Rescued Chilean miners touring Holy Land

The miners were invited to the region by the Israeli government after their unlikely escape from the mine where they had spent 69 days.

They arrived on Wednesday with their wives and partners and spent Thursday touring the Old City of Jerusalem. Their visit will take in other tour holy sites, including King David’s Tomb and Nazareth.

The Israeli Tourism Ministry is hoping the pilgrimage will boost tourism to the Holy Land, which has been steadily picking up after the bleak years of the intifada.

“The pilgrimage of the Chilean miners to the Holy Land will expose Christians and others around the world – not just Spanish-speakers – to Israel’s unique religious, historical and cultural sites,” Pini Shani, director of the overseas department at the Tourism Ministry was quoted as saying by the Jerusalem Post.

Jimmy Sánchez, the youngest of the miners, was quoted by the New York Times as saying of his visit: “I am happy. I never imagined that I would get to the Holy Land.”

Faith played a huge part in the experience of the miners while they were trapped 800 metres below the earth. Bibles and rosaries were sent down a capsule to the men and prayer meetings were held twice a day. When they were finally freed, they emerged from the depths wearing T-shirts that said ‘Thank you God’.

On a recent tour of England, Jose Henriquez, the “pastor” of the group, told of miners coming to faith in Jesus after their tangible experience of God, whom they named “34th man” in the mine.