Dr. Dave on the steps leading up to the Bema Seat in Philippi
Israel 2007 | Greece 2008 | Egypt/Jordan 2010
In 2008, we had the pleasure of walking in the footsteps of St. Paul, touring around Greece and parts of Turkey with Dr. Dave.
On to Day 1 ->
If you’re bored with nothing to do, or if you happen to have insomnia (or an insatiable appetite for the nitty gritty details of the itinerary of the trip)…
Here’s the Itinerary for Dr. Dave’s Vacations for Growing Christians Greece tour for 2008. This partial listing is just to give a few links for the places on the Greece itinerary.
GREECE & AEGEAN CRUISE TOUR
DAY 1 – Saturday, May 24 NEW YORK / ATHENS GREECE ONLY
Tour members depart from New York this afternoon for their overnight flight to Athens.
DAY 2 Sunday: May 25 ATHENS / THESSALONIKI
Weather: 77°F 63°F – Athens Intl Airport.
Tour members coming from Israel fly to Athens and meet Greece Only passengers arriving from New York. We fly to Thessaloniki, Aristotle’s birthplace. Here Paul and Silas founded a church, and to this church Paul wrote the letters to the Thessalonians which we have in our Bibles. We see the ancient Citadel, with its view over the bay to Mount Olympus, the palace of Galerius, the Rotunda and the Forum.
http://www.bibleplaces.com/thessalonica.htm
http://www.biblicalimagery.com/browse.asp?s=1,4,13,31,283 Thessaloniki (about 12 links)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki
http://www.ctsp.co.il/LBS%20pages/LBS_thessalonica.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotunda_of_St._George
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_and_Tomb_of_Galerius
DAY 3 Monday: May 26 PHILIPPI / KAVALA (NEAPOLIS)
Weather: 78°F 63°F – Athens Intl Airport.
Today we visit Kavala (Neapolis) where Paul and Silas landed from Troas after Paul’s “Macedonian Vision.” Next we visit Philippi, the Roman colony named for Philip of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. The gospel first came to Europe in Philippi, and here Europe’s first church was established. Here Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned, resulting in their Philippian jailer’s conversion. We visit the Forum, the agora and the theater where Paul may have preached, the traditional “prison of Paul” and “Lydia’s Baptistery.” We return to our hotel in Thessaloniki for dinner and overnight.
http://www.bibleplaces.com/philippi.htm
http://www.ctsp.co.il/LBS%20pages/LBS_philippi.htm
http://www.biblicalimagery.com/browse.asp?s=1,4,13,31,329 Philippi
http://www.biblicalimagery.com/browse.asp?s=1,4,13,31,119&img=GNMTKV01 Kavala
DAY 4 Tuesday: May 27 PELLA / BEREA / VERGINA / KALAMBAKA
Weather: 78°F 63°F – Athens Intl Airport.
This morning we continue on to Pella, the birthplace and capital of Alexander the Great, where we see excavations of the large agora, pebble mosaic floors and temples, some dating from the 4th century BC, the time of Alexander. Next we visit nearby Vergina, the first capital of the kingdom of Macedonia, with the Royal Tombs and palace. We drive on to Veria (Berea), where the people eagerly received Paul’s message, “examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were true.” We continue on through the lovely Greek countryside to Kalambaka, with its interesting landscape of massive rock pinnacles, where we will spend the night.
DAY 5 Wednesday: May 28 METEORA / DELPHI / ATHENS
This morning we visit spectacular Meteora (a World Heritage site). Meteora literally means “suspended in air.” Here we visit the famed Hanging Monasteries, which are perched atop gigantic smooth rock pinnacles. The 24 monasteries were established in the 9 th century by Byzantine monks. Main access was by nets on ropes, hoisted by handcranked windlasses to towers overhanging the chasms. We continue our drive through the beautiful scenery of Greece. Imagine Paul teaching and discussing God’s Word as he and his fellowtravelers walked along the road. We come to Delphi, famous in the ancient world for the “Oracle of Delphi,” a pagan shrine which claimed to predict the future. We see the famous Bronze Charioteer, Temple of Apollo, the Theater, the Athenian Treasury and the Castalian spring. On to Athens for dinner and overnight.
DAY 6 Thursday: May 29 ATHENS / ACROPOLIS / CORINTH
This morning we visit the important modern and archaeological sites in the city of Athens, including the Acropolis with the Parthenon, Erecthion, the Propylae and Mars Hill, site of the Areopagus. While driving through the streets of Athens, we will see other places of interest such as the Academy, the Temple of Zeus, the Panathenian Stadium, Constitution Square and the Royal Palace. This afternoon we drive along the coastal road to Corinth, passing the site of the great sea battle of Salamis between Greece and Persia (480BC). We stop to see the spectacular Corinth Canal, which links the Aegean and Ionian Seas, then on to ancient Corinth. Below the acroCorinth, where the Temple to Aphrodite once stood, we visit the Temple of Apollo, walk through the agora, and stand before the bema, which is mentioned by Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians. We walk the Lechaion Road and discover the Erastus inscription. Return to Athens for dinner and overnight.
DAY 7 Friday: May 30 PIRAEUS / MYKONOS
Today we set sail on our Aegean cruise. Late this afternoon we arrive at Mykonos, a hilly, rockribbed island dotted with quaint windmills and whitewashed houses set along narrow winding cobblestone lanes. Disembark and visit the village with its shops, boutiques and cafes. An OPTIONAL excursion goes to the tiny island of Delos, once the religious and commercial hub of the Agean. A guided walking tour includes the agora, the Temple of Apollo, the Hellenistic Quarter with its onceluxurious villas and the Avenue of the Lions, where five marble lions guarded a sacred lake. This evening we set sail for Rhodes.
DAY 8 Saturday: May 31 RHODES
This morning we arrive at the island of Rhodes, separated by a 10mile strait from the Asia Minor coast. This lovely island was described by poets as “the island of roses.” Here the apostle Paul landed after visiting the Ephesian church elders on his ship voyage to Jerusalem. In the 13 th century the Knights of St John of Jerusalem built a fortified city, now the bestpreserved medieval city in the Mediterranean. Enter through a medieval gate to explore the cobblestone streets of this walled Crusader city, or walk along the waterfront to the site where the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the wonders of the ancient world, once guarded the entrance to the harbor. An OPTIONAL excursion goes along the picturesque coastline of Rhodes to Lindos. From the acropolis of Lindos and the Temple of Athena, on a precipice 400 feet above the sea, there is a breathtaking view over St. Paul’s Bay and the Aegean Sea. Returning to the city of Rhodes, the tour visits the remains of ancient Rhodes and the Temple of Apollo. An OPTIONAL guided walking tour goes through the medieval city. Tour the Palace of the Knights of St John, and walk down Chevaliers Road before returning to the ship for our evening sail.
DAY 9 Sunday: June 1 EPHESUS / PATMOS
This morning our ship docks at the Turkish port of Kusadasi (Island of Birds). Here we find many shopping opportunities in the Oriental Bazaar, including stores famous as carpet exporters. An OPTIONAL excursion goes to Ephesus, a halfhour bus ride from Kusadasi. Ephesus is one of antiquity’s greatest cities, and the church at Ephesus is one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the book of Revelation. The apostle Paul and the apostle John lived and taught in Ephesus. On a guided walking tour through the excavations of this ancient city, made almost entirely of marble, view Hadrian’s library, the Temple of Diana, and walk the milelong marblepaved “Harbor Avenue” to the well preserved 24,000seat theater mentioned in Acts 19. Along the way, marvel at the remains of buildings, mosaic floors, monuments and public baths. Setting sail once again, we arrive at the beautiful island of Patmos, where John the Apostle was exiled because of his witness for Jesus Christ. Here he received the vision of future events, and wrote the book of Revelation. Disembark and visit the quaint town. An OPTIONAL excursion by bus goes to an ancient mountaintop monastery with a spectacular view of the island and harbor, with a brief stop at a cave where John may have lived while on Patmos.
DAY 10 Monday: June 2 PIRAEUS / ATHENS / NEW YORK
This morning we disembark at Piraeus, the port of Athens. We transfer to the airport for our flight to New York, with lifelong memories of our travels in the footsteps of Paul and 1 st century believers, a greater appreciation for the background and the message of the New Testament, and some wonderful new friends!.