New Testament Tales - Jesus' Journeys

Jesus' Journeys
1. How far did Jesus’ family travel from Bethlehem to Egypt?
2. How far did they travel from Egypt to Nazareth?
3. How far from Nazareth was Jesus baptized?
4. Where did Jesus go after his baptism?
5. Where did Peter’s family live?
6. Where did Jesus first recorded miracle take place?
7. Where did Jesus meet a woman at a well?
8. Where did Jesus meet the Gerasene demoniac?
9. Where did Jesus preach on the mountain?
10. Where did Jesus calm the sea?


Nazareth was in the North-eastern part of Israel, in Galilee. Bethlehem and Jerusalem were in Judea, and Samaria lies between Galilee and Judea. The “best” route from Galilee to Judea would follow the Jordan river on the Eastern edge of Samaria, since Samaritans and Jews didn’t like each other. Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 68 miles, at least two days’ journey. From Bethlehem to the nearest stopping place in Egypt was probably about 100 miles, or around four days’ journey.

John baptized in the River Jordan, which flows from the Sea of Galilee in the North to the Dead Sea East of Jerusalem. John’s gospel records him as being accosted by the priests near East Bethany, which is the north end of the Dead Sea, on the other side of the Jordan from Jerusalem. (Bethany, where Martha and Mary lived, was on the west side of the river, closer to Jerusalem.) The wilderness of Judea, where Jesus was tempted, lies south of Jerusalem, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

Jesus’ first miracle is recorded in John as happening at Cana, a small village between Nazareth and Capernaum, about 90 miles from Jerusalem and Bethany. Jesus was probably travelling north, stopped at Nazareth, went to the wedding, and went on the larger city of Capernaum at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, where he healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and met with Nicodemus. A lot of Jesus’ ministry takes place in this area. The mountain where he gave his famous sermon was between Capernaum and Nazareth, with a view over the Sea of Galilee (where he calmed the storm). The land of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes, where Jesus cast demons into a herd of pigs) was south-east of Capernaum, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. But Jesus travelled south through Samaria (woman at the well) to Jerusalem and Bethany too.

In Jesus’ third year of ministry he travelled 40 miles north of Capernaum to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he would have been able to teach the apostles quietly without so many questioners.The healing of the 4,000 takes place in the Decapolis region, again outside Israel, to the east and south of the Sea of Galilee.

The transfiguration takes place on a mountain near Caesarea Phillipi, a large Roman town about 30 miles north of Capernaum.

Comments

David C Brown said…
I love to think of the Lord of glory coming so near to us that he travelled most of these journeys on His feet.
Another inspiring lesson from the Word of God. Thank you so much Sheila for these studies that are desperately needed in these end times. God bless, Lloyd
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