Distance from Moab to Bethlehem in the Old Testament
The distance between Moab and Bethlehem is not directly stated in the Old Testament, but can be estimated by understanding the geographical locations of each region and typical travel distances in the ancient world. Moab was a territory located east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea, south of the Arnon River [2]. In a broader sense, it encompassed the region previously occupied by the Amorites and is known today as Kerak [2]. The Moabites originally inhabited the highlands on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, extending north to Gilead, before being driven southward by the Amorites [3].
Bethlehem, on the other hand, was a city in Judah, west of the Jordan River. Josephus indicates that Bethlehem was twenty furlongs (approximately 2.5 miles or 4 kilometers) distant from Jerusalem [4].
The plains of Moab, where the Israelites encamped, stretched from Beth-Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim [1, 8]. According to Rabbinic tradition, this area was three parasangs by three parasangs, which equates to twelve mil [7]. A "mil" was a unit of distance, with a day's journey often estimated around twenty miles on foot, or twenty-five to thirty miles by caravan [6]. The Babylonian Talmud suggests that an average person could walk ten parasangs, or forty mil, in a day [9].
While a direct route and distance from the heart of Moab to Bethlehem are not provided, the journey would involve crossing the Jordan River. The Israelites, for instance, traveled from the mountains of Abarim in Moab to the plains of Moab near Jericho [5, 8]. Jericho was approximately ten miles from Beth-Jeshimoth [5]. Given these geographical markers, a journey from Moab to Bethlehem would have entailed crossing the Jordan River and then traveling a significant distance through the Judean hills to reach Bethlehem.
Sources
- Numbers “Numbers 33:49 (LEB) — They camped by the Jordan, from Beth-Jeshimoth up to Abel Shittim, on the desert-plateau of Moab.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Moab — The seed of the father, or, according to others, the desirable land, the eldest son of Lot (Gen. 19:37), of incestuous birth. (2.) Used to denote the people of Moab (Num. 22:3-14; Judg. 3:30; 2 Sam. 8:2; Jer. 48:11, 13). (3.) The land of Moab (Jer. 48:24), called also the "country of Moab" (Ruth 1:2, 6; 2:6), on the east of Jordan and the Dead Sea, and south of the Arnon (Num. 21:13, 26). In a wider sense it included the whole region that had been occupied by the Amorites. It bears the modern name of Kerak. In the Plains of Moab, opposite Jericho (Num. 22:1; 2”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Moab — (of his father), Mo'abites. Moab was the son of the Lot's eldest daughter, the progenitor of the Moabites. Zoar was the cradle of the race of Lot. From this centre the brother tribes spread themselves. The Moabites first inhabited the rich highlands which crown the eastern side of the chasm of the Dead Sea, extending as far north as the mountain of Gilead, from which country they expelled the Emims, the original inhabitants, (2:11) but they themselves were afterward driven southward by the warlike Amorites, who had crossed the Jordan, and were confined to the c”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 12, section 4: concerning the battle, while the enemy's camp lay in the valley that extends to the city Bethlehem, which is twenty furlongs distant from Jerusalem. Now David said to his companions, "We have excellent water in my own city, especially that which is in the pit near the gate," wondering if any one would bring him some of it to drink; but he said that he would rather have it than a great deal of money. When these three men heard what he said, they ran away immediately, and burst through the midst of their enemy's camp, and came to ”
- Numbers (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Numbers 33:38: And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab,.... Sixteen miles from Abarim, where all those things were transacted, which make the history of Balak and Balaam, Num 22:1 and where the Israelites now were by Jordan near Jericho; not on that side Jordan where Jericho stood, but on the other; Jericho, according to Eusebius, was ten miles from Bethjesimoth, where Israel now were, as follows. and where the Israelites now were by Jordan near Jericho; not on that side Jordan where Jericho stood, but on the other; Jericho, according to ”
- Deuteronomy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Deuteronomy 1:2: There are eleven days' journey from Horeb--Distances are computed in the East still by the hours or days occupiesd by the journey. A day's journey on foot is about twenty miles--on camels, at the rate of three miles an hour, thirty miles--and by caravans, about twenty-five miles. But the Israelites, with children and flocks, would move at a slow rate. The length of the Ghor from Ezion-geber to Kadesh is a hundred miles. The days here mentioned were not necessarily successive days [ROBINSON], for the journey can be made in a much shorter period. But”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 55b.15: Rav Ḥisda raised an objection: The Torah states with regard to the Jewish people in the desert: “And they pitched by the Jordan, from Beit-HaYeshimot to Avel-Shittim in the plains of Moab” (Numbers 33:49), and Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: I myself saw that place, and it is three parasangs [ parsa ], the equivalent of twelve mil , by three parasangs.”
- Numbers (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Numbers 22:1: And the children of Israel set forward,.... From the country of Bashan, where we read of them last, after they had conquered Og the king of it, and also Sihon king of the Amorites, and settled some of their tribes in both kingdoms; the particular place from whence they came hither, according to the account of their journeys, were the mountains of Abarim, Num 33:48, and pitched in the plains of Moab the part of them they encamped in reached from Bethjesimoth to Abelshittim, Num 33:49, on this side Jordan by Jericho; or Jordan of Jericho, as the Targums of Onkelos ”
- Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 93b.11: GEMARA: Ulla said: The distance from the city of Modi’im to Jerusalem is fifteen mil . He held like this following opinion that Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: How far can an average person walk on an average day? One can walk ten parasangs [ parsaot ], which are forty mil . This is divided in the following way: From dawn until sunrise one can walk a distance of five mil , and from sunset until the emergence of the stars one can walk another five mil . There are thirty mil remaining that one can walk in a day: Fifteen from the morning until ”