In COVID-19 Times, New Game Brings Holy Land Home

Jerusalem, 1 February, 2021 (TPS) -- The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the subsequent halt in air traffic has stopped all travel, tourism and pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Recognizing this new predicament, an Israeli duo has devised a way to bring the Holy Land into everyone’s home.

Through a new game, called Way of the Patriarchs, families can get together and visit the holy sites, walks in the footsteps of the Biblical heroes and get as close as possible to the real thing.

The history-based adventure takes the participants to all the prime spots in Israel and presents them with challenges that bring them even closer to the Bible and teaches them the lessons of history.

The holidays are just around the corner, and with COVID-19 raging outside, Israelis Amotz Eyal and Barak Amit said that the best thing anyone can do is stay at home with family, take them away from their gadgets and unlock the mysteries of the Holy Land in this new and exciting game.

The game begins in Beer Sheva in the south and takes the players on a Biblical journey all the way to Nazareth.

The goal of the game is to collect good deeds on the way by completing the missions. The winner is the one with the most good deeds, not the one who finishes first.

Israeli creators Eyal and Barak explained that they would have loved to host everyone in the Holy Land, but since they cannot, they are “sending the Holy Land to you.”

“I was privileged to grow up and live in one of the most important areas historically. I believe that anyone who is a believer should experience and know the area,” said Eyal.

“Today, when it is not possible to reach the area physically, it is important for us to create ways to bring the biblical story home,” he added.

Barak noted that in recent years we are witnessing a “new era of building bridges and strengthening of ties between Jews and Christians, and between the Christian world and the State of Israel, ties based on a common value base, and the common roots from the Bible and Israel.”

“We thought of how to bring Israel to Christians, certainly during a period when the skies are closed and Israel cannot be visited, and also for those who have not visited Israel or who have visited it only once but do not know everything Israel has to offer,” he explained.

Barak and Eyal decided to “focus on the area where it all started.” Judea, Jerusalem and Samaria, where “over 80 percent of the events in the Bible occurred.”

Barak highlighted the game’s three main values and educational goals.

The first objective is to learn about the Land of Israel and especially the main sites along the biblical paths.

The second goal is to emphasize the importance of good deeds, in a game that does not emphasize winning or collecting money and materiality, but collecting good deeds cards, “emphasizing spirit and values.”

The third thing is family. “We hope the game will bring families to sit together around the table, get out of the digital screens and pass quality family educational time together, from grandparents through parents to children and grandchildren,” Barak said.

Together with the game, the two are developing a special tourism concept.

“We believe that a solution to Corona will be found, tourism all over the world will recover, and also in Israel, which is waiting for Christians to return,” they concluded.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wayofpatriarchs/way-of-the-patriarchs

Editor’s Note: Way of the Patriarchs is an educational family board game designed by TPS CEO Amotz Eyal and co-creator Amit Barak in a private venture, unconnected to his TPS role. Way of the Patriarchs is a Bible-based game designed for Christian families and congregations.