The Hindu Business Line : On Holy ground

Packing over 3,000 years of history, Israel lays itself bare to the avid tourist in an impressive array of ruins, rustic villages and historic monuments that reflect its brooding past.

From high up on the slopes of Mount Carmel, the view of the sparkling Mediterranean was stunning. Extending lazily over the slopes of Mount Carmel, Haifa's an old city. Whereas religion, faith and maritime commercial activity were the town's original hallmarks, today, it is Israel's northern hub, and a major religious and cultural town.

We'd driven up from Tel Aviv Airport, smack into the town centre, for the start of our driving tour of Israel. Our first stop was the World Centre of the Bahai faith, then the Shrine of the Bab, which bears the stamp of European architecture, before we finally ended up at the beautiful gardens. Along the road that runs up Mount Carmel stands the Universal House of Justice, the supreme institution of the worldwide Bahai community.

The next day found us on the highway again, passing the Golan Heights as we headed on for one of the world's most religious and historical regions. Surrounded by breathtaking scenery, the Sea of Galilee (Kinnaret in Hebrew) is a deep blue harp-shaped lake nestling in the Jordan Valley. The 55-sq-km lake is Israel's largest and — at 208 metres below sea-level — the world's lowest fresh-water lake.

For centuries the cradle of ancient civilisations, the Galilee region, today, welcomes visitors with the relics of several religions, a rich historical backdrop, and stunning scenic beauty. The lake's 32-mile shoreline features several water-related activities. There are sports, religious shrines, caves to explore, hills to climb and superb cuisine.

We drove into Tiberias, the region's hub, and enjoyed the lakeside promenades with swinging nightclubs, discos and outdoor cafes. Specialty restaurants serve traditional fare like pita bread filled with falafel (spiced chickpea) balls, but the real show-stopper is St Peter's fish, a renowned local specialty.

Touring the region was a pilgrimage of sorts. It was here in Galilee, in the city of Nazareth that Jesus spent much of his youth; it was here too that Christianity was born. Nazareth has churches of many denominations including the Greek Orthodox Church of St Gabriel, which also houses Mary's Well and the largest church in the Middle East, the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

We made our way towards Capernaum, the home of Jesus' disciple Peter, situated 16 km from Tiberias. Once a fishing village and trade centre, Capernaum is often referred to as the `town of Jesus of Galilee'. There are ruins of third Century monuments, including a Byzantine Church, a synagogue and a Franciscan monastery.

Situated 25 miles south-east of Tiberias is the city of Bet She'an. Here you will find the ruins of a Roman Byzantine City and remains from the various Philistine, Egyptian, Roman and Jewish settlements. The most impressive among these is the Roman and Byzantine remains of a large Roman theatre, that was built to accommodate 8,000 people.

Situated nearby, on the northwestern shores of the Sea of Galilee, is Tabgha, the fishing village where Jesus is said to have performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. Commemorating this event is the `Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes' that was built in the 5th century.

There is also the ancient city of Magdala that lies along the Sea of Galilee. This is the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, and the place where Jesus met her.

Heading south, we reached Eilat. In very early times Solomon and Sheba held their legendary tryst here. Today, fun-seekers converge here to enjoy the resort's sunny climate, and magnificent sea and mountain scape.

Perched on the Red Sea's northern tip, Eilat greets visitors with sun-kissed beaches, swaying palms, a rainbow of sails, and gleaming white hotels with their balconies looking out into the jewel-like sea. The premier attraction here is the Red Sea, which offers exciting experiences in, on, and under the water. High temperatures have endowed the water with rich corals and other marine life.

We started off at Dolphin Reef where one can not only watch the Dolphins but splash about with them as well. We then headed for Coral Beach Nature Reserve that provides excellent viewing of protected reefs and myriad fish species. One can snorkel and dive, and get up-close and personal with the fish at the magnificent Underwater Observatory, and even via a submarine tour to the great ocean depths.

The next day found us driving through the desert to Timna Park, which lies 25 km north of Eliat. The park is famous for King Solomon's Pillars and the Red Canyon. There are desert tours that are conducted both on jeeps and on foot as well, not to mention interesting sites like the Bedouin Culture Centre.

Eilat had provided the sort of holiday one can get hooked on. The sea and desert apart, we'd sampled a colourful palette of delicacies from the ocean, enhanced by exotic spices, and Israel's famous dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Another day, another quality destination — the Dead Sea.

At first glance it DOES seem dead, with eerie salt pillars poking through the early morning fog, the water completely still... the silence overpowering. At 400 metres below sea level, this is the lowest point on earth.

It is called the Dead Sea because there is virtually no life in it owing to the 30 per cent concentration of salts and minerals that are present in its waters.

But the Dead Sea region is actually full of life as seen from graceful gazelles grazing close to the saltiest waters on earth, the famous therapeutic black mud and clear sun's rays.

Adventure opportunities abound — tourists can explore the region, go on tours or go hiking. From the Dead Sea coast, several spas exploit the extraordinarily rich mineral wealth of the region. The heavy concentration of salts and minerals also accounts for the water's phenomenal buoyancy. We floated around like little children, got ourselves coated with the black mud and explored the beautiful region.

The Dead Sea is also steeped in history. It was where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea that Jesus was baptised. Today, the devout come here to immerse themselves in the holy waters.

Nearby is Qumran, where the Essenes, a Hebrew sect, lived. It is to this ascetic Jewish community that the earliest scrolls of the Old Testament are attributed.

Our last stopover was Jerusalem. According to legend, when God created the earth, he gave it ten measures of beauty. Nine to Jerusalem and one spread throughout the rest of the world.

Packing three thousand years of history, it's the ultimate pilgrimage destination, something between an open-air museum and a vibrant, modern city where one can stroll along 2,000-year-old pavements or lively pedestrian malls.

It is here, in Jerusalem, that the controversial Temple Mount site is located. While Muslims revere it as the place that houses the Dome of Rock, from where the prophet Mohammed ascended to Heaven, for Jews it is regarded as the location of the temples built by Solomon and Zerubbabel. Christians, on the other hand, believe that it is on Temple Mount that Christ will establish his throne on earth. The three monotheistic religions are thus interwoven in the city's fabric.

We saw the Mount of Olives, which is located east of the Temple Mount. We then proceeded to the Old City and stopped by at the Western Wall, the most important Jewish historical site. Moving on, we saw the Temple Mount, the Dome of Rock, and the silver-domed El Aksa Mosque. We then walked up to the holiest Christian site — the Church of the Holy Sepulcher built by the Roman Emperor, Constantine, on the site of Christ's resurrection, Anastasis (Greek for resurrection).

The world-famous Israel Museum was our final stop and the perfect way to wind up our tour of the Holy land.

Picture by the author

Fact file

How to get there: Israel's air gateway is Tel Aviv.

Where to stay: Most areas have diverse accommodation ranging from deluxe to standard. Eateries offer all manner of cuisine including vegetarian.

How to get around: The most significant sites are within four hours drive from there.The roads are very good and one can rent a car and drive around the country.

When to visit: The best time to visit from October through April.

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