A new website devoted to Roman Roads and Milestones in Judaea/Palaestina has recently come to our attention. This site is co-sponsored by the Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee Department of Holy Land Studies and Tel Aviv University IMC-Israeli Milestone Committee. Most readers will know that Kinneret is the Hebrew name for the Sea of Galilee. The website includes articles by the late Israel Roll and others, as well as maps showing the location of the roads. Many of the articles are in Hebrew or another language other than English. The maps, however, should be useful to those who do not read Hebrew.
The English website is available here. (If it links to the Hebrew page look in the upper left hand corner and click on EN.)
Good Bible atlases include a map of the known roadways. See, for example, the following:
- Rasmussen, Zondervan Atlas of the Bible
. Rasmussen includes a map showing the Natural Routes/Roads, and a discussion of International Routes.
- Beitzel, The New Moody Atlas of the Bible
. Beitzel includes a map showing The Roads of Palestine and a discussion of the principles back of making decisions about the roads.
- Schlegel, Satellite Bible Atlas. The second map in this atlas shows the Regions and Routes of the Land of Israel.
Our photo below shows remains of the Roman road that Jesus might have taken from near Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee. These roads are often in danger of destruction by careless builders and farmers.
The Roman Road near Golani Junction in Galilee. This road connected Diocaesarea (Zephoris) and Tiberias. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
Jesus taught His disciples about the attitude they should have toward the Roman authorities.
And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.(Matthew 5:41 ESV)
New Testament writers gave distances in their descriptions of travel from one city to another. Luke says that Emmaus was about seven miles from Jerusalem (Luke 24:13). John says that Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18).
Milestones were common in Roman times and numerous ones have been found throughout the land of Israel. I understand that the milestone below is from the Jezreel Valley. It is one of many displayed on the grounds of the Beit-Sturman Museum near En Harod.
Roman Milestone from the Jezreel Valley. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.
HT: Jack Sasson
Ferrell's Travel Blog 
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