of Jesus. This one-day walking tour creates an active encounter with the topography and the land, and at the same time, takes pilgrims from the Crusader period, back in history to the era just prior to Jesus. Another example of a route that traverses time, religion and topography, is a walk from the Mount of the Beatitudes, through the ruins of an ancient Jewish synagogue dating 400-500 years after the life of Jesus, and then back again to Capernaum, a site replete with actual and symbolic meaning in Christian teaching. A third, is the Jesus Trail, a 65-kilometer trail route complete with maps and coordinates that can be accessed online. It begins in Nazareth and passes through sites such as Sepphoris, Cana, the Horns of Hittim, the Arbel Cliffs, Tabgha, and Capernaum, culminating at the Mount of the Beatitudes. An optional return trail of equal distance is also a part of the Jesus Trail project - a route that passes by Tiberias, the Jordan River, Mount Tabor, Mount Precipice and returns to Nazareth. The trail offers an accessible way for pilgrims to navigate an ancient route in a modern location and offers the experience of walking in the steps of Jesus in a way that is authentic, adventurous and educational. Recently, the developers of the Jesus Trail launched self-guided tour packages, based on orientation, luggage transport from one day to the next and accommodations along the way.
Yet another trail connecting Nazareth with the Sea of Galilee is the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s Gospel Trail, which dovetails about 90 percent with the Jesus Trail but was designed to make the terrain accessible for ordinary visitors, not just backpackers and trekkers, according to the Ministry. The trails have also started to serve as centers around which tourism businesses are being developed. One modern pilgrimage site deserving of mention, which adds greatly to the pilgrimage experience in the Galilee, is the Yardenit Baptism Site, where the Jordan River meets the Sea of Galilee. Yardenit, which features a visitor’s center, together with a new riverside promenade and a parking lot for 50 buses at a time, is an officially recognized Jordan River baptism site and access to it and its facilities is free of charge. It has been enlarged and improved over the years, and features separate baptismal pools, enabling different groups to conduct private worship ceremonies. Baptismal robes can be rented or purchased, and hot showers are available on site. The “Wall of New Life” running from the entrance to the baptismal pools, features translations into more than 90 languages and dialects, of the verses from the New Testament (Mark 1:9-11) that relates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, inscribed on ceramic panels.
Where the Animal World of the Bible comes to Life! The Bible comes to life - literally! - in a unique encounter with an extraordinary array of exhibits, including live exotic animals, the world's most diverse collections of shofars and model Noah's Arks, and much much more! Perfectly situated in Har Tuv, exactly between Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
Suitable for Groups & F.I.Ts For bookings and information contact:
groups@bmnh.org.il 0732131662
www.biblicalnaturalhistory.org
New Exhibit opening soon
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