Ruth's story 01 Israel to Bethlehem

The story of Ruth is one of the most beloved in the Bible. It is also grounded in the land of the Bible. The book of Ruth opens with news of a famine in Judea. Because of the hardship, Naomi, her husband, and two sons leave Bethlehem for Moab. The two sons married Moabite women, but died at an early age. Naomi’s husband also died, and she returned to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth. These videos use a combination of Google Earth technology, images from Bethlehem and Moab (a region in modern-day Jordan), and video of the Jericho-Jerusalem road to help tell the story. It’s important to note that we’re not sure if Naomi traveled on roads circling to the south of the Dead Sea or to the north. There is more water available on the northern route, and the road between Jerusalem and Jericho was heavily traveled. The black-and-white photos from the Eric Matson collection were taken in the early 1900s. More of these photos are available at the Library of Congress.