The Visitation

[Bravo_6]

What was the distance travelled by Our Lady to her cousin Elizabeth.What were the conditions and terrain like?

 

[Mintaka]

It was about 90 miles as the crow flies from Nazareth to Ein Karem – longer by the roads, of course. A lot of the walk would have been uphill and downhill, once Mary got to the hill country. But it wouldn’t have been much more than a week’s walk for a sturdy country girl like Mary. If she were a fast walker, she probably would have gotten in 15-20 miles a day. If she walked slowly or the roads were bad, some say 10 miles a day. (Some estimates say 5 miles a day, but you can climb steep hills and still make that in three hours or so. I can’t imagine Mary just pooped out in three hours.)

She may have traveled along with various friends of friends that were going that way. (And with big news like Elizabeth pregnant, a fair number of relatives and friends may have wanted to see.) If she rode a donkey, the journey probably went faster.

Going back home once she was more pregnant would have been more challenging, but Elizabeth and Zechariah probably would have sent her back with a donkey and plenty of company.

 

[patrick457]

It was about 90 miles as the crow flies from Nazareth to Ein Karem – longer by the roads, of course. A lot of the walk would have been uphill and downhill, once Mary got to the hill country. But it wouldn’t have been much more than a week’s walk for a sturdy country girl like Mary. If she were a fast walker, she probably would have gotten in 15-20 miles a day. If she walked slowly or the roads were bad, some say 10 miles a day. (Some estimates say 5 miles a day, but you can climb steep hills and still make that in three hours or so. I can’t imagine Mary just pooped out in three hours.)

She may have traveled along with various friends of friends that were going that way. (And with big news like Elizabeth pregnant, a fair number of relatives and friends may have wanted to see.) If she rode a donkey, the journey probably went faster.

Going back home once she was more pregnant would have been more challenging, but Elizabeth and Zechariah probably would have sent her back with a donkey and plenty of company.

In those days you would certainly not want to travel (especially over long distances) alone, since highwaymen were up and about. Seeing how even caravans were targeted, how much chance does a lone traveler have against gangs of marauders? I guess this is really what doomed the man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho in Jesus’ parable.

 

[Bravo_6]

It was about 90 miles as the crow flies from Nazareth to Ein Karem – longer by the roads, of course. A lot of the walk would have been uphill and downhill, once Mary got to the hill country. But it wouldn’t have been much more than a week’s walk for a sturdy country girl like Mary. If she were a fast walker, she probably would have gotten in 15-20 miles a day. If she walked slowly or the roads were bad, some say 10 miles a day. (Some estimates say 5 miles a day, but you can climb steep hills and still make that in three hours or so. I can’t imagine Mary just pooped out in three hours.)

She may have traveled along with various friends of friends that were going that way. (And with big news like Elizabeth pregnant, a fair number of relatives and friends may have wanted to see.) If she rode a donkey, the journey probably went faster.

Going back home once she was more pregnant would have been more challenging, but Elizabeth and Zechariah probably would have sent her back with a donkey and plenty of company.

This is great information!One tends to ponder on the glory of Mary,but forget that she did have her challenges as well.Thank you.

 

[Bravo_6]

In those days you would certainly not want to travel (especially over long distances) alone, since highwaymen were up and about. Seeing how even caravans were targeted, how much chance does a lone traveler have against gangs of marauders? I guess this is really what doomed the man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho in Jesus’ parable.

Thanks Patrick.

 

[mangy_dog]

What was the distance travelled by Our Lady to her cousin Elizabeth.What were the conditions and terrain like?

Travel was by caravan and on a donkey. It would have been several days along established routes but still rough travel.