How far is it to Bethlehem from Nazareth in Galilee ?
About 157 km ... a very long walk. (see Google Map below)
In the footsteps of Mary and Joseph ....
The Nativity Trail
The Gospel of Luke mentions Nazareth in Galilee to be the place where Virgin Mary was told by the Angel Gabriel that she would give birth to her Son “Jesus” the King and Messiah ....
In Hebrew The name “Jesus” is pronounced as Yeshua
The Hebrew Word “ Yeshua” literally means “Salvation “
It looks like this .... ישוע
Read from right to left are the 4 letters... Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin...
Luke 1:26-38
The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary
Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.
When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.”
She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.
The angel told her,
“Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God.
You will become pregnant, give birth to a son,
and name him Jesus.
He will be a great man
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his ancestor David.
Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever,
and his kingdom will never end.”
Mary asked the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.”
The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.
Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38&version=GW
One can ask: Why did Mary and Joseph walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem, 157 km ?
That was indeed a long journey, which might have taken them from four to seven days.
The answer can be found in the Biblical verses:
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. […] And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child” (Luke 2:1-5).
Joseph was obliged to leave Nazareth for Bethlehem as he did not want to risk being punished for not paying the tax. And probably it was God’s will which made him to take also Mary, so Micah’s prophecy about upcoming Messiah, could be fulfilled:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
Source: https://www.travelujah.com/stories/in-the-footsteps-of-mary-and-joseph-the-nativity-trail
This is the Way ....
