We would be very thankful if you could assist us by answering the following questions regarding the Jesus Trail hike.

This questionnaire is intended for people who have walked, are walking, and are intending to walk the Jesus trail.

View the survey

 [Click for larger map, printer friendly links at end of post]

Helpful Jesus Trail Updates:

1. Leaving Nazareth Old City can be challenging because of the winding streets. Follow the yellow dots and watch carefully for a sharp right turn that will take you up a long staircase. Once you get to the top of Nazareth (past all the stairs and Salesian church), you will come to a traffic circle. Turn right to walk along the ridge-top promenade for about 10 minutes until you reach a second traffic circle, and here make sure that you take the second left, not the first one (p. 69).
2. Leaving Nazareth: After the roundabout, follow the road downhill to the end of the street. Where the street turns into a dirt path there is a fence. There is a walking entrance on the left side of the fence. Make sure to take the detour from the right side of the construction, and go towards the gas station you can see on the far side of the road. After spotting the gas station, go to the traffic light marked on the map (p. 69).
3. After Zippori the trail continues with other trails and is marked as an orange dot next to the other trail markings. Follow the trail uphill to Mash’had (p. 75).
4. In Mash’had at the central mosque, the Jesus Trail splits at a trail junction with the Israel National Trail (marked orange/blue/white) and turns left downhill into town. Soon afterwards it turns right, so it’s helpful to stay on the right hand side of the road and look carefully for the marker (p 75).
5. After climbing out from Cana, you start walking on a dirt road. Make sure you take a right at the first dirt road split. The marking is there but it is hard to spot.
6. When you reach the Golani junction, there is a lot of construction going on: After passing the T sign to Yarok Az (Cana in the west, Ilania to the south and Arbel to the east) you will meet road 65. Do not pass it. Take a left and walk beneath the electric lines. You will soon find the trail markings again while walking with the eucalyptus trees and the road to your right. Look for the underpass (tunnel below the road) you will see it when you meet a gravel road that takes left and then right into the underpass (the underpass is big enough to accommodate trucks. After crossing the first underpass, the trail has been rerouted through Lavi forest (see updated map). If you are staying at the Kibbutz Hotel, after crossing the second underpass below 77 road follow the main road into the kibbutz (p. 81).
7. After descending from the Horns of Hattin, the trail emerges onto a paved road (second, lower road). The official trail markings will tell you to head right. If you wish to enter Nebi She’ub take a left on the second road. It is a good place to fill water (natural spring & fountain) and buy snacks.

Suggested shortcut after Nebi She’ub : A few meters before the entrance to Nebi Sheub the trail will cut downhill to the right. Follow it down past the ruined village and the mosque. Continue on the dirt 4×4 road to meet back up with the marked Jesus Trail. Make sure to turn left to continue to Arbel on the marked trail (p. 91).

*Page numbers refer to pages in the guidebook, Hiking the Jesus Trail.

Printer-friendy PDF versions of the map and text (one A4 page each).

The map below was made when the construction began and still is relevant today, but you may need to take a slightly wider detour to pass the affected area.
Updated November 27, 2012

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/travel/hiking-through-biblical-backcountry.html?pagewanted=allPhoto by Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

The Jesus Trail Free Map is a colorful brochure with an overview of the Jesus Trail, including a sketch map, descriptions of the points of interest, elevation chart, list of accommodations, transportation information and more. The map was generously sponsored by local businesses, including accommodations, taxi drivers and local attractions.

Get your copy today! You can download the PDF now, or please send your mailing address to freemap@jesustrail.com to receive a hard copy in the mail for free. This map is shipped from Nazareth, Israel and may take 2-3 weeks for delivery.

The paper copy of the map is available at many locations in Nazareth and Jerusalem, including the Fauzi Azar Inn, Jerusalem Tourist Information at Jaffa Gate, and the Abraham Hostel. If you would like Jesus Trail maps at your location, just let us know.

[Download Jesus Trail Free Map]

*The Jesus TrailFree Map is intended as an informational overview for planning and not for navigational purposes. We recommend that hikers obtain the Jesus Trail guidebook, which has high resolution topographical section maps.

Hiking Day 1: Nazareth to Cana (13.4 km):
●      Taxi from Nazareth to Zippori NP – ask Fauzi Azar staff for help (saves 7.8 km)
●      Bus #28A or 343 to Tsipori Branching stop, walk paved road into park entrance (saves 4.5 km)

Hiking Day 2: Cana to Lavi (14.4km):
●      Bus #28, 29, 30 and 431 from Cana to Tur’an entrance on highway 77, hike south up red trail to join Jesus Trail route (saves 4 km)
●      Bus #28, 29, 30, 31 and 431 from Cana to Golani Junction (saves 10km)

Hiking Day 3: Lavi to Moshav Arbel (13.7 km)
●      Taxi to from Lavi to Nebi Shu’eib (saves 6.1 km)
●      Walk the paved road from Nebi Shu’eib to Moshav Arbel (saves 4km)
●      Taxi from Nebi Shu’eib to Moshav Arbel (saves 9.6 km)

Hiking Day 4: Moshav Arbel to Capernaum
●      Walk back down from Moshav Arbel to Nakhal Arbel (blue trail) to reach Wadi Hamam (green trail) instead of going up and over the cliffs (saves 1km & easier walk)
●      Bus #841, 963, or 63 from Migdal entrance to Kfar Nakhum Junction (saves 6.9 km)

Calling a taxi:
●      Days 1-2: Nazareth to Golani Junction, call Maazen @ 04-6574076
●      Days 3-4: Golani Junction to Capernaum, call Chiki @ 050-7535661

*Note: Costs for these transfers are not included in the Jesus Trail Tours package.

I’m now sitting at home after the successful visit of Mr. Tony Blair to the Fauzi Azar Inn and Jesus Trail. Thinking about today’s excitement, stress and relief, I can describe this long anticipated visit as a tornado storm that hit the Fauzi whose long-term results are yet to be seen.

We were preparing for this visit for the last week, making the inn as beautiful as it can be and writing a program where everyone will know what to expect. I was getting ready and preparing the message I wanted to deliver. As the date came closer, I got more and more anxious and must confess that I didn’t get much sleep the night before.

Working six years transforming the Fauzi Azar Inn from a small seed and PowerPoint presentation to what it has become has been challenging with its ups and downs. Having Tony Blair, the former Prime Minster on the UK, visiting my creation, the inn, offered a rewarding reassurance to the time, energy and resources I have invested in the process.

The visit itself was like a storm. It started after a thirty-minute delay with Suraida and I waiting at the street entrance to the Fauzi. We received signs from the security person standing 10 meters ahead of us as Mr. Blair and his entourage were getting closer and closer.

Finally we saw crowds of photographers leading the way and Mr. Blair himself in flesh and blood smiling and coming to approach us.

We became part of the eye of the storm, loosing track of place and time while surrounded by dozens of photographers, Blair’s staff and personnel, people from the Nazareth municipality including the Mayor and his deputies, police staff, high-level security, Fauzi Azar Inn guests, volunteers and staff and special friends we invited for the event.

From the second we shook hands with Mr. Blair we were on the mission of staying in the storm’s eye while many others trying to get the same spot for themselves. Mr. Blair was acting naturally keeping both Suraida and myself next to him and at the same time interacting with the crowd – waving, smiling, shaking hands and exchanging a few words with some of them. The eye of the storm was moving up the stairs where Mr. Blair cut left to shake people’s hands, and I was trying to follow the rhythm by introducing him to our volunteers and guests.

The storm’s eye entered the Fauzi hall where we placed a board with Jesus Trail map (very wise idea!) and the Jesus Trail Guide book.

Suraida was pitching the Fauzi Azar story brilliantly with the storm swirling around and above.

Then it was my turn.

I had so much to say but was told by the great Stefan Szepesi (Thanks you Stefan!) that there is only one minute left, I heard voices from all over advising me what to say: “To encourage people to visit Nazareth”; “Ask for money”; “Support the Jesus Trail” and more that I can’t recall.

I remember saying that: “I was born in Israel and that after backpacking around the world for a year I learned that tourism can be a great force that bridges between people from different cultures, religions and nationalities and in the same time contributes significantly to local communities. Also, I have witnessed how it can support local businesses, change an area’s image and empower and raise the self-esteem of the local people.”

“Here at the Fauzi Azar Inn and the Jesus trail we are using existing infrastructure and local resources to encourage interaction between people and to create a shared interest between the different communities of the Galilee – Jewish, Christian & Muslims.”

I gave Mr. Blair the Jesus Trail guidebook and kept fighting to stay in the storm’s eye. I showed him on the Jesus Trail map how Jesus Trail, the first trail in Israel that targets international tourism is creating a share interest between the diverse community in the Galilee.

Then someone shoved me the Fauzi Azar guestbook and I asked Mr. Blair if he would be willing to sign it. While knowing that we had used all the time that we had and that the storm must go elsewhere, I called all Fauzi Azar staff and volunteers for a photo up. We got great photos!

And then in two seconds the storm was over. It was very powerful and energetic.

Afterwards, Fauzi Azar Inn staff celebrated Norhan’s 20th birthday, and we began in making the inn ready for today’s arrivals. My wife went home to take the kids and I returned later on by public transportation.

And yes, I also shared my vision for tourism with Mr. Blair –

In my vision, I’m booking our guests in Nazareth at their next accommodation in guesthouses in not only in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Amman but also in Beirut and Damascus.

Hallelujah!

The Jesus Trail™ is a 65-kilometer hiking trail in the Galilee region of Israel which connects important sites from the life of Jesus as well as other historical and religious sites. The Jesus Trail™ offers an alternative for travelers and pilgrims to experience the steps of Jesus in a way that is authentic, adventurous and educational by hiking through the rugged and beautiful landscape of the Galilee in Israel.

Visit www.gospeltrail.com

• About the Jesus Trail
• The Jesus Trail Philosophy
• Contact us at info@jesustrail.com

The Jesus Trail and the Gospel Trail

There have been many articles in the press about the recently launched “Gospel Trail” by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, focusing on its newness, readiness and ease for Christian pilgrims. As the people who’ve developed the Jesus Trail, we feel that the public has been deceived by the Ministry of Tourism and its message to the press. We are sad to see so much time and money put into something that has attempted to recreate a walking experience of the Jesus Trail that has been successful since 2007 for thousands of pilgrims, and in the end produced something of lower quality for the hiker and traveler. The Israeli Ministry of Tourism has supported the Jesus Trail until recently, by promoting it on their official website (although some links have been removed), a private visit by the Minister of Tourism himself, and even partially paying for its marking in 2009.

The Jesus Trail has always been and always will be a free, public hiking route that welcomes use from all people and strives to support the local communities of the Galilee (see our vision and philosophy). It was developed by a group of international and local volunteers in coordination with the Society for Protection of Nature in Israel. Entrepreneurial efforts were added to the trail as it matured, offering support services to hikers, new guesthouses in towns without prior overnight accommodation, and the first comprehensive hiking guidebook for the Galilee written in English, all with the intention of sustaining the vision of the trail and further its development. The Jesus Trail has no political, religious or nationalistic agenda, and our efforts have been focused in to making the Jesus Trail a bridge to build transformational relationships and understandings between nationalities, cultures and religions in the Middle East.

Independent Travelers and Route Choices

For the independent traveler who is interested in walking where Jesus walked in the Galilee, we are writing to inform you of the major factors in deciding your route. We write this primarily for the safety and comfort of hikers, which has been foremost in our mind in developing the Jesus Trail. The most important factors for a safe and successful hiking experience are navigation, water and emergency access, which have not been taken into account for large sections of the Gospel Trail.

Route Differences

The first 25km of the each route is entirely different. The Jesus Trail begins in the heart of Nazareth, near the Basilica of the Annunciation and public transit lines, and passes through Zippori National Park, and the towns of Mash’had and Cana. The Gospel Trail begins on the southern outskirts of Nazareth at Mt. Precipice, a site not accessible by public transit (2km walk uphill from nearest stop). The Gospel Trail handbook shows this being connected, but the route does not exist in reality at this point.

The routes converge near the village of Ilaniya, which is near where the “Secondary Route” to Cana as listed on the Gospel Trail map. This side trail to Cana does not exist on the ground. From this point, both routes follow the same path until the outskirts of Kibbutz Lavi (last water for 12km). From the Lavi cemetery, the routes diverge and the Gospel Trail passes north and skips the Horns of Hattin and Nebi Shu’eib (important water stop and cultural site), rejoining the Jesus Trail route in the olive groves west of Kfar Zeitim. The Gospel Trail leaves the Jesus Trail at this point by staying in the Arbel Valley to Wadi Hamam (spring for water), and not climbing Mt. Arbel, one of the highlights of hiking in Israel. At Wadi Hamam, the routes join again and follow identical paths until Nakhal Amud, where the Gospel trail turns southeast to cross highway 90, and follows nearby the highway until Tel Kinrot, where the routes become identical until Capernaum.

Markings, water and access, community development and diverse holy sites

1) The Gospel Trail is not as well marked as the Jesus Trail. The Gospel Trail is marked with large, stone basalt cairns (rock towers), which are sometimes placed up to 500m apart, with turns not always being marked. This type of marking is expensive to create, and even more expensive to maintain. Similarly-marked trails in Israel have not often withstood the test of time as these projects run out of money after their initial creation and trail maintenance stops. The official Gospel Trail map has all SPNI trails (see below) in the region labeled except the Jesus Trail, making the map confusing to hikers and inaccurate to the markings on the ground.

The Jesus Trail is part of Israel’s 10,000+km of hiking trail network, which are marked by the Israeli Society for the Protection of Nature (SPNI). SPNI uses three-colored striped paint markings (see illustration below), which is one of the best trail-marking systems we have encountered in the world. In SPNI’s system, trails are marked in both directions, and you should theoretically be able to see the next marker from the previous one. Turns are marked redundantly: one at turn itself, and with a confirmation blaze following the turn. SPNI paint blazes are refreshed every 2-3 years, and the Jesus Trail receives even more attention through a team of volunteers that checks the markings year-round. SPNI also produces excellent topographical maps (although only in Hebrew at this time), and the Jesus trail is featured on SPNI map #3 for the lower Galilee.

The Jesus Trail was marked in the spring of 2009 by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and is included on map #3, 2010 edition, as part of Israel’s national network of marked trails.

We have spent years hiking this area, spending time in local communities, and working hard to produce a very detailed guidebook on the Jesus Trail and the other routes in the Galilee. We strongly recommend that you bring Hiking the Jesus Trail to aid in your navigation and planning success. SPNI is also producing a Hebrew-language guidebook for the Jesus Trail, available soon.

2) Water and food resupply is an issue on the Gospel Trail. The route favors the Beit Keshet forest area for almost the first 30km (half of the route), with water access only off-route in the villages of Iksal and Daburiya, and nothing else that is reliable until Golani junction. The end of stage one near the “Old Oak Tree is only accessible by a dirt road, with no public transport access. The other long stretch without water is from the Lavi cemetery to Wadi Hamam, a distance of more than 12km (Jesus Trail has water at Nebi Shu’eib). Water access is the most important factor when hiking in the Middle East, and hikers die every year in Israel from dehydration. Hiking a long section like this without water access requires carrying an additional 5-9 liters or kilograms (10-20 lbs) of water per person per day, with the amount depending on the season!

3) The Gospel Trail does not pass through the diverse communities of the Galilee, favoring forests and Jewish areas instead of accurately portraying the diversity of people who live there. This has a variety of disadvantages. By leaving the Arab towns of Nazareth, Mashhad and Cana out of the route, not only to hikers lose important access to bus routes, water and food, but they also miss interaction with locals and the warm hospitality that these encounters provide. For most Jesus Trail hikers, diverse experiences of hospitality in Jewish and Arab areas have been the highlight of their experience. The Ministry of Tourism has communicated that these Arab villages are not safe and are dirty, but we have received feedback from many hikers over the years communicating their positive experience in these areas. The Jesus Trail route was designed to pass through these communities because we feel that it is essential to include local communities in the future of the route. These are the people that benefit the most, ensuring the longevity of the route and the most positive experience for hikers. The Gospel Trail has been designed in a way to support large tour companies and guided bus tours, and by its route makes it difficult for hikers to have a personal, unfiltered experience with the local community

4) The Gospel Trail does not include as many Christian sites as the Jesus Trail. As many historic Christian places in the Holy Land are focused around the Arab Christian populations, the Gospel Trail avoids the Muslim and Christian Arab towns of Nazareth, Mash’had and Cana, and bypasses many of the Holy sites present in the Jesus Trail in Nazareth, Zippori and Cana. The first church encountered on the Gospel Trail is at kilometer 59, after completing 90% of the route. If your interest as a hiker and pilgrim is to visit these Christian sites, we recommend following the Jesus Trail route. The Gospel Trail also avoids Nebi Shu’eib, the holiest Druze site in the world, which is directly on the Jesus Trail route.

We hope this information has been helpful to you, and we value your safety and experience above all else. We strongly recommend that you carefully plan your pilgrimage hiking experience in a way that is safe and enjoyable, and uses the best resources on the ground.

Sincerely,

The Jesus Trail Team

We encourage you to read what others are writing, and determine the facts on your own. Better yet, come to the Galilee and see for yourself!

Here are a few articles on this topic to get you started:

- Gospel Truth – Matthew Teller (http://quitealone.com/2011/12/03/gospel-truth/)

- “Cross Roads” Article in Ha’aretz about the Jesus Trail and “Gospel Trail” – Julian Bender (http://julianbender.blogspot.com/2011/12/cross-roads-article-in-haaretz-about.html) – Julian’s article includes a full English translation of the Hebrew article in Haaretz (below)

- “Following the Path of Jesus in Northern Israel – Moshe Gilad, Haaretz (http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/following-the-path-of-jesus-in-northern-israel-1.399540) – For some reason, the web version of this article has been shortened from the Hebrew print/web edition, and the English print edition, which has removed the most controversial parts

- פרשת דרכים: מה שלא רואים מ”דרך הבשורה”

השבוע הושק שביל המתחקה אחר הדרכים שבהן צעד ישו בגליל התחתון. אלא שהוא דוחק מהמפות מסלול אחר, עוקף כפרים ערביים, וכמעט אין לאורכו כנסיות

משה גלעד

 

Read about the Jesus Trail in the international press:

• 2011

  • DRS2: Der «Jesus Trail»: Pilgern im Heiligen Land (Switzerland) – March 31, 2011
  • Demotix: The new Israeli hike “The Jesus Trail” from Nazareth to Capernaum – March 25, 2011
    
  • Delo.si – Po Jezusovih poteh v Galileji – Staša Lepej Bašelj – March 22, 2011 (Slovenia)
  • Israel21c.com – Travelers from abroad help preserve the environment – March 6, 2011
  • Haaretz – דון קישוט בעקבות ישו: מעוז ינון הקים את “שביל ישו” כדי להביא תיירים לגליל – January 30, 2011 (Israel – Hebrew)
  • Kingway – What’s Hiking Got To Do With Worship? – January 28, 2011 (UK)

• 2010

  • Trouw – Wandelen door het Nieuwe Testament – December 23, 2010
  • Linga – Jesus Trail- Walking in The Footsteps of Jesus – November 7, 2010
  • CBN’s 700 Club – Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus – Julie Stahl – August 29, 2010
  • Christian Science Monitor – Bringing foot traffic to Israel’s ‘Jesus Trail’ – July 3, 2010
  • Jerusalem Post – Jesus Trail – May 21, 2010
  • ynet news – Muslims, Jews, Christians do Bethlehem-Jerusalem run – April 29, 2010
  • Christianity Today – On the Jesus Trail: What we learned from Jews, Muslims, and Arab Christians as we traced the footsteps of Christ in Galilee – April 28, 2010

• 2009

  • Toronto Star – Following in Jesus’s Footsteps – August 1, 2009
  • The Washington Post – A Spiritual Journey and Then Some – June 7, 2009
  • Today Show – Walking the Jesus Trail – May 13, 2009
  • ABC News – Walking in the Messiah’s Footsteps and Walking the Jesus Trail – May 8, 2009
  • AFP – Hiking in the Footsteps of Jesus – May 8, 2009
  • Haaretz – Jesus Trail Marked in Time for Pope’s Visit – April 7, 2009
  • Huffington Post – Pope Commits To Holy Land Trip In May – March 10, 2009
  • Israeli Ministry of Tourism – Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus – March 5, 2009
  • The Mennonite – Jesus trail: Walking where Jesus walked helps put us in touch with his life and teachings – February 17, 2009

• 2008

  • Norde IDAG (Norway TODAY) – http://www.idag.no/debatt-oppslag.php3?ID=15515 – December 25, 2008
  • Stars and Stripes Magazine – In the Land Where Jesus Walked – December 24, 2008
  • YNet News – Now tourists can follow ‘Jesus Trail’ – September 7, 2008
  • Associated Press – Trail through Israel traces footsteps of Jesus – June 10-12, 2008
  • KNA Radio – June 1, 2008
  • Prime Time America Radio – April 11, 2008
  • Associated Content – New Holy Land Tour Lets You Walk in Jesus’s Footsteps – April 2, 2008
  • Eastern Mediterranean Tourism/Travel – March 2009
  • Catholic News Service – In northern Israel, walking from village to village, like Jesus – March 19, 2008
  • Ha’aretz – Five Stops in the Galilee – February 22, 2008

Jesus Trail Press Releases:

• New Jesus Trail Guidebook Makes Hiking the Galilee Accessible for International Visitors – March 19, 2010
• “Clean up the World Day” on the Jesus Trail – November 22, 2009
• Jesus Trail visits the Abraham’s Path in Israel’s Negev – October 25, 2009
• Blazing the Jesus Trail: Marked Pilgrimage Route Brings Hikers to the Galilee – April 5, 2009
• Free Daily Walks Offered on the Jesus Trail – December 30, 2008
• Jesus Trail Launched: New Pilgrimage Hiking Trail Connects Sites from the Life of Jesus – February 8, 2008

If you a journalist interested in writing about the Jesus Trail, please visit our page for the press.

The hikes are led by a volunteer who knows the route, so even those without experience in navigation can join in the adventure. If you’re a visitor to the region, there’s no better way to get a feel for the land than to hike it. If you’re a pilgrim, hiking recalls ancient times when everyone from Abraham to Jesus got around on their feet. If you’re a local, you may learn about a new route, valley or mountaintop you never knew about. We hope the experience will foster friendships between local people and internationals.

Whoever you are, you’re welcome to join us on a hike – don’t worry about getting lost or figuring out logistics, and the only costs are for transportation to and from the hike (public bus and occasional taxi). The routes we’ll be hiking are some of the Jesus Trail team’s favorites, including many that aren’t in the Jesus Trail Guidebook – or in any guidebook.

A schedule is posted on http://hikingclub.jesustrail.com with the dates and meeting times for each hike and details about what to bring – keep checking the schedule for updates or changes.

If you want to join us on a hike, feel free to show up the day of, but it helps us plan if you RSVP to hikingclub@jesustrail.com (if you’ve got questions, use the same address). We hope we’ll see you soon for one of our upcoming hikes!

Specifics will be posted for each hike, but generally you’ll need to bring:

• Adequate footwear (sneakers, hiking boots or sturdy hiking sandals).
• At least 2 liters of water (some routes may require more).
• A packed lunch and any snacks you would like.
• Weather appropriate and modest clothing.
• Enough money for transportation plus a little extra.