According to a very ancient Christian tradition, Emmaus is today's Arab village of Amwas, which lies 160 stadia (30 km, 19 miles) to the West of Jerusalem. It can take 6 to 7 hours to come from Jerusalem to Emmaus on foot, if one walks across the mountains of Judea. The place was called Nicopolis during the 3d-7th centuries AD. During Byzantine times, two big Basilicas (churches) where built here with beautiful mosaics and a baptistry (a place for baptism).