Israeli authorities are searching for a British man who is missing in the Negev desert amid fears that he could be suffering from Jerusalem syndrome, a psychiatric condition whose sufferers believe they are prophets or other biblical figures.
Oliver McAfee, 29, a devout Christian, was last seen on 21 November while cycling near the southern Israeli town of Mitzpe Ramon. Hikers found his wallet, keys and computer tablet earlier this month, and other possessions, including his bicycle, bags and shoes, were found separately.
Israeli police search teams using drones and dogs have also discovered pages torn from the bible and weighed down with rocks, and handwritten notes including Bible quotations, according to the Daily Telegraph. They also found what they described as a “chapel” – a flattened area of sand within a circle of stones.
“Ollie and his passport have not been located, despite an extensive search by Israeli authorities and search and rescue teams,” reported a Facebook page set up by friends. “We know that he has not left Israel as his passport has not crossed a border.”
McAfee, a gardener originally from Dromore in County Down but now living in Essex, had planned to return to the UK on 1 December.
Moshe Kalian, the former district psychiatrist for Jerusalem, told the Telegraph: “From the reports that he was involved in some kind of religious experience in the desert, it certainly sounds like it could be a case of Jerusalem syndrome.”
An article in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2000 said an average of 100 tourists with “severe, Jerusalem-generated mental problems” were referred to a specialist clinic, the Kfar Shaul Mental Health Centre near Jerusalem, each year. Forty required admission.
“Jerusalem syndrome is not a mental disease by itself but is usually superimposed on top of a background of mental distress or disease that a patient has,” said Kalian.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “Our staff are assisting the family of a British man who has been reporting missing in Israel, and are in contact with the Israeli authorities.”
