Acts 1:12

from the mount called Olivet Elsewhere usually called the mount of Olives, but in Luke 19:29; Luke 21:37, some texts give, as here, Olivet

which is from Jerusalem, &c. Literally, which is near unto Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey off. The mount of Olives is on the east of Jerusalem, and must be passed by those who go from Jerusalem to Bethany. Hence St Luke's expression in the Gospel is (Luke 24:50) "He led them out as far as towards (ἔως πρὸς) Bethany."

The sabbath day's journeywas two thousand yards or cubits [ammoth, and in the Babylonian Talmud, Erubin51 a, there is given an elaborate account of how this precise limit was arrived at, which is such an interesting specimen of Rabbinical reasoning, that it seems worth quoting at some length. "We have a Boraitha [i.e. a Mishna not taught officially in R. Jehudah ha-Nasi's lectures and so not embodied in the Mishna proper, but incorporated amongst the Gemara or in other ways] on Exodus 16:29, -Abide ye every man in his place" (takhtav), that means the four yards (which is the space allowed for downsitting and uprising), and in the same verse it says -Let no man go out of his place(makom), this is the two thousand yards." " The argument intended to be founded on this explanation is, that as Holy Writ, which does not uselessly multiply words, has used here two different words for place, this is done because there is a different meaning for each. "But (continues the questioner) how do you learn this?" (viz. that makomimplies two thousand yards). Rab Chisda says "We have learnt the meaning of makomfrom the use of makomelsewhere, and we learn what that [second] makommeans from nisah(flight, with which word, in one passage, it is connected), and what nisahmeans we have learnt from another nisah, and the meaning of the [second] nisahwe gather from gebul(border, which is found in connection with it in a certain passage), and what gebulmeans we gather from another gebul, and what that gebulmeans from khuts(extremity), and what khutsmeans from another khuts;for it is written (Numbers 35:5) -and ye shall measure from the extremity (mikhuts) of the city, on the east side, two thousand yards." "

So taking khutsin this last passage as defined, they, by an equation khuts = gebul = nisah = makom, defined the second word placementioned in Exodus 16:29, as also equal to two thousand yards.

The Scriptural passages on which the above reasoning is based are (1) Exodus 21:13, "I will appoint thee a place(makom) whither he shall flee" (yanus), and from the verb yanusthe noun nisahis formed; (2) Numbers 35:26, "But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border(gebul) of the city of his refuge whither he is fled," which passage connects gebuland nisah; and (3) Numbers 35:27, "If the avenger of blood find him without(mikhuts) the borderof the city of his refuge," which brings khutsinto connection with gebul.

A traditional development of an interpretation like this must have been received, by him who announces it, from his teacher and must not be his own invention, and in this way a very high antiquity is assured for all such interpretations.