Begin below sea level, where heat shimmers over oasis palms and the Jordan Valley opens like a bowl of light. Jericho—the ancient “City of Palms”—sits in this lowland, a storied threshold between desert and hill country, first conquered by Joshua and forever etched into salvation history. Scripture itself names Jericho by its palms, and historians remind us it lies far below the Mediterranean’s horizon, in earth’s deepest inhabited depression.
From here the road climbs hard through the Judean wilderness, winding up russet canyons along the old Ascent of Adummim. In Jesus’ day, the Jericho–Jerusalem road was infamous—roughly 25 kilometers of switchbacks and blind turns, where brigands could vanish into the rocks as quickly as they struck. This is the setting the Lord chose for the Good Samaritan, and the danger of that climb would have been instantly understood by His listeners.
Old Road to Jericho
To your left, the cliffs of Wadi Qelt suddenly reveal St. George’s Monastery, a honey-colored hermitage clinging to the rock face—one of the living Christian outposts in this desert, still keeping vigil on the main route from Jericho toward Jerusalem. The sight feels improbable, like a prayer suspended over a canyon. A little farther along stands the site long associated with the Good Samaritan Inn (Khan al-Ahmar), reminding pilgrims that charity is the safest guard on perilous roads.
But our route to Beth El turns north along the central ridge, leaving Jerusalem to the southwest and threading through the highlands toward a place Scripture calls both Luz and “Bethel”—the House of God. Scholars identify ancient Bethel near today’s Beitin, just north of Jerusalem, with the ruins of Ai lying to its east; these names chart Israel’s earliest footholds after crossing the Jordan.
Here mystery deepens into encounter. At Bethel, Jacob, fleeing with a stone for a pillow, dreamed of a ladder rooted on earth with its top in heaven, angels ascending and descending, and the Lord renewing His covenant. He woke in awe: “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Every pilgrim who reaches these hills tastes that same astonishment: God is nearer than we knew, and the land itself remembers.
Yet Bethel also bears a warning. Centuries later, Jeroboam raised an altar here, offering a counterfeit convenience in place of covenant fidelity—a temptation as old as Israel and as modern as our own shortcuts in worship. The site that once echoed Jacob’s vow became a cautionary milepost about hearts straying even on holy roads.
Jericho Road Oasis
For Catholics, the ascent from Jericho to Bethel is more than geography; it’s a living catechesis. We begin in the low places—the world of dust and distraction—and set our faces uphill toward the “House of God,” trusting that along the way Christ meets us in the wounded, in the hermit’s prayer, and in the Church that keeps memory and mercy along the path. Walk it with the Psalms; let the canyon winds be your antiphon. Start under the palms, climb the red stone, and arrive where heaven once touched earth and still does—at every altar, in every Mass, wherever God makes a house among His people.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
Catholic Online News exists because of donors like you. We are 100% funded by people who believe the world deserves real, uncensored news rooted in faith and truth — not corporate agendas. Your gift ensures millions can continue to access the news they can trust — stories that defend life, faith, family, and freedom.
When truth is silenced, your support speaks louder.
