In Conversation

THE JESUS TRAIL : Jesus didn’t take the bus, so why should you

Sometime back, while figuring out my next travel cum exploration destination, I came across a term called “Jesus Trail”. Naturally it made me curious to know more about. During my research I was lucky to be able to talk to one of the two founders of the trail, Maoz Inon. Maoz is the owner of Abraham Hostels in Israel that conducts various hiking expeditions including the “Jesus Trail”. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Jesus Trail, as the name suggests is the path on which Jesus walked within Israel. Israel has been home to the major pilgrimage sights including Nazareth and Jerusalem, for those with a religious inclination towards Christianity. Jesus Trail is a way to visit all those places. It is a 68 Kms hiking trail in the Galilee region of Israel. It goes through the rugged and beautiful landscape beginning from Nazareth, passing through Zippori National Park, Cana, Ilaniya, Lavi Forest, The Horn of Hattin Nebi Shu’eib, Arbel National Park, the ancient town of Magdala, the Jesus boat at Kibbutz Ginosar, Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes and ending in Capernaum.

The two important people who perceived this trail and turned this idea into reality are Maoz Inon and David Landis. They have known each other for two decades now. One fine day, they started discussing over the Jesus Trail in a Guest House at Fauzi Azar (Old City of Nazareth) in 2005 and made this happen in 2007. Maoz fondly says, “David and me had that trust in each other that we just immediately started working on it.” Since then they never looked back and Jesus Trail has become an important part of the itinerary for people travelling to Israel (at times it is the only reason).

According to Maoz, the Jesus Trail has three very important aspects to it. The first one is that, it is a pilgrimage hike for Christians as it goes through some significant sights from the life of Jesus. The pilgrims get an opportunity to pray and connect with faith and gain deeper understanding of the events. The second one is that it offers a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of Israel including its history. So for travellers, who are interested to explore and understand the life of the local community, or who would love to experience the cultural exchange and diversity, it is a treat. The third one is that it goes through breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, making it absolutely favourite for hikers. Maoz says, “being a hardcore traveller and hiker myself, I would highly recommend this to non-pilgrims as well, because this trail is full of places of scenic and cultural significance.”

According to Maoz, “although it is a beautiful trail, we must realize, that whenever we put a spot on a tourist map, along with popularity, it has its repercussions as well in the form of being prone to environmental hazards.” Because of the increasing footfall the biggest challenge of this trail is the uncontrolled waste. This waste poses a threat to the delicate ecosystem of the Galilee region, hence it requires attention from travellers, locals, government etc. So, as an organization, Abraham Hostels not only hold monthly meetings with the various governmental and non-governmental organizations, but also conduct yearly cleaning campaigns. Every year, they select one part of the trail and, with the help of the staff and volunteers, successfully carry out the cleaning process. He says, “when we take something from nature, we must ensure to protect it.”

For Maoz, the trail is more than just a hiking trail. He talks about it with so much passion and love. Not even once did he claim that it requires any tour guide or a pre-prepared itinerary, eventhough Abraham Hostels have been hosting these hiking tours for travellers for quite some time now. They have diverse Jesus Trail packages and they even customize packages according to the travellers’ needs. But Maoz points out, “the markings for the trail have been made so well that people don’t even need us, they can just enjoy the hike on their own.” He further says, “All we want is to provide travellers with the best religious, cultural and hiking experience through this trail, no matter whether they do it with or without us.”

I am definitely keeping it on my travel list at top priority now.