The Ayalon Canada Park, in the foothills between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, is one of the largest and most popular parks in central Israel, covering 7,000 dunams of forested hillsides, ancient ruins, and picnic areas. The park sits on the site of ancient Emmaus, one of the most debated locations in the New Testament, and its landscape contains layers of history from the Bronze Age to the modern era.
Emmaus and the Road
The Gospel of Luke tells the story of two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection. A stranger joined them on the road. They walked together, talking about the events of the crucifixion, and only when the stranger broke bread with them did they recognize him as the risen Jesus: “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road?’” (Luke 24:31-32). The identification of Emmaus with this location is one of several candidates, but the distance from Jerusalem (described as 60 stadia, about 11 kilometers) matches well.
The Ruins
The park contains impressive archaeological remains. A Crusader church, built in the 12th century over a Byzantine church, marks the traditional site of the Emmaus encounter. Roman bathhouses from the period when the town was known as Nicopolis are partially preserved. And a Hasmonean fortress from the 2nd century BCE, when Emmaus was a military stronghold, crowns one of the hilltops.
Modern History
The park occupies the site of three Palestinian villages (Imwas, Yalu, and Beit Nuba) whose residents were displaced during the 1967 war. The villages were demolished and the area was reforested with the support of the Jewish National Fund and Canadian donors (hence the park’s name). This history is not visible in the landscape today, but it is part of the story of the place, and visitors who know it see the park differently.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
Canada Park combines biblical story, Crusader architecture, and a beautiful natural setting. Hoshen Tours visits the Emmaus church and tells the resurrection road story in the landscape where it may have happened.