BASE1 Tours is a Bible adventurers dream. It is the renewal of a passion for Bible-related tours that was sparked by Chuck Missler years ago. These new excursions with BASE Tours are intended to:
- Demonstrate that the Bible is reliable and very worthy of serious study
- Provide an intense opportunity for personal spiritual growth
- Introduce you to the customs, language, food, and hospitality of other cultures
- Reaffirm the sound basis for supporting Israel
Here are some of the reasons that make BASE Tours unique.
The Sites
We research and design our own itineraries, including some places most tours can’t, or don’t, include. The sites we visit generally involve archaeology because that’s one of the best ways to know if a particular place has a real connection to the Bible. (Ron Matsen has often said that, “if a church was built there, probably nothing happened there.”)
Depending on the tour, you may see a first century winepress in Nazareth where Jesus grew up, a synagogue where He almost certainly taught, a road He would have traveled on, and a pagan center where He brought His disciples. You would also visit one of the places where David ran to hide from Saul, and another place where Herod the Great would run to hide from his enemies.
The group will visit important places like the Garden Tomb, the Holy Sepulcher Church, the Temple Mount, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed, and the Holocaust museum (Yad Vashem).
Our tours may include other activities, as well. For example, free time in Jerusalem for shopping and exploring, floating in the Dead Sea, and baptisms in the Jordan River.
This is a very small sample of sites you would see in Israel and the Middle East, but it gives you a flavor of the rich variety of experiences being offered.
The Experts
It always helps to have an expert on a tour so you can understand what you’re looking at. Our tours have several experts, each with their own unique role. Their guidance makes BASE Tours both singular and stellar.
- Ron Matsen (above left) provides perceptive on-site Bible teaching. He explains the impact the scriptural account had in the past, and can have on us, today.
- Bob Cornuke (Above right) is the ultimate Bible explorer and brings thirty years of research and experience to the Bible locations we visit.
- A guide is always with the group. He, or she, is trained, experienced, and certified by the government. For example, we are pleased to very often have a renowned, internationally-recognized archaeologist Eli Shukron2 as our group guide.
The amount of information these experts bring can sometimes feel like trying to drink from a firehose; it’s what you need, but more than you can possibly absorb. That’s why some people return for another tour!
Critical Thinking is Required
We emphasize the need for critical thinking when it comes to the Holy Land; it’s essential when looking at places that are attached to a strong tradition. If we believe a place is important just because of tradition, then what do we do if evidence surfaces that shows tradition was wrong? In some cases, that could lead to a crisis of faith.
During our tours, we do not shy away from competing theories; in fact, we see value in honestly evaluating opinions contrary to our own. We don’t want to be blind or superstitious, and that’s why we need critical thinking.
We apply this kind of thinking to safety, too. The region has problems, and sometimes, there is danger. We have a long track record of being safe in the Middle East because we are willing to use all the resources available to honestly assess risk. That includes the US State Department, as well as on-the-ground sources such as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and guides. We will not go to a place when we are advised to stay away–even if it means a cancellation. That approach has worked very well.
Exciting New Tours
To date, BASE Tours have only gone to Israel. We are laying plans, though, for tours outside of Israel. We’re excited about these new adventures because strategic visits to other countries can give us a deeper, clearer understanding of the Bible. (Stay tuned for details via social media and the Personal Update.)
When we offer other tours, we will continue to provide the same level of support to our travelers. A unique itinerary, expert guides, a series of travel-tip leaflets, and our own guidebook will prepare you to get the most you can from the tour.
We invite you travel with BASE Tours. We would love to share this experience with you--it's truly a life-changing opportunity.
Notes:
1 The acronym BASE stands for Bible, Archaeology, Search, and Exploration.
