Millions of tourists and pilgrims are flooding the beaches of Lake Kineret, traditionally known as the Sea of Galilee, in wake of stories coming out of the region about the mysterious presence of a figure resembling the Biblical Jesus Christ who lived in the area some 2000 years ago.
Reports have increased in the last several weeks about the mysterious appearance of what some pilgrims are saying may well be the Return of the Christian Messiah to his homeland. "Look at all these people coming here on pure faith alone," said Jerry Crossman from Pittsburg, who organized a group of 300 worshippers from the Calvary Church in the city. "These numbers don't lie. We're sure that the time has come and the Advent of The Lord is here."
Some Christian authorities are showing skepticism, however, and even hinting that this is a hoax meant to bolster the ailing local tourist industry. "Everyone knows Jesus will not return until the Anti-Christ makes his appearance," said father Duane McCartney, head of the Cleveland Conference of Catholic Bishops. "If anything, this is a sign of the work of Satan meant to encourage the non-believers of the world," he added.
With the surge of tourists coming here in hopes of getting a glimpse of the phenomenon, the number of sightings increased sharply over the last week. John Artman from New York, here with his family in wake of the news reports, had this story for our reporters. "It was him, make no mistake of it. I was standing by the edge of the beach area and noticed someone walking through the thick marsh leading up into the mountains. I tried to get near him and got a close look before he suddenly disappeared into the thick greens." When asked to describe what he saw, Artman said: "Strangest thing, he was wearing a suit and seemed to be injured in his left side and walked with a cane that looked like a staff. Before he disappeared he turned towards me and extended his left palm in my direction. It was him, no doubt about it. He had that face and look that you very rarely find - and his palm had a mark in it that looked like it was bleeding."
The local authorities have been attempting to downplay the events but have found themselves helpless against the tens of thousands arriving here each day from all over the globe. Detective Shimon Barak, commander of the Tiberias Police investigative unit, spoke with reporters today in a press conference and had this to say. "We have no solid evidence for all the stories being told here about the mysterious sightings. But we will get down to the bottom of this once we have the security situation under control." The Israeli Government has dispatched 15,000 border guard troops into the area in order to ensure the visitors' security.
Stay tuned to Flaming Sword News, reporting live on the unfolding drama here at the Sea of Galilee in Israel.
