A New Destination for Pilgrims in the Holy Land. Sussita (Hippos) National Park stands on a hill above the Sea of Galilee. Seven early Christian churches were excavated in the city.
A place for pilgrimage
Sussita is open to visitors. Pilgrim groups can hold Mass and prayers here, as they can at Caesarea Philippi, Kursi, Korazim, the Good Samaritan, and Avdat.
Two places on the hill are set aside for prayer. One looks over the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, and Tabgha. The other looks over the Jordan Valley and Mount Tabor, the mountain tied in Christian tradition to the Transfiguration.
Christian history
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority ties the site to Christian history in three ways: the verse "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:14), the miracle of the swine (Matthew 8:28-34), and the seven churches excavated in the city.
The Sea of Galilee and the country around it, including Sussita, are tied to the life of Jesus.
What a gift does
Since 1 September 2023, visitors pay an entrance fee so the park can be kept. A gift through American Friends supports restoration of the church site. The gift is to American Friends of INHF. Our board reviews it and decides the grant. American Friends is separate from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. The work is carried out in Israel with the Authority.
More from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority:
- Sussita National Park: A New Destination for Pilgrims in the Holy Land
- Sussita National Park, in Hebrew
Ways to give
- A share of the restoration. Gifts of this size are pooled until the work is covered.
- A named part of the church site.
- The restoration itself.
