After an excellent breakfast buffet we will travel to the mountain fortress of Masada, truly a remarkable piece of history. We’ll ascend by cable car to visit the magnificent ruins of the fortress where the Jewish zealots made the last stand of the Judean revolt against Rome. Today the remains of Herod’s buildings, palaces, storehouses, cisterns, and a 6th Century Byzantine church are still in view. We will then drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Ein Gedi, a green oasis in the middle of the desert, and see the area where David hid while fleeing from King Saul. Afterwards we will travel to Qumran to see the caves where they hid some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. After lunch we will begin our ascent to Jerusalem. On the way, we will stop to view the St. George Monastery, an active monastery since the 5th century. We will also get a glimpse of “the Valley of the Shadow of Death.” We arrive in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel for over 3000 years, and pause on Mount Scopus where our guide will lead us in the traditional Jewish Welcome. Dinner and overnight will be at our hotel in Jerusalem. (B/L/D)