Page 98 - Advanced Bible Geography ebook

of the Dead Sea valley because of the presence of
an ancient spring.

The road between Jerusalem and Jericho was a
major thoroughfare for trading caravans, military
personnel, and the pilgrims who visited Jerusalem
multiple times each year. Given the isolated
terrain, people on this road were easy targets for
bandits, who would have found ample hiding
places and escape routes into the desert where no
one would pursue them. When Jesus said that “a
man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho”
his listeners surely would have recognized the
dangers that this journey posed.

The Road from Jericho to Jerusalem

A person who was robbed and beaten on this road
would have been in a very vulnerable position—
there would have been no food or water to find
along the path to recover with, and no shelter from
the elements. The victim would be utterly exposed
and isolated—desperate for help.

Moreover, anyone coming upon such a victim would have not been able to easily avoid them. At points,
the road is so narrow, a passerby would have had to literally step over their body. The callousness of the
priest and Levite who ignored the victim stands out even more, given the geography.

The Road from Jericho to Jerusalem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=zVmagXx-n34

In a further surprise, Jesus subverted his hearer’s expectations by explaining that it was a Samaritan who
helped the man. Samaritans were known as the ones who would rob Jews on this road as they went
“up” to Jerusalem from Jericho for their holy days. The listeners would have not only expected a
Samaritan to be unsympathetic to the plight of the victim, but they would also have expected the
Samaritan to be the perpetrator!

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River near Jericho and immediately headed into “the wilderness.”
Jericho is surrounded by rugged land called “the wilderness.” The Benjamin Desert stretches to the
west. The Judean Wilderness and Dead Sea are to the South. The deserts of Jordan are visible to the
east and southeast. Little wonder tradition says Jesus was tempted by Satan near the cliffs of Jericho!

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