One of the most appealing by-products of the path is that it would encourage tourism to an area of the world with at least 4,000 years of history to offer — experts indicate that Abraham would have lived somewhere in the time of the Middle Bronze Age — but which also suffer from lagging economic growth.

"One thing we like about building this trail is that we're talking about more interaction with the local people," says Ahmad el-Bashiti, the executive director of the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association. "This will help us offer more so that visitors will stay for longer periods of time. And for this project to be successful, our members will have to help build some kind of way stations and lodging options along the trail."

Interfaith initiative

To be sure, the concept of the path does not win everyone over immediately. When the group finished its 12-day study tour in Jerusalem with a presentation for a variety of Israel and Palestinian religious and social leaders, many expressed concern that the path would seek to sweep the area's very real, unsolved problems under the proverbial carpet.

But Hamid Murad, an Islamic leader in Jordan, sees it more as a way to approach Middle East reconciliation in a very different light — one that all three faiths find illuminating.

"We go to conferences all the time with Muslims, Jews and Christians, and then we agree on all kinds of things, but we never feel the results on the ground," says Murad, who's been involved in numerous interfaith efforts.

"It's as if I'm running my car engine, but I never take it out of the garage," he says. "So maybe it's better if I walk with my own feet."