Rashi observes that Geographically, Israel is perceived on top of the world; Consequently verses always speak about going up to Israel vs. going down from Israel. The verses listed below exemplify this usage.

We have classified this as the geometric method since Rashi clarifies the meaning of a word using diagrams.

In the following verses the underlined words up,down indicate relative position to Israel and confirm the above Rashi comment:
• Dt01-25a, discussing the bringing of fruit, by the spies, from Israel to the desert states And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us back word, and said: 'Good is the land which HaShem our G-d giveth unto us.'
• Gn45-09a discussing the requested journey of the patriarch Jacob from Israel to Egypt, states Hasten ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: G-d hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not.
• Ex33-01a discussing the journey from the desert to Israel, states And HaShem spoke unto Moses: 'Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: Unto thy seed will I give it--
• Dt32-13b discussing the gift of Israel by God to the Jews states states He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he did eat the fruitage of the field; and He made him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the flinty rock;
• Gn46-03:04 presenting a prophecy that Jacob must journey from Israel to Egypt, states And He said: 'I am G-d, the G-d of thy father; fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.'
• Dt17-08f discussing the requirement to journey to Jerusalem for legal inquiry from the Sanhedrin in complex cases, states ######

Note that in the last example we supplement our basic thesis that the word up is used when going to Israel while down is used when going from Israel by extending the up-down metaphor for journey to or from Jerusalem relative to the rest of Israel.

Sermonic Points: Traditionally up symbolizes heavenly maters while down symbolizes hellish earthly matters. This symbolism is valid in all languages. By associating Israel and Jerusalem with up the Bible symbolically affirms Israel's spiritual values.