Walking the Jesus Trail

Margaret on the Trail!

On October 21, we walked for the second day, on what is called the 'Jesus Trail'.  It is a walk from Nazareth to Capernaum, in Galilee, that quite possibly, Jesus walked.  Following orange coloured signposts, a person will walk about 62 kilometers, visiting many of the spots where Jesus is reported to have done some exploit.  

Landscape of Galilee

The Jesus Trail starts at the Basilica of the Annunciation(where Gabriel told Mary of her upcoming pregnancy), and proceeds to Cana, where Jesus performed His first miracle, then on through the countryside to sites such as Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes, and then Capernaum and Peter's mother's house on the north-west corner of the Sea of Galilee.  While the actual sites are suspect, and not to be venerated, they remind us of the Biblical event.

Sample Water Jug

Church Commemorating
Jesus First Miracle

The first day, about two weeks prior we walked about 13 kilometers and ended at the Cana, where we had visited earlier.  The walk took us through a community called Mashhad, which was named, in the Bible, as the birthplace of Jonah.  There is a mosque there which  claims to house Jonah's tomb.  This is controversial, as many believe Jonah was buried in Assyria.  In Cana, Jesus turned water into wine.  On the second day we walked on a road dated the first century which was a Roman built road running between Acre and Tiberias.  Probably Jesus and Paul walked on this road.  We ended our second days walk near the 'Horns of Hattin', famed as the place of a battle by Joshua, and also the place where the Second Crusade suffered an crushing defeat at the hands of the Muslim Saladin in 1187ad.

More Landscapes!

Ruins of Roman Road

A typical event occurred this second day.  We had stopped for lunch at a local eaterie, enjoyed our Arabic salads, and afterward were misdirected, and lost our orange blazes!  We wandered around on our own for a bit, asked directions, which, with the language barrier did not go well, and finally asked another, who knew a little more English, where to get back on the trail.  At first, he told us what to do, and then, after we had gone some 50 paces, offered to take us in his pick-up.  What a help and a God-send he was.  He was truly a 'Good Samaritan' going out of his way, taking his time, for some foreigners!  The day ended with us feeling great.  After this second day, we were happily halfway complete on our quest.