Capernaum to Jerusalem via Jericho

When groups wanted to travel from Capernaum (where Jesus based his ministry) to Jerusalem, the general route was obvious. They probably sailed the 13 miles across the Sea of Galilee and then followed roads near the Jordan River in the Jordan River Valley until they reached Jericho. From Jericho, they faced a difficult 18-mile hike to go "up to Jerusalem." Three water sources are in the canyon, today called Wadi Qelt. Water is very difficult to find 40 miles to the north of this path, and 140 miles to the south of it. All of these walking travelers and their pack animals had to have water. This video shows both a modern road and a narrow path in Wadi Qelt. It is the narrow path that people knew in ancient times. Jesus and his disciples walked this road many times, including their trips to the home of Lazarus and the journey to Jerusalem one week before the crucifixion. This route was, no doubt, one of the most heavily-traveled paths in the Bible. David escaped from Absalom along this path. Ruth and Naomi may have returned to Bethlehem via this route, as did Mary and Joseph a few centuries later. The disciples would have known the road from trips they'd made with their parents to Jerusalem for one of the annual festivals. When Jesus once took them north, through Samaria, it was a shocking detour. Most likely, none of them had ever gone home through such an unfriendly and unfamiliar territory.