Israel’s Gospel Trail Woos Pilgrims Seeking Footsteps of Jesus
Marker Along the Gospel Trail
Nitzan Shorer/Israel Ministry of Tourism via Bloomberg
One of the markers along the Gospel Trail. Israel finished marking the Gospel Trail last year to boost Christian tourism in 2012.
One of the markers along the Gospel Trail. Israel finished marking the Gospel Trail last year to boost Christian tourism in 2012. Photographer: Nitzan Shorer/Israel Ministry of Tourism via Bloomberg
The Church of the Twelve Apostles
Nitzan Shorer/Israel Ministry of Tourism via Bloomberg
The Church of the Twelve Apostles at Capernaum, along the Gospel Trail.
The Church of the Twelve Apostles at Capernaum, along the Gospel Trail. Photographer: Nitzan Shorer/Israel Ministry of Tourism via Bloomberg
Carob Tree
Nitzan Shorer/Israel Ministry of Tourism via Bloomberg
A carob tree along the Gospel Trail. Israel has marked the trail to boost Christian tourism.
A carob tree along the Gospel Trail. Israel has marked the trail to boost Christian tourism. Photographer: Nitzan Shorer/Israel Ministry of Tourism via Bloomberg
We are standing on a fertile hillside in northern Israel. Fernando Betancourt, an Arizona pastor, looks down at the Sea of Galilee spread before us.
“Everyone should come and have the experience,” says Betancourt, who is leading a group of 70 of his flock on Israel’s newly-marked “Gospel Trail.” “We are walking the places that Jesus walked.”
Some pilgrims simply stroll along the path. Others can choose to bike, ride on horseback, or even sail.
The 62-kilometer (38.5 mile) route traces the path that Jesus may have taken when he left his home of Nazareth for Capernaum, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Visitors can choose which sections to do, allowing for short walks, and the path is wheelchair-accessible in places.
Some 2.4 million Christians come to Israel each year -- about two-thirds of all visitors -- and the number is expected to increase by another 200,000 in two years, according to the Tourism Ministry, which has set up a desk for religious travel. About half of Christian vacationers are on a spiritual visit or pilgrimage.
“It’s a big help for the faith,” says Alberto Guaba, 28, a Catholic seminarian from the Dominican Republic who is spending a year in the Holy Land as part of his training. “To see a place where Jesus walked and lived shows you it’s not just a story. Many people study in catechism classes, but it’s another thing to come and see for yourself.”
Mount Precipice
The trail covers sites that by tradition have been associated with places mentioned in the Gospel, such as Mount Precipice, said to be the place described in Luke where irate townspeople attempted to throw Jesus off a cliff.
Visitors may also take in Tel Kinrot, which offers panoramic views of the Sea of Galilee, including Tabgha, the site where by tradition, the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes, described in Matthew, took place. They can stop off at Kafr Kanna, the Arab-Christian town associated with Cana, where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine, according to John.
“Hold the Bible in your hand, read the verses that you choose and you have a beautiful narrative,” says Yossi Granit, an Israeli tour guide. “For some it’s sport; for some it’s spiritual.”
A short side trip takes hikers to Ein Nun, a spring at the foot of the town of Migdal, or Magdala in the New Testament, by tradition the home of Mary Magdalene. Eucalyptus and palm trees surround the renovated spring, where travelers can sit at picnic tables and watch the ducks swim across the clear water.
Mary’s Pilgrim
“I think a pilgrim would ask himself: did Mary Magdalene use this spring?” Uri Sharon, a Tourism Ministry official says.
From the Mount of Beatitudes, where some Christians believe Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, a dirt path leads down to the Sea of Galilee, with the Golan Heights looming in the background.
Olive trees, wild grass, rocks and thistles carpet the landscape, with only an occasional electric pylon to interrupt the pastoral scene.
Tourism officials are hoping the trail will give a boost to private initiatives such as hotels, restaurants, and encourage stables and bicycle rental shops, for those who wish to travel the route by horse or bike.
Travelers can also cruise the Sea of Galilee, where boat operators offer sunrise and sunset journeys and a “Miracle of Fish and Loaves” meal. Seagulls fly alongside the boat, as the late afternoon sun leaves a pink path on water.
“You can’t feel the same experience in California, Paris or London,” Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov says. “Here you walk step by step after Jesus. You can see what Jesus saw.”
Information: http://bit.ly/yfbvIJ
To contact the reporter on this story: Alisa Odenheimer in Jerusalem at aodenheimer@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
Rate this Page