Jesus Trail

By DAN IZENBERG
Recently mapped out, the Jesus Trail, a 62-kilometer walk from Nazareth to Capernaum, was set up to appeal mostly to the Christian pilgrim traveler who wants to follow the way of Jesus as set out in Matthew 4:13-16: “Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali.”
The four-day walk, starting off at an elevation of 460 meters and ending at about 100 meters below sea level, is also a realistic possibility for those who find the country-spanning Israel Trail too daunting. The Jesus Trail is doable for the type of walker who likes a shower, a restaurant meal and a bed at the end of each day of four to six hours of hiking.
The founders of the trail now offer self-guided walks with a variety of options from the hike’s start to its conclusion. These conveniences include dorm or private accommodations each night, luggage transfer, emergency phone support, a guidebook and a shuttle from the trail’s end at Capernaum back to Nazareth or Tiberias. There is also the option of breakfast, a packed lunch and a dinner at the end of each day. The cost of the package varies with the options purchased. Details and pricing are available at www.jesustrailtours.com.
The packages are for a five-night stay. The first night before the hike begins is at the 200-year-old renovated Fauzi Azar Inn in Nazareth’s Old City. Day 1 of the hike concludes at Kafr Kanna’s Wedding Guest B&B, day 2 at Kibbutz Lavi, day 3 at the Arbel Guest House, which has a Jacuzzi and swimming pool. At the end of the last day, hikers ride back with the shuttle.
An attractive, well-laid-out, detailed guide book of the trail has just been published, authored by David Landis, a cofounder of the Jesus Trail, and Anna Dintaman: Hiking the Jesus Trail and Other Biblical Walks in the Galilee (Village to Village Press, Pennsylvania, NIS 120).
Hikers should be warned that parts of the trail are not as clean as they could be. For instance, there is a problem of garbage outside of Nazareth as you set out on the trail. ‘Construction debris interferes with the serene natural views,” the authors write, but add that many parts of the trail are pristine.