The Jericho Road

The Jericho Road is about an eighteen-mile path that connects Jerusalem to Jericho. The road drops 3600 feet in the short span of less than a mile. It is a steep, winding, descending, remote road that for centuries has been a haven for robbery and suffering. Evil lurks along every inch of this path. It became a symbol of suffering in the world and in everyday life.

The Jericho Road in Scriptures

Focus Scripture

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.”

Luke 10:30a NIV

The Jericho Road in Bible Times

Travelers, merchants, pilgrims, soldiers have wandered its steps, as would any devout Jew who wished to stay clear of Samaritan soil. Even today the road between the two cities is infested with robbers who hide in the rocks and caverns of the area. Modern Jericho and its region are inhabited by only a few hundred miserable lives.

The area is dry and barren. While Jerusalem receives about 20 inches of rain a year, Jericho collects only about 8 inches. The town is an oasis growing in the middle of a desert. Its source of water is a spring known as Elisha’s Spring.

We sing about the Jericho Road, noting that its winding path only provides room for two – Jesus and you. Jesus taught Zaccheus there, along with healing a blind man. But He traveled the road several times each year, heading to Jerusalem for a handful of feasts. Its path is featured in Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan.

Jericho Today

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