Coming2Israel.com - The Jesus Trail and The Gospel Trail

 

The Jesus Trail and The Gospel Trails in Israel - Two Trails, One Country.

For starters you need to understand that these two trails are actually not the same thing.  Although they do converge in some spots, and share some common ground, they really are not the same trails. The Gospel Trail is a trail that was created by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and opened in November 29, 2011.  This trail allows the traveler the ability to go through the biblical area of the Galilee from Nazareth to Capernaum and travel, more or less, the path that Jesus took along his way to Capernaum.  The traveler can travel this trail by foot, car, bus and bicycle. It’s length is over 60 KMs, but can be done in stages, with overnight rests in between. That is, they are calling the Gospel Trail a modular trail.  The Israeli Government in association with KKL-JNF has invested over $700,000.00 to create and mark the trail.  Other parties involved in the Gospel Trail development include the Galilee Development Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), Israel Antiquities Authority and the local councils the trail passes through. The Jesus Trail, on the other hand, is a privately managed, with many volunteers, not-for-profit venture created in 2007 by two budding entrepreneurs, one Israeli and one American.  Their trail is also around 60KMs long, but really is a hiking / biking trail in the spirit of the worlds great hiking trails and Israel’s own Shvil Yisrael - the trail that goes from the top of Israel all the way to the bottom of Israel.  Of course, in addition to being a great hike, The Jesus Trail has the solid connection to the life of Jesus, and as such, has a strong appeal to the Christian adventure tourist and hiker / biker.  The Jesus Trail does cover more Christian sites of interest to the Christian hiker and does emphasize the natural geographic aspects of the region, as well as having the hiker making a connection to the local population, both Arabic and Jewish.  Note that The Jesus Trail is geared for moderate level hikers.

Which trail is better for me? 

Well, we would chalk this up to personal preference.  If your goal is to see the sites but your time is limited, and you wish to travel by car, then The Gospel Trail, seems like it may be the better choice for you.  Take into consideration, that if you follow The Gospel Trail as it has been laid out, you should know that you will pass some great and important Christian sites.  But we have created a “Gospel Trail” itinerary that will allow you to choose to also see the sites from the Gospel Trail that are missing. If your goal is to see the sites, and truly partake in an experience that as closely as possible, mimics the path of Jesus from Nazareth to Capernaum, AND you are willing to commit the time that it takes to complete the trail and are into hiking with a very interesting and important backdrop, then, The Jesus Trail is probably your best choice of a truly epic experience.  You should know that the Jesus Trail is also modular, in that you can hike sections by day and have a place to rest, within a town to also replenish your supplies.

Okay, but why are there two trails?

The Jesus Trail, started by the budding entrepreneurs, from what we have gathered, was created to give a hiker a fun and challenging hike, at the same time exposing the hiker to local the peoples and their culture, with the added, and maybe most important for some, Christian history and spiritual connection to the life of Jesus Christ. The Israeli governments Gospel Trail, does allow for some of the same experience of the Jesus Trail, but it seems to have been created as a “ME TOO!” project.  Understandably, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, like any ministry of any other country in the world, wants, and by definition of its charter, needs to be the official source of tourist related activities in its own country.  Plus, even though, tourism is usually considered to be an activity that aims to attract foreign visitors, in Israel, the local population (read this as the Jewish Israelis), needs to be considered as well.  Since the Jesus Trail does take the visitor through a couple of Arab villages, for obvious reasons, a Jewish Israeli hiker may have concerns about this.  The Gospel Trail avoids these villages completely (that is why some VERY important Christian sites are overlooked with the Gospel Trail).  Yes, it is too bad, and is a great pity that the situation is like this, and we at Coming2Israel.com, sincerely hope that one day soon, this situation can be peacefully resolved.  As we have said many times, here, Israel is a great country with seemingly no end of things to see and do, and it is our wish that ALL people, of ALL faiths and backgrounds can come to visit us to partake and share with us in what our great little country has to offer.

So, are we saying that one trail is better than the other? 

Yes we are, but we are saying it in reference to what your purpose is when partaking in an activity like one, or even both of these trails.  We think that The Jesus Trail scores higher for a true hiking experience and scores higher with seeing and feeling the experience of what it would have been like to walk with Jesus on his trail from Nazareth to Capernaum.  For those that can appreciate the glory of the land. the people and places, and the journey, the spiritual connection made in this undertaking should be like no other.  BUT, like any worthy endeavor, the commitment to this one is higher.  You have to walk (or bike) the trail, and you have a longer time commitment to do this, assuming your goal is to experience the trail from beginning to end. And so, by comparison, we think that The Gospel Trail scores higher in the chance to see as many of the sites as possible that would be of interest to the Christian visitor coming to Israel with a lower time commitment.  You can hike this trail and get the feeling of what it would have been like for Jesus when he made his journey, but it seems that the Gospel Trail is better geared for those that want to travel by car, avoid some things, and still get to see some very important Christian sites.  The Gospel Trail also seems to cater to a family experience, as many of the sections are stroller and wheel-chair accessible.  And, of course, IF TIME is your main concern, then The Gospel Trail may make more sense to you. The ease of access locations, as specifically identified in The Gospel Trail handbook pdf file: “The  Gospel Trail  includes  a  number  of  segments  that  are  especially adapted  to  the  needs  of  those  requiring  easy  walking,  or  the  use  of wheelchairs or strollers. • Mount Precipice / From the parking area to the mountain summit (300 meters) • Beit Keshet forest / Beit Haya’aran parking lot (0.5 – 2 km.)  • Tabgha promenade – Capernaum (3 km.)”

We hope that our analysis has been helpful to you. 

If you are planning to partake in one or both of these trails, we do strongly suggest that you read up more about each one so that you will have a better understanding of what each of these trails offers and requires in your commitment to enjoying and completing them.  And, of course, we wish you all the best on your journey, and, regardless of which trail you decide to do, as a great man use to say, “Happy trails, to you!” Ah! Wait!  Before we let you go, here’s the links for more information for both The Jesus Trail and The Gospel Trail: The Jesus Trail Website The Gospel Trail Web Page The following three files are from the GoIsrael Ministry of Tourism Web Site: The Gospel Trail Handbook PDF The Gospel Trail Brochure PDF The Gospel Trail Map (Jpeg)

Another EPIC Hiking Trail: Shvil Yisrael - The Israel National Trail:

And, if epic hikes are really your thing, then do check out our Coming2israel.com primer page about the Israel National Trail, Shvil Yisrael - rated one of the world’s top 20 epic hiking trails by the National Geographic Society. Coming2Israel.com Shvil Yisrael

Have we Missed Something???

Or, do you have any questions? Comments? Suggestions? Please contact us from the menu button at the top of the page. And, if we have been helpful, please give us a Like on Facebook. Thank you!