are usually finalized and written a minimum of 45 days prior to departure in order to guarantee the fare. Once your group ticket has been written, it cannot be rewritten or refunded to the passenger by the airlines. Air transportation will be jet economy class aboard carriers which may utilize non-refundable, non-transferable tickets to/from your destination for groups flying together for the entire itinerary. Any fare increases or surcharges will be paid by the passenger. Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS) and Canaan Tours cannot be responsible for any such increases. Transfers: You will be transferred with the group between arrival airport in Jordan and hotels and to the departure airport in Jordan. Non-group flight participants must handle their own ground arrangements. Accommodations: Price is based on two persons in a room in four-star and five-star hotels. A supplemental room charge of US $1,000 will be applicable to individuals enrolling without a roommate. If you are interested in BAS assigning you a roommate, all attempts will be made to do so, but it is not guaranteed. All single rooms are subject to availability and are often smaller than normal twin rooms. Meals: Included, except where noted. Travel Program: Includes the services of an English speaking scholar/lecturer, local guides (where required), entrance fees and transportation to sites on deluxe coaches as listed in the program, lectures by other scholars. All entrances for activities scheduled on the tour, plus the guide services, are included throughout. LUGGAGE: Restricted in size and shape by your airline. You may contact them if you need the specific restrictions. Price Does Not Include: Insurance: We highly recommend that applicants purchase trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment in the event of illness or accident. Information will be provided upon deposit. Tour deviations: All deviations from or additions to the tour may be subject to a handling and processing fee plus any out-of-pocket charges (i.e., telex, hotel cancellation charges, messenger or other fees involved). Notice: Dates, schedules, program details and costs, although given in good faith and based on information available at the time of publication of the brochure, are subject to change and revision. In the event of such an omission or substitution, no liability will be granted by BAS/Canaan Tours. All itineraries are subject to change. Prices quoted for this tour are based on a minimum group size of 15 participants and August 1, 2008 exchange rates. Responsibility: The Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS), Canaan Tours and/or their agents, affiliates, assignees and cooperative agents act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation, hotels and automobile contractors. They exercise every care possible but cannot be held responsible for personal injury in connection with the service of any hotel, ship, airplane, train, automobile, horse, donkey, carriage or other conveyance used in carrying out the tours, nor are they responsible for delay, accident, sickness, loss of personal property, strikes, armed conflict, additional expenses due to weather, disruption of advertised schedules, refusal of visas or other causes beyond their control. Further, the operation of vehicles used in their tour is the full responsibility of the companies and individuals engaged in the conveying of passengers; said companies or individuals are governed by the laws of the country of operations, and recourse for any mishap must be filed locally. Unforeseen conditions may necessitate tour changes and the right is reserved to make such changes or withdraw the tour as deemed advisable. The right is also reserved to refuse to accept or retain any passengers on any tour at any time for any reason. Cooperating airlines and steamship companies are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not on board; the limit of their liability is that of a common carrier, and the passage contract in use by such carriers, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between companies and the purchaser of this tour and/or passenger. Acceptance of the services of BAS/Canaan Tours, by all agents and/or travelers constitutes acceptance by them of all the above terms and conditions. The program conditions become a binding contract when your signed enrollment form and deposit payment are received and accepted by Biblical Archaeology Society, Travel/Study Department. ContactIf you have any questions, please contact the Travel/Study department:
Biblical Archaeology Society Travel/Study Programs
4710 41st Street NW Washington, DC 20016-1700 USA |
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