JERICHO, West Bank — With a giant trunk and boughs towering 60 feet high, a gnarled sycamore near Jericho’s main square has long been touted as the tree that the hated tax collector Zacchaeus climbed to get a glimpse of Jesus.
Now it is taking center stage in a plan to transform this ancient desert backwater into a tourism hub.
The tree is a featured attraction of a Russian-funded museum complex to be unveiled as part of Jericho’s 10,000th birthday celebrations.
At the Oct. 10 launch of yearlong festivities, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will outline plans for Jericho, a Jordan Valley oasis that bills itself as the world’s oldest and lowest-lying town, at about 780 feet below sea level.
Palestinian Tourism Minister Khouloud Daibes said the venture includes a resort to be built on the shores of the Dead Sea and possibly an airport, though both projects hinge on Israeli approval.
