Mediterranean nation opens its 'Biblical Highway' – 4,000 years in the making

The Israeli government has formally approved the designation of Route 60 as the “Biblical Highway”, rebranding the major north–south road that runs from Nazareth to Beersheba.

The decision, taken on Tuesday, forms part of a wider tourism strategy aimed at creating an experience similar to iconic scenic routes such as Route 66 in the United States, targeting visitors, students and Bible enthusiasts.

Officials say the route traces an ancient corridor that has existed for more than 4,000 years, following Israel’s central mountain ridge and connecting a series of locations of major religious and historical significance.

Beginning in Beersheba, the southern desert city linked in tradition to Abraham, the highway moves north through a chain of biblical landmarks before ending in Nazareth.

What locations does the route pass through?

The road first continues to Hebron, where the Cave of the Patriarchs is located. The site, associated with Abraham and the burial place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, features a monumental structure built during the time of King Herod and is also linked to King David’s early reign as ruler of Israel.

From there, the route travels through Bethlehem, traditionally recognised as the birthplace of Jesus, and associated with Jacob’s burial of Rachel, as well as its role in the Book of Ruth narrative. It then continues to Jerusalem, home to Mount Moriah, the First and Second Temples, and the traditional site of the Binding of Isaac.

Further north, the highway reaches Bet El, where Jacob is said to have experienced the dream of a ladder between heaven and earth, before later returning and receiving the name Israel. It then passes Shiloh, which served as a central spiritual location for the Israelites for several centuries following their arrival in the region.

The route continues to Shechem, associated with the burial of Joseph’s bones brought from Egypt during the Exodus, before moving on to Mount Tabor, linked to the victory song of the prophetess Deborah. It then reaches Megiddo, a site historically associated with multiple battles, before concluding in Nazareth.

What is the aim of the project?

Israel has been fighting a brutal conflict with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since the October 7th massacre which killed over 1,000 of its citizens, and exchanged missiles with Iran while more recently joining America’s war against the Islamist state. Upwards of 70,000 Palestininians are reported by the Gaza Health Ministery to have been killed since then, but officials do not report how many of these were militants.

However, Trump declared a peace deal had been reached on Sunday and the Biblical Highway initiative has been described as a way of boosting tourism in a nation many would not currently consider as a holiday destination, and improve cultural engagement by packaging the route as a biblical heritage experience similar to established international travel corridors.

David Parsons, senior vice president and spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, said that better understanding of the Bible could help counter what he described as the “virus” of antisemitism.

“You would better understand who the Jewish people are, the special relationship God established with them for the benefit of all mankind, and the fact that this includes a land where they could become a nation and deliver those benefits down through history,” Parsons said.

Supporters of the project say it is designed to strengthen education and tourism by highlighting historical and religious continuity across the region.

Why is the route being promoted now?

Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community in Hebron, said he had been involved in promoting the idea for years and welcomed its official recognition.

“We have been advocating for this idea, which is similar to other roads around the world,” he said.

He pointed to comparable international routes, adding:

“In Germany, they have the Romantische Straße, or Romantic Road. In Spain, they have the Camino de Santiago. And in the United States, there is the famous Route 66. For us, it’s Route 60, the Biblical Highway.”