Zodhiates International New Testament Study Center

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Book your flight to arrive at Thessaloniki International Airport (SKG) any time on Wednesday. You will be met by your tour representative and transfer to the Argos Zodhiates Bible Center about an hour away in the town of Leptokaria. The AZ Bible Center guest apartments are situated right on the beach. Perhaps a quick dip in the Aegean Sea is the best way to recover from your journey.  

 

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Sleep in. We’ll have a late breakfast, get to know each other as a group, enjoy some time on the beach In the afternoon, we’ll have an orientation lecture in a classroom that looks out on the waters sailed by the Apostle Paul on one side and Mount Olympus on the other.

 

Friday, June 3, 2016

Today we drive 2 ½ hours to Ancient Philippi (near modern city of Kavala). Here you can see Lydia’s Baptistery where Paul began the church in this important Roman colony, the magistrate’s headquarters where Paul stood under examination, and the traditional jail where Paul and Silas were imprisoned. Return to the AZ Bible Center for overnight.

 

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Today we drive 1 hour north to Thessaloniki, one of the largest modern cities in Greece and the place where believers received two letters from the Apostle Paul after his visit to the city on the second missionary journey. The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki is replete with artifacts from New Testament[BDE1]  times and displays which illuminate biblical texts. The city square where Jason was dragged on Paul’s behalf is excavated as are Roman era remains amongst the city streets. We will explore this fascinating mixture of ancient and modern.

 

Sunday, June 5, 2016

We begin the day with worship and prayer. The remainder of the day will be recreational where tour participants can choose from shopping in Leptokaria (5 minute walk) or tanning on the beach in front of the guesthouse. For those interested in an adventure, a short drive will take you to Mount Olympus where you can hike Greek style.

 

Monday, June 6, 2016

We will take a short drive to the Royal Tombs of Vergina, a premier archaeological discovery of the 20th century. We will explore the burial grounds of Philip II of Macedon, father to Alexander the Great. The tombs demonstrate the Greek understanding of the afterlife and give helpful background to the New Testament’s teaching on death and the life to come.  

 

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Pack your bags and we’ll hit the road to Meteora, the iconic monasteries on a rock. In ancient times, monks would climb to these places of solitude and worship via harrowing ropes and ladders. Today, most are accessible by walkway so that you can explore the heritage of the Orthodox church and understand how it contrasts with both American and Greek evangelicalism. Three hours down the road we will arrive in Delphi, but not without stopping at the spring of Thermopylae where Leonidas and 300 Spartans bathed before their battle with the Persians. Overnight in Delphi.

 

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Today we explore the “belly button” of the earth. Although Paul never visited Delphi as best we know, the ecstatic tendencies of the Delphian oracle deeply affected neighboring Corinth as evidenced in discussions about prophecy and tongues. The museum at Delphi also contains the Gallio Inscription, used by scholars to date the book of Acts and develop a chronology of Paul’s life and ministry. After the tour, we will drive to the outskirts of Athens for overnight at the CosmoVision Center.

 

Thursday, June 9, 2016

We’ll start the day with some classroom time to prep for the second half of the trip. For the rest of the day, enjoy the camp facilities of the CosmoVision Center with your fellow participants (ropes course, soccer field, basketball court, volleyball, ping pong or fuse ball). Fifteen minutes away is a spectacular beach. And we will enjoy the sunset at the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the southernmost tip of the mainland.

 

Friday, June 10, 2016

An 1 ½ hour drive takes us to ancient Corinth, where Paul spent 18 months on his second missionary journey. Today we will explore the ruins of the city, including the bema seat where Paul stood before Gallio, the Erastus inscription, the meat market behind the temple of Apollo and much more. We’ll conclude the day by visiting the underwater archaeological site at Cenchrea, the port from which Paul set sail. Snorkel to the ruins or look for ancient marble and pottery on the shoreline. Overnight in Kekries.

 

Saturday, June 11, 2016

In the morning, we will hike to the ruins of an ancient medieval fortress on the Acrocorinth where you can see the picturesque Isthmus of Corinth. We will also visit the site of the temple of Aphrodite, so influential in the lives of early Christians. We will conclude the day with a visit to remains of the diolkos, the ancient means of portaging ships. Overnight in Kekries.

 

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Today we will take a 2 hour drive south to Messini, a privately funded archaeological dig which has restored much of the city to first century Roman era. Explore theatres, fountains, athletic facilities, cemeteries and more. This is one of the best places in Greece to understand what a city might have looked like in the time of the Apostle Paul. We’ll conclude the day with worship together and then drive to Olympia for overnight.

 

Monday, June 13, 2016

Put on your gym clothes for an exploration of the birthplace of the Olympic games. We’ll stop at the altar of Zeus where the Olympic torch is lit for modern games and explore the use of athletic imagery in the New Testament. We’ll conclude the day with a 3 hour ride back to the CosmoVision Center.

 

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

The morning will take us to the Panathenatic Stadium followed by a stroll in the National Gardens. In the afternoon, we will visit the National Archaeological Museum. We’ll conclude with time for some shopping in the Plaka before heading back to the CosmoVision Center.

 

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Walk where Plato, Socrates and the Apostle Paul tread in the Athenian Agora, Mars Hill and the Acropolis. We’ll conclude our tour with some of the most famous ruins of ancient Greece. The evening will conclude with a traditional Greek dinner and dancing.

 

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Book your return flight from Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" (ATH) any time on Thursday. Your tour representative will take you to the airport, just 10 minutes away from the CosmoVision Center.