Distances from Jerusalem

Sometimes it's helpful to know the approximate distance between the New Testament cities.

For example, consider the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). From a Bible Atlas you can learn that the road between Jericho and Jerusalem is a 17-mile trek through the desert.  Only the poor walked it.  Everyone else rode - particularly the upper-class and priests were members of the upper class.  Jesus’ audience would assume the priest is riding a donkey or a mule.

Distances help us picture the effort involved in biblical travel. A trip that takes less than an hour by car today might have required an entire day of walking in the first century.

The figures below are approximate travel distances along likely ancient routes, not precise straight-line measurements. Ancient roads did not always follow modern roads, and travelers adjusted their routes because of terrain, weather, political conditions, lodging, and safety.

Walking times assume that a healthy traveler might cover approximately 15–20 miles on an ordinary day. Mountainous or desert terrain could make a shorter journey take much longer. Large regions and bodies of water are measured to their nearest relevant point, so those distances are especially approximate.

Places within Biblical Israel

convert miles to kilometers

Destination	Approximate distance from Jerusalem	Approximate walking time	Biblical significance
Bethany	1.5–2 miles	30–45 minutes	Home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; Jesus often stayed there when visiting Jerusalem.
Bethlehem	5.5–6 miles	2–3 hours	Birthplace of David and Jesus.
Bethel	10–12 miles	About half a day	Abraham built an altar near Bethel; Jacob encountered God there.
Dead Sea	About 14 miles to the nearest shore	Most of a day	The great salt lake east of the Judean wilderness.
Hebron	About 17–20 miles	One long day	Associated with Abraham and the patriarchs; David’s first capital.
Jericho (NT)	About 18 miles	One demanding day	Setting of the Good Samaritan and the healing of Bartimaeus; Jesus met Zacchaeus there.
Shiloh	About 20 miles	1–2 days	Location of Israel’s tabernacle before the temple was built.
Jordan River	About 21 miles to the nearest point	1–2 days	John baptized in the Jordan; Israel crossed it when entering Canaan.
Mediterranean Sea	About 33 miles to the nearest coast	About 2 days	Connected Israel with the wider Mediterranean world.
Joppa	About 40 miles	2–3 days	Jonah departed from Joppa; Peter received his vision there in Acts 10.
Shechem	About 39–40 miles	2–3 days	Important in the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Joshua; near the setting of John 4.
Samaria	About 40–42 miles to the city of Samaria	2–3 days	Capital of the northern kingdom; the surrounding region appears frequently in the Gospels and Acts.
Gaza	About 50 miles	About 3 days	Philistine city; Philip met the Ethiopian official on the road toward Gaza.
Dothan	About 54 miles	3–4 days	Joseph’s brothers sold him near Dothan; Elisha was protected there.
Caesarea	About 57–70 miles, depending on route	4–5 days	Roman administrative center where Peter visited Cornelius and Paul was imprisoned.
Nazareth	About 75 miles through Samaria; longer by the Jordan Valley	4–6 days	Jesus’ hometown in Galilee.
Sea of Galilee	About 70–90 miles, depending on destination and route	4–6 days	Center of much of Jesus’ Galilean ministry.
Capernaum	About 85–106 miles, depending on route	5–7 days	Jesus’ principal base during his ministry in Galilee.
Emmaus *the exact location is disputed	About 7 miles according to many manuscripts; exact site uncertain	2–3 hours	The risen Jesus appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

A note about Emmaus

The exact location of the Emmaus mentioned in Luke 24 remains disputed. Luke says it was 60 stadia from Jerusalem, ordinarily calculated as approximately seven miles, but several sites have been proposed.

Destinations outside Israel

Map of New Testament World (Bible History online)

These figures provide a sense of scale rather than a precise itinerary. Travelers used combinations of roads and sea routes, and the length of a journey depended on the departure port, route, weather, and season.Outside of Israel

Destination	Approximate distance from Jerusalem	Biblical significance
Antioch in Syria	About 300 miles	The church that sent Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.
Babylon	About 550 miles in a direct geographic sense; the practical route was longer	Destination of Judah’s exiles; later home to a large Jewish population.
Corinth	About 800 miles, depending on the route	Major Greek port city where Paul ministered for approximately eighteen months.
Egypt	About 100 miles to the northeastern frontier	Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with Jesus; Egypt also plays a central role in Israel’s history.
Ephesus	About 600 miles, depending on the land-and-sea route	Major city of Roman Asia and the center of Paul’s extended ministry there.
Rome	About 1,400 miles, depending on the route	Capital of the Roman Empire and the destination of Paul’s final recorded journey in Acts.

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