Road to Bethlehem: Gideon's Spring

Note: This is a virtual journey along a variation of the Nativity Trail. I'm matching my daily walking distances with Google Maps and exploring the areas nearby. You can learn more about the Nativity Trail at www.sirajcenter.org  

I'm virtually 20 km down the road from Nazareth and just passed the Cave of Gideon in Ma'ayan Harod National Park at the foot of Mount Gilboa. This is the historic location where Gideon gathered his warriors and weeded them out by how they drank from the spring (see Judges 7). I love how the park has a campground too.

There is no way to tell but it's possible Mary and Joseph camped here after the first day. This would put them on pace to reach Bethlehem in a week. It's also a good reminder that Mary and Joseph were not grabbing a Slurpee at the corner station, but would have carried water jugs which needed refilled.