Bethphage

Matthew 21:1 – “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives…”

Bethphage means “house of unripe figs.” It was a place Jesus passed through on Nisan 9, 33 AD, on his way to Jerusalem. In Matthew 21, Jesus sent two disciples from Bethphage to a village across from them to get a donkey colt. He then rode the donkey in a triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-2; Mark 11:1-2; Luke 19:29-30). The biblical account indicates that Bethphage was located on the Mount of Olives, near Jerusalem. Traditional belief places Bethphage between Bethany and Jerusalem, on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, in the area of Et-Tur. From Bethphage, it is a short distance to the summit of the Mount of Olives, from which a person can get a panoramic view of Jerusalem (see Luke 19:37, 41).

Records from the Talmud show that Bethphage was located near the city of Jerusalem, within the distance Jews were permitted to travel on the Sabbath (2,000 cubits, or about one kilometer) (see Acts 1:12; Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 78b).

At that time, thousands of Jews were flocking to Jerusalem along this route to celebrate Passover. Jesus entered the city amid a cheering crowd, entering His capital as the King of the Kingdom of Heaven. However, instead of ascending to a throne, He ascended the cross. Although the shadow of the cross was dark, it could not obscure the authority of the King of the Kingdom of Heaven.

(Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version Bible and Comprehensive Biblical Interpretation)