Pilgrimage Descriptions Archives - Saint George's College Jerusalem

Footsteps of Jesus is a 10-day study pilgrimage focusing on the Scriptures, sites, and landscapes associated with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Emphasizing the lived experience of pilgrimage as Christian formation, the course encounters the land of Jesus’ ministry, engaging the biblical narratives in their physical, historical, and archaeological contexts. The course roughly follows a chronological arc of Jesus’ life. Some attention is given to the Old Testament landscapes and narratives as well as to the commemorations of Acts. Footsteps of Jesus has an appreciation for pilgrim traditions over the centuries, while engaging the contemporary Living Stones of Israel and Palestine.

The course includes a 3-day, 2-night excursion to the Galilee and typically has at least one afternoon in Jerusalem. Alongside teachings and reflections in the field, occasional mini-lectures prepare course participants for site visits.

While the 10-day Footsteps of Jesus has the same aims and objectives as the 14-day Palestine of Jesus course, the latter course has four more days of the sites and landscapes of Jesus and the contemporary context of Israel and Palestine.

The aims of Footsteps of Jesus

To study the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, including the historical contexts and cultures of the land of Jesus’ ministry;
To explore the Holy Land as Christian pilgrims by integrating biblical and contextual studies with spiritual reflection;
To encounter the roots and traditions of the Christian faith as they were formed in the Holy Land;
To engage local Christian communities, Jewish and Muslim perspectives, and contemporary issues in Israel and Palestine, including its problems, struggles, hopes, and promises, and to share these experiences with people back home;
To return home renewed in faith.

Content of the Course

While iterations of the course vary depending upon local circumstances, local holidays, and the season and days of the week as well as some intentional variations of the program, Footsteps of Jesus draws upon the following places, narratives, and landscapes:

The Holy Sepulchre, the site of Jesus’ death (the rock of Calvary) and resurrection (the tomb of Christ);
Nazareth, Jesus’ childhood home and the site of the annunciation;
Bethlehem, the place of Jesus’ birth;
The Jordan River, the site of Jesus’ baptism, including an opportunity to reaffirm one’s baptismal vows;
The Judean Wilderness, where Jesus was tempted after his baptism;
A day in Nablus (ancient Shechem), where Jesus encountered the Samaritan women at Jacob’s Well;
TheSea of Galilee, visiting multiple sites commemorating Jesus’ Galilean ministry, such as Capernaum, Bethsaida, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the Multiplication of the Fish and Loaves as well as a boat ride on the lake;
Caesarea Philippi (Banias), where Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”;
The Mount of Olives, including the commemorations of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, the teachings of Jesus, and the place of Jesus’ ascension.
The Garden of Gethsemane, the place of Jesus’ prayer, betrayal, and arrest;
Mount Sion (the Western Hill) containing the commemorations of the Last Supper, the trail of Jesus, and Pentecost.
The remains of the Temple Mount from Jesus’ day, including excavations south and west of the retaining walls of the complex.
The Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock (historical and contemporary perspectives);
The Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa);
An Emmaus location, commemorating Jesus’ resurrection;

Contemporary Context (generally includes)

Worship with a local Anglican congregation;
The Haram esh-Sharif (Al-Aqsa Mosque);
The Western Wall;
Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center;
A Palestinian refugee camp;
Speakers representing local initiatives for peace and reconciliation.

Resources and Readings

While no readings are required for the course, a recommended text for framing the experience is Jerusalem Bound: How to be a Pilgrim in the Holy Land (Cascade, 2020). For questions about the course, feel free to contact course director, Rodney Aist (coursedirector@sgcjerusalem.org).

The Holy Land and the Arts, led by guest course leader, Dr. Barbara Drake Boehm (Paul and Jill Ruddock Curator Emerita, The Met Cloisters, New York), is a study pilgrimage integrating two primary foci: (1) Complimented by on-site visits to corresponding sites and landscapes, the course explores how Western art has depicted events of Christian scriptures (the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament), including Jesus’ nativity stories, his baptism in the Jordan River, his Galilee ministry, and Holy Week events culminating in his crucifixion and resurrection; (2) Recognizing the contributions, past and present, of the three Abrahamic faiths to the Land of the Holy One, the course engages the rich legacy of historical art and architecture which the land has preserved from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. It likewise highlights the role of women in the Holy Land (e.g., the daughters of Jerusalem).

A transformational journey of faith, The Holy Land and the Arts incorporates classroom lectures, on-site visits, a residential pilgrim community, the voices of others, prayer, worship, and personal time and reflection. The course includes a three-day, two-night excursion to the Galilee.

The Aims of The Holy Land and the Arts

To explore the themes and meanings of biblical stories and the events of salvation through site visits and the study of their corresponding depictions in Western art.
To encounter the legacy of historical artistic expressions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Holy Land.
To encounter sites that excite the religious imagination of Christians, Jews, and Muslims.
To explore the history of Jerusalem throughout the centuries, including Byzantine-era, Islamic, and Crusader art and architecture.
To explore expressions of the image of Jerusalem, both past and present.
To reflect on the spiritual power of religious imagery and the role that artists play in mediating our response to the sacred.
To engage with the Living Stones of the Land of the Holy One.
To be transformed and renewed in faith through the media of sacred art and images as well as the voices of others, personal reflection, and the lived experience of a pilgrim community.

The Course Program

While including Jewish and Muslim sites and speakers, the course incorporates a ‘footsteps of Jesus’ framework. The program includes site visits to locations associated with Jesus’ nativity (e.g., the annunciation, visitation, and nativity), the Jordan River and the Judean Wilderness (e.g., baptism, temptation, wilderness), Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, as well as multiple days in Jerusalem. Attention will be given to the Haram esh-Sharif, or the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem. The course will also include: at least one site beyond Jerusalem associated with the building projects of King Herod the Great, Byzantine-era mosaics and synagogues (e.g., Sepphoris), the mosaics of Hisham’s Palace (Jericho), Orthodox churches, Christian monasteries, and a visit to a mosque and a synagogue. The course may include an indoor visit to the Dome of the Rock as well as trips to Nablus (Jacob’s Well), Hebron (the tomb of Abraham), and the Chagall windows in Jerusalem.

Guest Course Leader

Dr Barbara Drake Boehm is the Paul and Jill Ruddock Senior Curator for The Cloisters of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dr Boehm’s research focuses on the intersection of creativity and faith. In 2016–17, she was the co-curator with Dr Melanie Holcombe on the Met’s exhibition, Jerusalem, 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven, which explored the key role Jerusalem played in shaping the art and culture of the Middle Ages. They co-edited a book under the same title (Yale University Press, 2016), which complements the St George’s course.

Her additional exhibitions at the Met include Prague: The Crown of Bohemia; Choirs of Angels: Painting in Italian Choir Books, 1300–1500; Enamels of Limoges, and Prayer Book for a Queen: The Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux. She was also the co-curator of the exhibition series, Medieval Jewish Art in Context. Beyond the Met, Dr Boehm contributed to Treasures of Heaven: Saints, Relics and Devotion in Medieval Europe (Cleveland, Baltimore, London). A graduate of Wellesley College, Dr Boehm received her PhD from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.

Course Facilitator

The Revd Rodney Aist, PhD, the course director at St George’s College, will be the facilitator and co-leader of the course. A pilgrimage and Holy Land scholar, his interests include the religious imagination of the holy sites and Jerusalem pilgrimage past and present.

Dates and Fees

In 2022 Eastern Orthodox Easter and Western Easter will be one week apart, affording the remarkable opportunity to experience two very different Holy Weeks and Easters back-to-back in Jerusalem. It will include a three-day excursion to Galilee as well.

Introduction to the Bible Lands (Basic Course)

The Introduction to the Bible Lands course visits key biblical sites from the Old and New Testaments, including a few places not commonly on our Footsteps of Jesus and Palestine of Jesus courses. Our shortest study pilgrimage (8 full days), the course traverses the principal regions and landscapes of the Holy Land in Israel and the West Bank, visiting archaeological parks, church sites, and museums. Integrating education and spirituality, the course consists of lecture briefings and on-site teaching as well as time for reflection, prayer, and worship. The course includes a two-day / one-night trip to the Galilee (For an advanced course, see The Bible Lands: Level 2 which will be offered in 2024).

During the tour you will explore some of the key biblical landscapes to the east of the Jordan River, including the lands of Moab, Edom, and Midian. The Jordan study tour is intended as an add-on to our other programmes, but can also be taken as a stand-alone module.

Palestine of Jesus is a 14-day study pilgrimage focusing on the Scriptures, sites, and landscapes associated with Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

This course is an interfaith experience for Jews, Christians and Muslims in which they will encounter the land of prophets, monarchs, and holy people of the Abrahamic faiths.

The Women of the Bible course is a ten day study pilgrimage which offers a reflective spiritual experience visiting the holy sites relating to both the Old and New Testaments highlighting especially the stories of women.

Pilgrimage Descriptions

Footsteps of Jesus

The Holy Land and the Arts

Easters in Jerusalem: East and West

Introduction to the Bible Lands

Jordan Study Tours

Palestine of Jesus

Sharing Perspectives: An Interfaith Journey

Women of the Bible