As I am in Israel for a long, but finite amount of time, and as a Christian visitor interested in both physical and spiritual challenges, I decided to seek out a pilgrimage route that would allow me to experience the Galilee and sites from the life of Jesus in a more personal way than on a tour bus - by taking a trek. This would also afford me some time alone, and the opportunity to make peace with what was a difficult year for me personally. To that end, I decided to check out the Jesus Trail.
This is how I met Maoz Inon, a 35-year-old entrepreneur who owns the Fauzi Azar Inn in Nazareth, plus another hostel in Jerusalem. It was he who initiated and developed the trail, according, he told me, to three principles: that it would feature hiking in beautiful landscapes, it would have a connection to Christian tradition, and it would encourage the involvement of local communities. In 2009, Inon won the support of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, which agreed to paint the yellow trail markings, as well as of several local governments and the acknowledgment of the Tourism Ministry.
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