Yariv Levin in ancient Shiloh
Yariv Levin in ancient ShilohBinyamin regional council

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) took a tour on Thursday in the Binyamin regional council of Samaria, where he was met with a surprise.

The regional council heads had decided to give Levin a treat, setting up for him an active experience filled tour as one of a group of tourists.

Thursday's tour began with camel riding to "Abraham's tent" at Genesis Land, a tour and theme center located northeast of Jerusalem. During the ride Levin met with two actors playing warriors from the period of the Biblical kingdom, and was given the name "Yariv ben Achishafat, minister of the journeys of the children of Israel."

The warriors dramatized the stories from the Biblical period, bringing the history of the ancient land to life.

Levin's tour ended with a visit to ancient Shiloh, where the minister together with an excited group of Korean tourists viewed a performance at the location of Israel's first capital, which was the site of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) that preceded the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Binyamin tourism director Moshe Rontzki presented Levin with the regional council's vision for tourism in the area, along with tourism figures from the Binyamin district.

Also present was Binyamin regional council head Avi Roeh, who stressed the importance of the connection of the people of Israel and tourists from around the worldwide with the locations where the stories of the Bible took place.

Levin was impressed with the activities of the regional council members, saying, "you succeeded in surprising me with the scope of action, the development, and the figures of incoming tourism."

"There is huge potential here, and we see how it is starting to be realized."