“Now, by coincidence,” Jesus continues, “a certain priest was going down over that road, but, when he saw him, he went by on the opposite side.

Many priests and their Levite temple assistants live in Jericho, a distance of 14 miles [23 km] on a dangerous road that descends 3,000 feet [900 m] from where they serve at the temple in Jerusalem. The priest and the Levite would be expected to help a fellow Jew in distress. But they do not.