JOHN 1-4 WALKING IN JESUS' DAY

Q:  How far apart are the cities, towns and regions mentioned in Jesus' ministry? How long does it take to walk from Jerusalem to Cana to Capernaum to Jerusalem to Sychar?

The whole of Jesus' ministry appears to have taken place within an area that is roughly 100 miles north to south and 60 miles east to west. From Jerusalem to Cana is about 77 miles; from Sychar to Jerusalem is 33 miles; and from Cana to Capernaum is 15 miles as the crow flies but almost double that on existing roads at the time.

The distance one could travel in a day probably varied greatly depending on the change in elevation, conditions of the road, and location of appropriate stopping points along the way. Walking time can perhaps be best estimated by considering the story recorded in Luke 24:13-35 regarding the two disciples who met the risen Jesus as they were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (present site unknown). Most of the Greek texts say that Emmaus was 60 stadia (7 miles) away. We don't know when they set off for Jerusalem but they were able to walk there easily, have dinner with Jesus, and return to Jerusalem before dark to tell the news to the Apostles. Some Greek texts, however, say that Emmaus was 160 stadia away, but The New Bible Dictionary: Revised notes that there would not be enough time for them to make the round trip if that were the case. From these data, we can calculate a broad range of 15-35 miles traveled in a day.