The Merchant of Jerusalem Trivia Quiz

Answer: About 5 days

This is not the most direct route, but keeps to the relative safety of the main Roman roads, which were patrolled to keep banditry down. Many merchants would have travelled via Caesarea (the Judean Governors' seat of choice) because of additional trade opportunities there.

The described route goes south along the coast to Caesarea, and then north-east inland to Tiberias. The total distance is approximately 100 miles.

Answer: River Kishon

The River Kishon flows into the Mediterranean through the Valley of Jezreel, below the ridge of mountains which run from Megiddo to Mt. Carmel, near the coast. From Caesarea you first climb this mountainous ridge, then plunge steeply down to the Jezreel Valley. Once across the river and the valley floor, you'll start a steady climb through hilly country up to Nazareth, and then downhill once again to Tiberias, on the near shore of the Sea of Galilee. You do not approach the Jordan until after Tiberias; the Kidron is near Jerusalem, and the Jabbok flows into the Jordan on its east (inland) bank.

Answer: In one of the market squares

As a brand new, Roman-designed city, Tiberias came provided with several dedicated market squares included from the urban planning stage. Both permanent and itinerant merchants would have used these squares as their primary market sites, usually grouped according to merchandise. While some traders would have been present at the city gates, these would have been minor traders; something like the street hawkers we see today.

The forum was a place for public assembly and debate rather than for trade.
In some older cities certain streets tended to accumulate craftsmen and merchants in a given trade (such as goldsmiths, or tanners); in Tiberias there had not been enough time for this to happen, especially in light of the fact that commerce was well provided for.

Answer: Thursday, at sunset

I just reminded you - you're a JEWISH merchant. You will observe the Sabbath, which begins on Friday evening, and ends at sunset on Saturday. In other words, you are not going to leave until Sunday morning, and you will only arrive in Jerusalem after five days of travel: on Thursday, around sunset.

Answer: Hire extra guards against the chance of robbers

I'm assuming there was a good reason Jesus chose this route to illustrate His parable of the Samaritan whom we call 'Good'. But to be safe, I gave you the reference!
Jericho is down in the Jordan valley, and has adequate water.
It is a long way from Samaria, and in any case Samaritans spoke the same language as orthodox Jews.
The 'permit from the Roman governor' is a bit of plausible nonsense.

Answer: About 3 500 feet

Heights are approximated, since the cities range considerably from lowest to highest point within each city. The main issue is that Jericho lies considerably below sea level, and that therefore the climb from Jericho to Jerusalem is greater than Jerusalem's height above sea level. Jericho's actual altitude is around 850 - 1000 feet below sea level.

Answer: About three days

Since most of us are quite unused to walking these distances, it is quite difficult for us to tell how long it will take. Since the distance is about 45 miles, generally downhill, and a typical walking distance per day around 15 miles, perhaps a little more, the answer should be around three days,
perhaps a little less - but no one in those days would normally have travelled other than in daylight, and a little time is always needed to make camp - there were no motels to check into!

Answer: Three days

A ship on this route would often have had a favourable wind (on the beam), whether on-shore or off-shore, for most of the trip. From Gaza to Joppa (about 45 miles), and from Joppa to Caesarea (about 35 miles), would each have taken less than a day, but it would have been normal practice to go into harbour for the night, where a harbour was available.

The third leg would have been a full day's sailing, even with a favourable wind, since it is just about sixty miles, or twelve hours' sailing, from Caesarea to Tyre. Thus three days altogether. Notice how much faster sailing is than any sort of travel overland. No wonder St. Paul favoured taking a ship when he had to travel far!

Answer: About 8 000 litres

In Genesis 24 we read how Rachel watered the camels of Abraham's steward, who came looking for a wife for Isaac. Did you ever realise how hard she worked to do this? Camels - particularly under the specified conditions of heavy loading and hot weather - need up to 200 litres of water per day. (A thirsty camel can consume over 100 litres within 10 minutes!) A merchant - like the Ishmaelites who carried Joseph down to Egypt (Genesis 37:25-28) - would have needed to plan carefully for projected water consumption over a dry stretch. So 20 camels; 200 litres each; for 2 days = 8 000 litres.

The humans' water requirements are negligible in comparison.

Answer: Mostly uphill

In terms of altitude, Beersheba is pretty much down near the plain of the Negev desert. Hebron is pretty much on top of a mountain, or at least on top of the ridge of a mountain chain. So from Beersheba to Hebron the slope goes, on average, uphill all the way.

Answer: 6

I hope you didn't answer '1' - poor camel!
When the Queen of Sheba came to visit King Solomon, she chose camels to bear, amongst other things, 'gold in abundance' (2 Chronicles 9:1, NKJV) - not the lightest of loads! Why? Because a camel can carry up to around 500 pounds, compared to a donkey or mule which, on average, can be usefully loaded up to around 160 pounds. Since a 100-litre cask would weigh something over 200 pounds, a practical load could well mean one 100-litre cask on each side, nicely balanced. 12 casks, therefore 6 camels needed.

Answer: Gennath / Jaffa Gate (West)

This is not as straightforward as it seems.
Naturally, since (of course!) you know Hebron is south of Jerusalem, you'll approach the city from the south.
But did you remember that the Hinnom valley runs across Jerusalem's south side, deepening to the east? And that, therefore, the Hebron/Bethelehem road actually came up to Jerusalem on the western side - and led in through the Jaffa Gate?
The road out of the southern gate actually went down past Bethany into the Jordan Valley. While there was a link road down from the Hebron road to the valley road, the most direct and level route from Hebron took the western route into Jerusalem.

Answer: To the Sanhedrin, at the Temple

Tricky question, isn't it? I actually believe the best advice is to keep your mouth shut and stay out of trouble, but felt that this option would have been too tempting as a possible answer!
In fact, day-to-day administration, and therefore complaints about administration, were the responsibility of the High Priest and the Sanhedrin.
Pontius Pilate was the senior Roman presence, but he would not normally have had anything to do with routine civil matters.
Herod Antipas was Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (the latter lying to the east of the Jordan river), and actually had no authority in Jerusalem.
King Agrippa I, who did have nominal rule over Judea and Jerusalem at this time, would not have been much help, being absent from Judea.

Answer: That if the Temple was destroyed, he would rebuild it within three days.

According to John 2:21-22, while Jesus did say that He would rebuild the Temple within three days, His disciples came to understand that He was using it as a metaphor for His death and resurrection within three days.
The Romans did destroy the Temple, in 70 AD, but Jesus did not predict that they would be responsible.
There is no indication whatsoever that Jesus ever suggested going back to the tented Tabernacle model, or that He thought that village synagogues were a better way forward. These suggestions were purely mischievous.

Answer: There was darkness for three hours, and a great earthquake.

There is no record of any official close of business (apart from the usual preparations for the Sabbath, which was beginning at sunset) or of a curfew (at this time). There is no record of any riot or looting at this time either.
There never was any "Great Fire of Jerusalem", as an event by itself. (London, yes; Rome, yes; Chicago, yes; Jerusalem, no.)
According to the Biblical records (in particular, Matthew 27), there was darkness from noon until 3 p.m.; (some have suggested that this was caused by a solar eclipse, others attribute it to direct divine intervention) and that, when Jesus died, there was such a great earthquake that it split rocks and threw the recently buried out of their graves, some coming back to life.
Certainly, it was a memorable occasion.