There are many reasons why it might seem unwise to walk, mostly alone, through the Middle East. That, in part, is exactly why Leon McCarron did it.
From Jerusalem, McCarron followed a series of wild hiking trails that trace ancient trading and pilgrimage routes and traverse some of the most contested landscapes in the world. In the West
Bank, he met families struggling to lead normal lives amidst political turmoil and had a surreal encounter with the world’s oldest and smallest religious sect. In Jordan he visited the ruins of
Hellenic citadels and trekked through the legendary Wadi Rum. His journey culminated in the vast deserts of the Sinai, home to Bedouin tribes and haunted by the ghosts of biblical
history.
McCarron’s journey led him back through time, from the quagmire of current geopolitics to the original ideals of the faithful, through the layers of history, culture and religion that have
shaped the Holy Land. Along migration and trade routes, pilgrimage trails and Bedouin paths, he found connection rather than division, hope instead of hatred and, ultimately, a shared humanity
that borders and politics will never diminish.
