The trip would take Mary and Joseph about a week to travel from Nazareth, and they probably made their way south along a route where they could stop at springs to rest and find shelter in small towns.

The story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus is familiar to many, but beyond its spiritual significance, it carries valuable economic lessons. This narrative ...

Both Matthew and Luke say Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but only Luke explains that Joseph and heavily pregnant Mary had to travel there from Nazareth to be present for a census ordered by Herod.

This means that Joseph has to go from Galilee south to Judea—from Nazareth to the root system of his family tree, Bethlehem—to register. Mary, in her very pregnant state, has to travel the rutted ...