'Distant Country' in the Bible

Hear another parable: There was a certain man, the master of a family, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and hired it out to husbandmen, and went into a distant country.

"For the kingdom of heaven is similar to a man who planned to go on a trip to a distant country, so called his servants and entrusted to each of them a large sum of money [Note: The narrative that follows suggests that the man was turning over some of his assets to financial managers to invest for him].