Specific distances and travel times were of less concern to many people in this account than perhaps to those responsible for the movement of goods and services. Those might well include merchants, military and the governmental workforce.
Walking is the base transport method.
Tradition in rural Israel and environs would be to measure many distances by relative time, i.e. half or full days.
Time would generally be divided into portions of daylight and night. Sunrise to sunset corresponds to our present day 12 hour period.
Comparative measures of distance are:
- The Roman Mille.
This is based on the Passus (Pace) calculated at four feet ten inches (U.S. equivalent). The Mille is 1000 Passus, about 4,855 feet.
The Roman measure will not be used and is included only for reference. - The Jewish Parsa’ot (aka Paraja).This is calculated at between 2.4 and 2.6 miles (U.S. equivalent).A Parsa’ot takes approximately 72 minutes to walk. Ten Parsa’ot is considered a full day’s walk. However, in allowing for periods of prayer, meals and rest, some typical conversions of time/speed would include a morning walk (six miles), a half-day (ten miles) and a day walk (20 plus miles).Jewish tradition would, most likely, measure more extensive trips. As an example, a week-long journey of six days (120 miles) as Shabbath to Shabbath (resting, as always, on the seventh day).
Parsa’ot , with miles at times in parenthesis, will be the travel-distance measure used to contribute both authenticity to the work as well as convenience for the reader.
At the time of this story, Israel and environs was much more extensive. For our purpose, however, we have included: Galilee, Samaria, Judaea (aka Judah or Juda [inhabitants, at this time were referred to both as Judaeans and Judeans]), Idumea (aka Edum), and Perea (aka Jewish Perea or [lands] Beyond the Jordan).
Judaea is the most southern of the three major districts of concern. It is located west of the River Jordan. For governmental control, the Roman province of Judaea included non – Jew Samaria as well as Idumea. The capital (seat of government) was Yerushalayim. Judaea and Samaria had become a part of the Roman Province of Syria, circa 750 AUC, 4 BC.
Other references include: Phoenicia, Trachonitis, and Decapolis.
The Village of Nazareth located in Lower Galilee is central to this account. Places of interest are all relative to the Family’s home, and many listed include distances in the Jewish Parsa’ot and miles.
Consideration must be given to the fact that, at the time, there were few direct routes from villages to the larger-population centers. Because of terrain, food and water sources, as well as some perilous or terrifying circumstances, trips might be of longer than anticipated duration.
Key locations are:
Ain Karim (aka En Kerem) – In Judaea, this is the home of Elizabeth, Zechariah and their son, John.
31 Parsa’ot (74 miles) south (of Nazareth), west of Yerushalayim
Bahrlut (aka Salt Sea of the Plains, Dead Sea, Lacus Asphaltitus)
East of Yerushalayim and Bayt Lahm
Bayt Lahm (aka Bethlehem) – Birthplace of Yeshua.
29 Parsa’ot (70 miles) south (of Nazareth – a four – five day walk).
Located 5 miles south of Yerushalayim.
Behtabara (aka Bethany beyond Jordan, Bethabara) – At the River Jordan, this was the site of John’s baptism of Yeshua.
34 Parsa’ot (80 miles) southeast
East of Yerushalayim
Caesarea \sess-er-e-ah\ – Rebuilt by King Herod (r. 692-750 AUC); Seat of government of Roman procurators. Major port on the Great Blue Sea (aka Mediterranean) and commerce and trading center ( link to the “Silk Road”). Primary languages Latin (Roman) and Greek.
12 Parsa’ot (30 miles) southwest
Caesarea Philippi – City northeast of Lake Gennesaret, renamed as such sometime after Herod the Great’s son, Philippi, was appointed (750-788 AUC (4 BC-34 AD) Tetrarch of Trachonitis and Iturea. Also the location at which Yeshua initially predicts his death.
Gennesaret, Lake of (aka Sea of Galilee, Sea of Chinnereth, Lake [or Sea] of Tiberias)
8 Parsa’ot (20 miles) northeast
Kafr Kanna (aka Cana) – Wedding of Josef’s kin at which Yeshua performs the first sign of his ministry.
2 Parsa’ot (5 miles) north
Kefar Nahum (aka Capernaum) – Also referred to as the Village of Nahum. Located on the north-western shore of the Lake of Gennesaret. Initial contact with the original early apostles; home of Simon bar Jonah, his brother, Andrew and Zebedee’s sons James and John. Headquarters during Yeshua’s three-year ministry.
10 Parsa’ot (25 miles) northeast
Machaerus – Location of the execution of John the Baptizer by Herod Antipatros.
Southeast of Yerushalayim
Magdala (aka Tarichaea) – Birthplace and primary residence of Miryam, friend of Yeshua and his mother, Miryam. Located on the western shore of Lake of Gennesaret, three parsa’ot (seven miles) southwest of Kefar-Nahum.
9 Parsa’ot (22 miles) northeast
Nazareth – Pivotal settlement. Birthplace of Yosef. Residence of the Family.
In Lower Galilee, northeast of Caesarea and southwest of Lake Gennesaret.
Pelusium – City in Egypt where the Family initially stayed prior to taking up residency at Samamoud.
100 Parsa’ot (240 miles)
Samamoud – Family’s home during Egyptian exile.
Southwest of Pelusium near the River Nile.
Samaria, City of – Capital of the district of Samaria.
Sepphoris \seff-ah-ress\ – This Jewish city was the birthplace of Miryam, in residence until two years of age. A major trading center. Capital of Western Galilee. Languages include Greek, Latin (Roman) and Judeo-Aramaic. Primary workplace of Josef several years before and after his marriage to Miryam.
3 Parsa’ot (7 miles)
Sychar (aka Shechem) – Village in the district of Samaria. Location of Yeshua’s initial ministry to non-Jews.
Yerushalayim (aka Jerusalem) – Location of the Jewish Temple. Seat of religious and governmental Judaean authority.
27 Parsa’ot (65 miles) [note: At times during the many journeys by the family to and from Yerushalayim, a safer route had to be taken. If there were apparent trouble traveling through Samaria, the course would be altered to the east of the River Jordan and crossing south of the Lake of Gennesaret. This would add more than 15 Parsa’ot (35 miles).]