Its situation.

Ptolemy tells us something of its situation by its degrees, saying, "Emmaus, 65. 45. 31. 45."

As to the vicinage of countries or places adjacent, thus the Jerusalem Talmud: "From Beth-horon to Emmaus it is hilly. From Emmaus to Lydda it is champaign; and from Lydda to the sea is valley."

If you would hear Ptolemy more largely, thus he writes: Jamnia 65. 40. 31. 0.; Lydda 66. 0. 32. 0.; Antipatris 66. 20. 32. 0.; Emmaus 65. 45. 31. 45.; Jerusalem 66. 0. 31. 40.

Although this account of the distance betwixt Jerusalem and Emmaus doth not very well agree with what our evangelist and Josephus have said, yet may we learn from the places named along with it, in what quarter of the heaven it was situated. To all which we may add that of Josephus, Antiq. lib. xii. cap. 11. and 1 Maccabees 4: Judas Maccabeus engages with Gorgias near Emmaus: the Gorgians fly, and the Maccabeans pursue "as far as Gadaron (Gezer) to the plains of Idumea, Azotus, and Jamnia."

I therefore recite this passage, that it may appear that Emmaus lay towards Galilee, although from Jerusalem it inclined also westward. For whereas, concerning the latitude of Galilee extending itself from west to east, there must of necessity be several roads from Jerusalem to this or that part of it; so this through Emmaus was one, through Beth-horon another, through Antipatris a third; if, at least, this last did not fall in with that of Emmaus. That passage in Gul. Tyrius makes me think it might; who, describing the encampings and journeyings of the crusade army, tells us, "Leaving the maritime towns, Antipatris and Joppa on the right, they passed through Eleutheria, and came to Lydda, which is Diospolis." And cap. 24, "From whence, taking guides along with them, persons well skilled in those places, they came to Nicopolis": which is the same with Emmaus.

From all which we may reasonably presume that the two disciples were going to Emmaus, not as to the utmost limit of their journey, but as that lay in their way towards Galilee.