Lecture: A Christian site, Jewish sanctification agents, spiritual discourse – The sanctification process of Kursi to the Sea of Galilee

Kursi is a Christian pilgrimage site to the Sea of Galilee, which has become the subject of contemporary spiritual urban legends – mainly around the “enchanted benches” installed at the site by the Nature and Parks Authority.
This site, which has undergone a sanctification process by neo-shaman activists in recent years, is an opportunity to follow in real time the formation of a holy site – as well as to witness the growth of an alternative sacred geography in the Land of Israel.
In the lecture, the fabric of cultural influences on the spiritual, pilgrim and institutional discourse about Kursi is presented – in light of the variety of contexts. We shall recognize the contribution of historical, geographical, political, economic and other contexts to the creation of a colorful inter-religious meeting in the process of sanctification of the site. For example: the management of the site is entrusted to Israeli officials, most of whom are Jewish and whose motives are touristic-cultural-liberal; Spiritual-alternative activists embraced the site due to the convenient and accessible infrastructure and the pleasant climate; Archaeological findings were excavated in the area, a minority of which are Jewish and Roman and the majority of which are Christian; The New Age tends to syncretism and retells early Christianity in a pagan context.

In addition to this lecture, there is another one, as well as two articles (in English and Hebrew) that describe different aspects of the sanctification process of Kursi. See links below.
The lecture takes part in a research project that deals with the Alternative Sacred Geography of the Land of Israel, by Ruah-Midbar Shapiro.
The lecture was included in the Zoom lecture series of the Israeli Association for the Study of Religions during the 2023-2024 academic year on the topic “Interreligious Spaces”, and will be held on 6/6/2024.