The Jewish leaders at the time interpreted Exodus 16:29 to mean that they were not allowed to travel more than 2,000 cubits on the Sabbath.1 A Sabbath day’s journey would thus be the equivalent of this distance, roughly 1.2 kilometres. The mention of the Sabbath does not mean that the ascension took place on a Saturday. If the ascension was forty days after Jesus’ resurrection, it would fall on a Thursday.2
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.