Emmaus
“Probably from Hebrew 'chammath,' meaning 'hot spring' or 'warm bath'”
Summary
The village sixty furlongs (about seven miles) from Jerusalem where two disciples met the risen Jesus on the day of His resurrection.
☩The Road to Emmaus
On the afternoon of the resurrection, two disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus when Jesus joined them, though they did not recognize Him. As they walked, He expounded the Scriptures concerning the Messiah's suffering and glory. When they arrived at the village, Jesus made as if to go further, but they constrained Him to stay. As He broke bread with them, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him—then He vanished. They immediately returned to Jerusalem that same evening to tell the apostles.
☩Location
Luke states the distance as sixty furlongs (stadia), approximately seven and a half miles from Jerusalem. The exact site remains disputed. Candidates include Kolonieh (only about four miles distant), el-Kubeibeh (about seven miles northwest), Khamasa (about eight miles southwest on the Beit-Jibrin road), and Amwas (the ancient Nicopolis, but much farther at about twenty miles). The site near Amwas is too distant for the disciples to have returned the same evening, unless the variant reading of 160 stadia in the Sinaitic manuscript is accepted.
Related Verses1 mention
Luke· 1 verse
References
- 1.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Emmaus," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 2.George Morrish, "Emmaus," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Unknown source, "Emmaus."
- 4.James Orr (ed.), "Emmaus," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).