Israel launches 'Biblical Highway' amid campaign to erase Jewish history

The Israeli authorities connected Tuesday approved designating Route 60 — nan road stretching from Nazareth successful nan northbound to Beersheba successful nan southbound and passing done immoderate of nan astir important sites successful history—as nan "Biblical Highway."

The nickname is portion of a broader inaugural to create a Route 66-style acquisition for Bible enthusiasts, students and tourists.

The Biblical Highway has existed for much than 4,000 years. Running on Israel’s cardinal upland ridge, nan way originates successful Beersheba, nan confederate godforsaken metropolis wherever Abraham is said to person established an oasis and taught travelers astir belief successful 1 God.

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Bedouin women thrust their donkeys connected Oct. 10, 2013 successful Beersheba, Israel.  (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images))

David Parsons, elder vice president and spokesperson for nan International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital that a due knowing of nan Bible tin thief immunize group against what he described arsenic nan "virus" of antisemitism.

"You would amended understand who nan Jewish group are, nan typical narration God established pinch them for nan use of each mankind, and nan truth that this includes a onshore wherever they could go a federation and present those benefits down done history," Parsons said.

"The much you examine nan archaeological record successful nan Land of Israel, and nan much objectively you look astatine nan evidence, nan much you recognize that nan Bible is not a postulation of fables and fairy tales, but an meticulous relationship of a group and a onshore that person fixed nan world ideas and values of cosmopolitan use and inspiration," he added.

The Cave of nan Patriarchs, successful Hebron connected Feb. 23, 2020. (Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images)

The roadworthy continues from Beersheba to Hebron, location to nan Cave of nan Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham immoderate 3,800 years agone and traditionally regarded arsenic nan resting spot of nan biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. The tract is marked by a monumental structure built by King Herod immoderate 2,000 years ago. Hebron was besides King David’s first capital, wherever he was crowned king of Israel astir 3,000 years ago.

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The way passes done Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and wherever Jacob buried nan matriarch Rachel and which serves arsenic nan mounting of nan Book of Ruth, earlier reaching Jerusalem, nan superior of modern-day Israel and location to Mount Moriah — nan accepted tract of nan Binding of Isaac — arsenic good arsenic nan location of nan First and Second Temples.

Continuing north, nan road reaches Bet El, wherever Jacob, while fleeing his relative Esau, knowledgeable nan prophetic dream of a ladder connecting eden and world and where, 20 years later, he returned pinch his family and received nan sanction Israel. It past passes done Shiloh, which served arsenic nan spiritual halfway of nan Israelites for astir 400 years aft their introduction into nan Land of Israel.

Orthodox Jews believe connected Mount Gerizim overlooking Joseph's Tomb, 1 of their holiest sites, successful nan metropolis of Schechem, besides known arsenic Nablus connected May 28, 2009.  (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)

Farther northbound lies Shechem, wherever Joshua is said to person buried nan bones of Joseph, which nan Israelites carried from Egypt during nan Exodus. The way past reaches Mount Tabor, wherever nan prophetess Deborah sang her opus of victory, and continues to Megiddo, nan tract of galore battles involving nan armies of Israel and invading forces passim biblical history, earlier ending successful Nazareth, nan hometown of Jesus.

Yishai Fleisher, world spokesperson for nan Jewish community of Hebron, told Fox News Digital he has been moving connected nan task for galore years.

Dec. 18, 2021 shows a wide position of Israel's bluish metropolis of Nazareth and its Catholic Basilica of nan Annunciation.  (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty images)

"Finally, nan authorities is recognizing it. We person been advocating for this idea, which is akin to different roads astir nan world," he said.

"In Germany, they person nan Romantische Straße, aliases Romantic Road. In Spain, they person nan Camino de Santiago. And successful nan United States, location is nan celebrated Route 66. For us, it’s Route 60, nan Biblical Highway.

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"I deliberation it has educational, practice and tourism value," Fleisher continued. "The authorities views nan Bible arsenic an important portion of Israel’s identity. We’ve been school it, we’ve been promoting it, and they’ve embraced nan idea. Ahead of nan elections, I deliberation they want to show group that they are committed to branding Israel arsenic nan onshore of nan Bible."

The inaugural besides carries value amid what Fleisher described arsenic efforts by nan Palestinian Authority to asseverate claims complete sites of Jewish humanities and biblical heritage.

He said location person been attempts to "erase" Jewish humanities and biblical narratives, including efforts to reinterpret aliases displace long-held traditions associated pinch sites specified arsenic nan Western Wall, nan Temple Mount, Rachel’s Tomb and nan Cave of nan Patriarchs.

An Israeli emblem flutters connected nan Mount of Olives arsenic nan sun rises complete Jerusalem connected June 13, 2025. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)

"It makes cleanable consciousness because if 1 undermines nan biblical practice of Israel and this land, they are undermining nan pillars of nan Jewish authorities and could switch it pinch a Palestinian one," he continued. "When we rename Route 60 aliases adhd nan sanction ‘Biblical Highway,’ we are strengthening that pillar of our ancient personality successful this land. Certainly, group who do not want to spot Israel beryllium activity to region that pillar."

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Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs astatine City of David, said nan inaugural offers visitors an opportunity to acquisition biblical history done nan surface science wherever it unfolded.

"The Biblical Highway will alteration millions of visitors to bring their faith, heritage, and personality to life by walking done nan very places wherever nan Biblical communicative unfolded and wherever nan values that proceed to style Western civilization were born," he told Fox News Digital. "It is an invitation to acquisition nan Bible not only arsenic a book, but arsenic a surviving geography, arsenic applicable coming arsenic it was millennia ago."

The West Bank, besides known arsenic Judea and Samaria is location to immoderate 500,000 Israelis.  (Mahmoud Illean/AP)

Parsons noted that location is besides a King’s Highway successful Jordan that nan Israelites traveled along, which is marked arsenic specified by nan Jordanians.

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"So Israel is not doing thing different from what Jordan has done connected its side. I don’t deliberation location is thing peculiarly governmental astir that; it is simply an acknowledgment of humanities truth," he said.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it supports nan sanction alteration and will activity to incorporated "The Biblical Highway" into Israel’s trading and branding materials. Visitor centers, study points and multilingual signage are expected to beryllium included.