“On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar (Genesis 22:4)”
My tourists often tell me that they get an unexplainable spiritual and emotional rush from simply being in Jerusalem, Israel’s everlasting capital, as they walk through its numerous biblical sites! Now, the Holy City has opened a new attraction where one can literally RIDE the Bible in the most exhilarating way possible: a 731-meter (223 feet) zipline, Israel’s longest.
The starting point of the attraction is Armon HaNatziv, probably the same location as where Abraham stood around 3800 years ago when he “saw the (Mount Moriah) from afar”, and when he was given the order to sacrifice his son Isaac (see Genesis 22). In the end, just as the sacrifice was about to be made, an angel of God intervened and told Abraham that it was simply a test.
A brand-new, three-story visitors center called “Mizpe David” was built at this location. It will have Israel’s first “smart” observation point when it opens to the public in December 2024, enabling visitors to view how the city looked in ancient times, and how it has changed over thousands of years until the present.
After putting on a harness at the roof’s visitor center and flying 731 meters over the urban landscape (with breathtaking views of the Biblical Mount of Olives, Kidron Valley, City of David and the Temple Mount) into the “Peace Forest,” passengers will return to the visitors’ center in a safari vehicle.
The City of David Foundation will oversee both the zipline and the “smart” visitors center. The Foundation has been instrumental in promoting tourism in the areas of Jerusalem that Jordan occupied from 1948 until 1967. For example, the foundation constructed Israel’s longest suspension bridge across the biblical Gei-Ben-Hinnom Valley in September 2023, as reported here, offering visitors a unique experience!
For a sample tour itinerary which can include experiencing the Zipline, click here
(All images used are either free or properly licensed by the author for commercial use)
Please visit the author’s Israel tour guiding site: https://guidedtoursofisrael.com
