Christmas Nativity: why did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem and what route did they take

The temperature has dropped, and frost blankets the UK, but lights illuminate the skyline as we prepare for Christmas. But the origin of Christmas is something that still remains a mystery. 

We know Christmas is a religious event marking the birth of Jesus Christ, who according to the Bible, was born in a stable after Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem. But what route did the couple take, and how long did they travel for? Here is what you need to know. 

What route did Mary and Joseph take to Bethlehem? 

According to the book of Luke in the Bible, Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem after an imperial command demanded people to return to their ancestral towns “that all the world should be taxed.

At that time, Mary was nine months pregnant in her immaculate conception and had to leave their home in Nazareth, in the northern highlands of Galilee, to register for a Roman census. However, the route Mary and Joepsh took is surrounded by speculation as very little was documented about this journey. 

However, Luke states that Joseph went up from Galilee into Judea, as Bethlehem is elevated at about 2543 feet above sea level (1493 feet higher than Nazareth). Bethlehem is also located in the Judean Mountains, making for rugged terrain during their journey, and this meant the couple had to go uphill throughout their journey.  

It is suggested that from Nazareth, they travelled along the Jordan River, then west over the hills surrounding Jerusalem, and on into Bethlehem.

How long did it take Mary and Joesph to travel to Bethlehem? 

The whole journey was estimated to take them around four to seven days where they would have travelled around 90 miles. James F. Strange, a New Testament and biblical archaeology professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa told the LA Times: "It was a fairly gruelling trip. In antiquity, the most we find people travelling is 20 miles a day. And this trip was very much uphill and downhill. It was not simple.” Strange annually leads an excavation team at the ancient city of Sepphoris, near Nazareth. 

He estimates Mary and Joseph would have travelled only 10 miles a day because of Mary’s impending delivery and would have worn heavy woollen cloaks, constructed to shed rain and snow. Under their cloaks, the ancient residents wore long robes, belted at the waist. tube-like socks and enclosed shoes protect the feet. This is because a trip through the Judean desert would have taken place during the winter, when “it’s in the 30s during the day [and] rains like heck". 

When they arrived in Bethlehem, the town was filled with people who had also come to register for the census, where it is widely agreed that Jesus was born in a stable.