Holy Land Beckons Tourists to Path of the Virgin Mary

EIN KAREM, Israel -- Christian tourists have long come to the Holy Land to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Now they can trace the path of the Virgin Mary as well.

"The Holy Land is the homeland of the Virgin Mary, where all the important events in her life took place, and it is only natural to follow a pilgrimage itinerary in her footsteps," said Noaz Bar-Nir, director-general of the Ministry of Tourism.

In this picturesque village on the outskirts of Jerusalem, tourists can visit Mary's spring, where Catholic tradition says she stopped to drink water on her way to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Tour guide Pnina Ein Mor told AOL News that ultra-Orthodox Jews often use the water to bake matzo, the traditional unleavened bread of Passover. A Muslim mosque was also built at the site later, making it holy to all three religions.

Holy Land beckons tourists to follow path of the Virgin Mary

www.goisrael.com

The Church of the Visitation in Ein Karem, Israel, was built at the site where Mary and her cousin Elizabeth are believed to have met when they were both pregnant -- Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist.

According to Christian belief, both women were pregnant at the time --- Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. The beautiful Church of the Visitation is built at the site where they met. Outside the church, mosaic prayers in dozens of languages are said to be translations of the prayer Mary said at the site.

A new booklet produced by the Ministry of Tourism describes dozens of sites connected to the Virgin Mary. The booklet also offers suggested tours to such sites as the Chapel of the Virgin Mary's Fright, the ruins of a small Franciscan chapel built in 1876 on the outskirts of Nazareth, where tradition holds that Mary witnessed an attempt by irate townspeople to throw Jesus off a cliff.

"The Christian world looks to the Holy Land as an important reference point for their faith and life," said the Rev. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a high-ranking Catholic official in Jerusalem. "A pilgrimage to the Holy Land -- which should be taken at least once in a lifetime -- can change one's life, as it offers the opportunity to perceive, touch, see and connect to the Bible."

Sponsored Links

Pizzaballa later told AOL News that the new tourism initiative should have placed more emphasis on sites in Bethlehem. In the sample 10-day itinerary suggested by the tourism ministry, just one half-day is devoted to Bethlehem, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Palestinian officials complain that most tourists come to the town for just a few hours rather than staying for at least one night.

Christian tourism is an important component of Israel's economy. In 2010, 3.45 million tourists visited Israel, more than 1.2 million of them Catholics. Tourism officials hope the development of a Virgin Mary pilgrimage will have tourists returning for a second and even third visit.