Foreign Correspondent
Approximately 100 Americans travelling to Jerusalem each year
are diagnosed with Jerusalem Syndrome.
The turkish ramparts, Damas Gate, Jerusalem.
Photo: Ahmad Masood/Reuters
Approximately 100 American tourists travelling to Jerusalem each year are diagnosed with Jerusalem Syndrome, a psychotic disorder than can manifest in people believing God has spoken to them or they are the Messiah.
One such person, Maria, wanders the streets of Jerusalem in a long white gown carrying a big stick proclaiming: "Your Jesus is dead. I am the new Jerusalem." Unsettling but not dangerous.
A former agent for Israel's internal security service, Yitshak
Fhantich, looks at syndrome sufferers with greater concern. He
believes they, and many of the thousands of Evangelicals who visit
Jerusalem, could be exploited by radical religious groups.
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