Holy Land Study Tour (May 10-22, 2010) – Registration is closed.

Shalom!

Picture yourself cupping your hands to drink water at the same spring where Gideon’s band of 300 select men did the same,… climbing the steps that led to the altar of the golden calf in the northern kingdom of Israel,… or sharing a Passover meal similar to one Jesus had with His disciples at the Last Supper.

This is not another pilgrimage that surveys churches and souvenir shops. Instead, I wish to use this experience to teach you God’s Word in its original setting. I have taught Bible classes in over 30 countries. In addition, I lived and studied in the Holy Land for three years. As a result of our time together, you will envision more clearly some of the biblical events and why they occurred as they did.

Together we will travel from Dan to Beersheba, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. The Bible will come alive. You will never read the Scriptures the same way again. My wife and co-host, Jeannette, and I invite you to join us on this trip of a lifetime.

Dr. Keith A. Shubert

Downloads

• Please read carefully the exciting itinerary (PDF, 28kB) designed to enhance your appreciation of the Scriptures.
• Please read through the Costs and Details (PDF, 36kB) before you fill up the registration form (PDF, 64kB).

Because this trip is designed to be a learning experience, space is limited. Do not delay in reserving your place on this tour. I trust you can join us.

FAQs

All I wanted to know about EAST’s Study Trip to the Holy Land but did not know who to ask:

Q: EAST advertises this as an educational trip. Are not most or all trips to Israel educational?

Dr. Keith A. Shubert: Great question. Most people learn a lot from just visiting Israel and the lands of the Bible. However, there are a variety of types of trips. For example, some pilgrimage trips are cheaper but spend a larger portion of time visiting churches for services and shopping. Some who have gone on trips like this have later come with us and after the first day often say, “I have learned more in one day than I did in my previous trip of 7-8 days.”

There are many trips that are very beneficial from a learning perspective. In a situation like this, a pastor takes members of his congregation and gives devotions in the morning that pertains to something that may be visited later that day. These trips are many times very helpful.

But an educational trip is usually led by a teacher who views the land of the Bible as a classroom. All that is seen, heard, and experienced becomes an occasion for education. This involves additional sights and experiences not found in most tours. It also means the participants come with a different mindset of learning vs. sightseeing, fellowshipping, or shopping. While these things are included, they are not the focus.

An educational trip is so valuable that, like EAST, a number of seminaries around the world offer similar study trips for optional credit. This includes homework done ahead of the trip.

At this point, the background of the tour leader, Rev. Dr. Keith A. Shubert, is relevant. Dr. Shubert has led several educational trips to the Holy Land. He lived in Jerusalem three years and during that time earned an MA in the Historical Geography of Ancient Israel. His PhD dissertation related a geographical region of Israel to the biblical history, so one can understand the relationship between the two. Most pastors who lead trips do not have such a background.

Q: Can you give me some examples of things included in the trip for educational purposes that many ordinary trips would not contain?

Dr. Shubert: First, the trip includes places that many trips do not include. For example, we say we go from Dan to Beersheba, which are used in the Old Testament as reference points for the northern and southern boundaries of ancient Israel. Both are significant – Beersheba is where Abraham and Isaac lived while Dan is where the first king of the northern kingdom constructed an altar to worship the golden calf. Most trips do not go to either location. We will also view the Valley of Armageddon from the location where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and visit the Valley of Elah to understand why it took 40 days for the Philistines and the Israelites to join in battle (this is where David killed Goliath).

Second, the trip is designed to include a number of experiences that will help you to understand the Bible better. We include a New Testament style Passover meal, a Roman banquet (the setting where Jesus “reclined” to eat), and a lunch in the Judean wilderness (where Jesus fasted for 40 days). We go to the Pool of Siloam and walk through the water tunnel King Hezekiah built to protect Jerusalem from the Assyrians (2 Kings 20:20), learn how the Temple in Jerusalem (one of the wonders of the world during the time of Jesus) was built without modern technology, and experience some of the situations Jesus talked about in His parables (the door of the sheepfold, threshing grain, and “living water”).

Q: Why is this tour a bit more expensive than some others?

Dr. Shubert: There are several reasons. First, this trip is longer than some. A trip with a lower price may actually be more expensive “per day.”

Second, this trip will visit locations with biblical and educational value that charge entrance fees that some groups do not include in order to lower the price. For instance, this trip will visit the Israeli Museum, the location of the famous Isaiah Scroll (one of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls). There is an entrance fee for this. We go there for educational reasons.

A third reason is that some items included in the advertised price are not included by all tours. For instance, all tips (for hotels, driver, licensed Israeli tour guide, meals) are included. Some tours collect from each participant each day or take up love offerings.

Also, most tour guides and bus drivers in Israel obtain a percentage from what participants buy when they shop. Thus the bus will stop frequently for shopping. While we do include times for shopping, it is not an objective or priority on this trip. Our guide and driver know that we are an educational trip, so we give a larger tip to cover some of the loss of revenue they would receive if they were with a group that did more shopping.

Q: If I want additional information, who do I contact?

A: You can contact the tour leader, Dr. Keith A. Shubert, at studytour@east.edu.sg.