An old tradition identifies the area of Kursi as the place where demon-possessed pigs drowned themselves in the water. Developers planning to construct a vacation village have now been granted permission as long as they provide public access to the beach and construct a promenade to connect with a path around the Sea of Galilee. From the Jerusalem Post:
A compromise was approved by a district court last Thursday between Adam Teva V’Din – Israel Union for Environmental Defense and vacation village developers, that will allow for guaranteed public access to the beaches and infrastructure developed at a Kinneret beach on the Golan Heights, both sides confirmed on Tuesday.
Along with local residents, Adam Teva V’Din had filed a petition arguing that the Kursi resort project should not be allowed to go forward without public access to the beach and open areas.
The parties eventually reached a compromise, allowing for the continued construction of the village, but with an officially mandated agreement that will allow for public access to the beach and surrounding nature spots. In addition, the developers will be responsible for building a public parking lot and a promenade that connects with the existing path that surrounds Lake Kinneret, according to Adam Teva V’Din.
The full story is here. According to the best NT manuscript evidence, no pigs died at Kursi. The site of the swine dive should be located in the territory of the Gadara on the lake’s southeastern shore.
