Israel is giving Bible readers a new way to experience the land where so much of Scripture unfolded.
The Israeli government has officially designated Route 60, a historic roadway stretching from Nazareth in the north to Beersheba in the south, as the “Biblical Highway.” The initiative is designed to create a Route 66-style experience for tourists, students and pilgrims traveling through some of the most significant locations in biblical history.
The route passes through sites connected to Abraham, King David, the prophets and Jesus, including Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Bet El, Shiloh, Shechem, Megiddo and Nazareth.
Supporters say the project brings the pages of Scripture to life.
“The Biblical Highway will enable millions of visitors to bring their faith, heritage, and identity to life by traveling through the very places where the Biblical story unfolded and where the values that continue to shape Western civilization were born,” Ze’ev Orenstein, director of international affairs at City of David, told Fox News Digital. “It is an invitation to experience the Bible not only as a book, but as a living geography, as relevant today as it was millennia ago.”
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The initiative comes as Jewish historical ties to the land face ongoing challenges from those seeking to rewrite or erase that history.
Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, said the effort reinforces the biblical roots of the Jewish people in the land of Israel.
“There have been attempts to ‘erase’ Jewish historical and biblical narratives, including efforts to reinterpret or displace long-held traditions associated with sites such as the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs,” Fleisher said.
He added, “When we rename Route 60 or add the name ‘Biblical Highway,’ we are strengthening that pillar of our ancient identity in this land. Certainly, people who do not want to see Israel exist seek to remove that pillar.”
Christian leaders welcomed the project as an opportunity to help people better understand the Bible and the history behind it.
“The more you examine the archaeological record in the Land of Israel, and the more objectively you look at the evidence, the more you realize that the Bible is not a collection of fables and fairy tales, but an accurate account of a people and a land that have given the world ideas and values of universal benefit and inspiration,” David Parsons, senior vice president and spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital.
Israel’s Ministry of Tourism supports the initiative and plans to incorporate the Biblical Highway into future tourism campaigns. Visitor centers, observation points and multilingual signage are expected along the route.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
