Mark 10:1,17,32,46; 11:1: Calvary Roads (1)

 (It is time now to return to the Gospel of Mark.  If you want to review, the last post was on June 4, 2025.)

 

You should know from this Blog that I am a real believer in studying the “geography of the Bible.”  The main reason is because our God, the God of the Bible, raised the importance of geography by coming to earth, visiting us in the Incarnation.  Unlike other supposed “holy books” the Bible deals with real places in real times.  What the Bible says about geography is just as inspired as John 3:16. 

Having said that, let’s take a couple of posts to describe the geography of Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. 

          Following the raising of Lazarus Jesus and the Twelve escaped to Ephraim, a city of Judah right on the border with Samaria (John 11:54-55, blue marking).  When He left Ephraim, He went north, through Samaria where He healed 10 lepers (only one returned to give thanks), until He arrived at the main road that would bring Passover celebrants from Galilee to Jerusalem.  This would bring Him to the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River (Mk. 10:1, red marking).  Various events happened and teaching was given as He went along the road with the growing number of fellow-travelers (10:17,32).  They came to Jericho (10:46, green marking) and then turned west to take the Ascent of Adummin through Wadi Qelt up to Jerusalem (gold marking).  Jesus did not take the shortest route to Jerusalem but the route that connected Him with the many people going early for Passover.

 You will note this map has been borrowed from websites that will take you on a hike of the path Jesus took from Jericho to Jerusalem.  You will notice there were three springs (Hebrew is “ein”) on this route.  It was a rugged climb, a 3300 foot gain in elevation in about 15 miles.  But travelers were blessed with what we could call some great “rest areas.”  “Wadi” is the term for a river-bed canyon or “coolee” as we say in Montana.

St George Monastery

Beginnings of the road coming out of Jericho

 Here is a panoramic view of the area between Jericho and Jerusalem, followed by pictures of the three springs.  There is a reference to the Good Samaritan Inn.  It is a museum located just off Highway 1 today, and a reminder that this path was the location of the parable Jesus told about what it means to love your neighbor.  You can imagine that there would be a problem with thieves along this road: lots of corners in which to hide.

 

Ein Qelt

Ein Maboa

 

Ein Pratt

Ein Pratt

As for the family in the pool, we can tell you from experience that Jewish boys and Arab families enjoy a dip in the spring.  Why not?

On the hiking map you see there is an Israeli National Park in this area.  That is one of the great things about Israel, that many important Biblical sites have been preserved by their NP system.