Jesus Trail

I walked out of Nazareth and into the Arab village of Mash’had as prayer was starting. Everything was quiet with only the voice of prayer blaring from speakers perched atop a Mosque. I paused to take a photo of the Mosque when a piece of broken wood with a nail in it slammed into the pavement right before me. It had obviously been thrown but I couldn’t tell from exactly where. I assumed it was the building to my left. I took off running to avoid any other potential danger and saw it as a warning to get out. I wasn’t welcome in the village.

At that point my adrenalin was going. As I began to exit the village two boys with something small in their hand stared at me. I think it was something from a plant but I couldn’t tell. I just wanted to get out of the village. One kid abruptly put it up to my face but I kept moving. The other boy threw something that hit my pack as I passed. I just kept going. Once out of the village I crossed an open area to reach the adjacent village of Cana. Two other guys tried to stop me and were asking for something in Hebrew or Arabic. I kept walking but they were persistent. When I hollared back at them, “I don’t understand”. They backed right off. It was as if they realized I was not Israeli so they weren’t going to bother men.

This all happened on, “The Jesus Trail”. Google it. It’s a well known hiking route and according to the numerous Israeli’s I asked everyone said it was perfectly safe to do. I assumed it was kind of popular but during the three days It would take to complete I would only see one other person doing it.

When I arrived in Cana I was a little rattled and went into an Orthodox Greek Church to avoid being bothered and inquired if the Jesus Trail was indeed safe. I found a priest at the church and told him what happened. He asked me what I was doing there and that I shouldn’t have been in that village. He also stated that they were Muslims that didn’t like Christians. He said the Muslims in Cana were ok and that I would not have any more problems once out of Cana.

I decided to continue but at a quick pace. I wasn’t in the mood to hang out in Cana either. I hustled thru with no problems. Just a bunch of hello’s from kids that I assume were nothing more than hello’s. A few miles out of Cana I began to relax and feel ok as I hiked thru forests and agricultural plots. I steadily pressed on to a Goat Farm with a Jewish Israeli Eco camp right next to a military installation. I knew I’d be safe there.

The Israeli’s at the Goat Farm were surprised to hear what happened and said it was a rare incident. However, upon further conversation they did admit that they would never go to Mash’had or Cana, especially alone. Go figure. Just like anywhere you have good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods. It’s just a little different in Israel.

At the farm I pitched my tent in the company of about 30 others. It was a group of kids out of high school who are taking an organized year off before going into the military. In Israel this is an option for those not wanting to fulfill their military obligation right away. A gap year consists of travel, classes, etc.,. Currently they are doing a lot of hiking.

Well, if getting a piece of wood with a nail thrown at you is one extreme the graciousness of the gap year group was another. They couldn’t have been a nicer bunch. About 10 of them separately invited me to join them for song and a Shabbat meal. Regrettably I had already arranged for dinner with the farm but I did join them afterwards for song and fellowship. They were all very nice and curious about my visiting Israel, hiking the Jesus trail, and being from Texas. I was quite impressed by the group and its leaders.

The next day was a great day of hiking. I didn’t see anyone as I passed through forests, open range, agricultural lands and a Kibbutz. I climbed  up and over the mountain ridge known as the Horns of Hattin where the Crusaders fought some bloody battle in the 1100’s. From there I could see the Sea of Galilee.

The sun had been blaring all day with temperatures hot but not unbearable. Later in the afternoon I arrived in Moshav Arbel on the slopes of Mt Arbel. I booked a room at a guest house with a dorm which turned out to be an apartment. I had the place to myself for a hostel bed price. The village and its environs along with its owners is all very French. I asked the owners where they were from originally and they replied Israel. They poured me a pitcher of Lemonade. I quickly drank the whole thing and they refilled it again.

My night at the guest house in Moshav Arbel was the best nights rest I’ve had while in Israel. I slept really well. I would have taken a rest day there but they were booked for the next night so I had to move on.

From the guest house I proceeded up to the top of Mt Arbel to a formal National Park entrance. Often times if you’re a hiker passing through on foot with a big backpack, entrance to a national park is free. It depends on the park and country. At Mount Arbel you pay 22 shekels regardless to enter the park unless you hike up the other side which is free. I asked if there was a discount for a Jesus Trail Hiker. The park attendant gave me a stern faced NO.

The rocky ridgeline of Mt Arbel offers some great views of the Sea of Galilee. The south slope is fairly gradual with a road going most of the way to the top. The north side is a long cliff band full of caves and ruins of a castle. The descent of the north side is rugged and steep with iron hand holds placed in the rock for safety. It was slow going with my big pack but I took my time and paused to check out the castle built into the cliff side.

From Mt Arbel it was a hot walk under intense sun to the Sea of Galilee. I passed through all kinds of agricultural plots consisting of olives, oranges, mangos, bananas, etc. The mangos and bananas surprised me the most. I intended to camp at a campground on the lake but when I arrived it didn’t appeal to me so I pressed on.

While stopping at a roadside falafel stand, along the way, a seeming surly looking individual struck up a conversation with me. He proved to be a very nice gentleman and was curios about my travels in Israel. He suggested I inquire at one of the Churches ahead as they would sometimes put up pilgrims walking from Nazareth. He also said something to the affect of sending Jesus his regards.

On the spot believed to be where Jesus ate with his disciples after the resurrection and bestowed leadership of the church to Peter is a place known as, “The Church of the Primacy of St Peter”. It’s a lovely spot right next to the water.

I arrived there later in the afternoon a little unsure as to what I was going to do for the night. A monk was standing just outside the quaint church. I asked if he might know of a place I could stay. He replied that all he spoke was Italian and Spanish. Well, I know how to find a place for the night in Spanish. I partially understood his suggestion that I ask the sisters next door at a monestary. As I began to walk away he had a better idea and talked with the caretaker. The caretaker was a 30’s something Polish man who spoke English. He said he could offer me a room for the night. I was then shown to a small building set aside for private visitors. Needless to say I was very appreciative! It reminded me of something that would happen on the Camino in France or Spain.

When the gate closed at five I had the grounds to myself and spent the evening by the water. I did see two other people that evening. They were an Arab Palestinian Christian couple who are nurses at a Christian hospital in Nazareth. The husband was a man of few words but the wife was extremely friendly and nice. I joined them for a while and tried inquiring about what it was like being an Arab Palestinian Christian in Nazareth which is 70% Muslim. The wife just kind of laughed and said it was complicated but not a problem. I hear that a lot in Israel whenever asking Israelis about politics or religion, “It’s complicated”. That’s about all I get.

In the morning I tried to leave a donation at the church for the accommodation but it was refused. I then hiked up to Mt of Beatitudes where it's believed Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Well, Mt of the Beatitudes is a nice hill that could be the place but no one really knows for sure. There's a nice church there now. Evidence also suggests that the Horns of Hattin or Mount Arbel could be the place which is much more fitting in a Hollywood sense based on location.

From there I proceeded on to Capernaum, the end of the 60+ km Jesus trail. I asked a tourist from the Philippines to take my photo amidst the ruins of a 4^th century synagogue built upon the ruins of Jesus Synagogue.

I essentially covered the trail and its sites in 3 1/2 days. The first day wasn’t very enjoyable for obvious reasons but the following two days were quite nice. The first day out of Nazareth is somewhat blah. There’s a fair amount of road walking and the Arab villages are kind of dirty with outlying garbage dumps. A few miles out of Cana it gets nicer and once in the vicinity of Galilee things take on a European feel. Bus loads of Christians from all over the world buzz around to the various religious sites and things appear to be run at a higher standard.

After a nice rest break in Capernaum I backtracked a couple of miles and caught a bus into Tiberius.