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The ABCs

of Biblical Geography

ARTICLE: 11 MINUTES

The world of the Bible is our own world. The stories it tells happened mostly in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean Sea; that is, before Jesus sent his followers into all the world and the message of good news about him spread.

The events we read about in the Bible happened in bygone eras. Therefore, some of the places that are central or significant to the Bible story have different names today than they did in the Bible.

We want to familiarize you with some of the significant places where the events of the Bible took place. As you come to understand biblical geography, you may have better bearings as you read the Bible story. Consider this list to be a brief tour through the land of the Bible.

This list includes one key place, either a nation, city, geographic region, landmark, or topographical feature, for each letter in the alphabet—one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Jump to a Certain Letter:

Assyria (Empire)

Assyria is the nation that invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC (2 Kings 17). Assyria was considered the dominant world power from 911 until 612 BC when the Babylonians conquered them. Its kingdom stretched from Egypt to modern-day Turkey, Iran, and the Persian Gulf. Isaiah prophesied during the time where Israel lived under threat of Assyrian invasion (Isaiah 36-39).

Antioch (City)

Antioch is the place where followers of Jesus were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26 ESV) and it served as home base for Paul’s missionary journeys. Antioch is in modern–day Turkey.

B

Babylon (Empire)

In 612 BC, Babylon conquered the capital of Assyria, which led to its downfall, and Babylon became the new world power. Babylon is the nation that under Nebuchadnezzar invaded the southern kingdom of Israel called Judah in 586 BC (which the prophet Jeremiah witnessed), taking the Jews into Babylonian exile for 70 years (including the prophet Daniel). The kingdom of Babylon stretched from the Persian Gulf to Egypt and modern-day Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Bethlehem (City)

Bethlehem was the hometown of King David and thus became known as the “city of David” (Luke 2:4 ESV). It is also the birthplace of Jesus Christ, located right in the center of Israel. The name “Bethlehem” in Hebrew means “house of bread.”

Canaan (Region)

Canaan was the land inhabited by numerous people groups collectively called Canaanites. The Canaanites were an exceptionally wicked people, who engaged in sin that God called an abomination. God graciously gave the Canaanite people four generations (roughly 400 years) to turn from their sins (Genesis 15:16). God’s judgment on Canaan was Israel’s conquest of their land. Canaan is the territory God promised Abraham, known to the Israelites as the “Promised Land.”

Capernaum (Town)

Capernaum is a town in Israel, on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus made his home base for ministry.

Damascus (City)

Damascus is the capital of Syria, a nation which was often an enemy of Israel. In the New Testament, Damascus shows up again as the destination of Saul of Tarsus (Paul) who was intent on persecuting Christians there, until he met Jesus on the road (Acts 9)!

Decapolis (Region)

The Decapolis is a league of ten Greek cities east of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus often preached to the Gentiles and performed miracles.

Egypt (Country)

The country of Egypt shows up in the Bible first as a refuge for God’s people when Joseph, a son of Israel, rose to second in command in Egypt and helped rescue the nation from famine. Israel then grew into a huge people group and Egypt interpreted their growth as a political threat. So Egypt became an enemy of the Israelites, enslaving them for 430 years (Exodus 12:40). Finally, God delivered the Israelites through Moses, who led the Israelite people out of Egypt around 1446 BC. Egypt continued to be a powerful iconic nation throughout the Bible. They become an illustration of power and the temptation to rely on false hopes (for Israel, that meant foreign military powers or aid) rather than putting our trust in God.

Ephesus (City)

Ephesus was a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) where a key early church gathered. Ephesus is where Paul, John, and Timothy ministered, and where Paul wrote the New Testament letter of Ephesians.

Fountain Gate (Landmark)

The Fountain Gate is a place frequently mentioned in the book of Nehemiah and served as a symbol of restoration when the Jews rebuilt Jerusalem and its walls after the Babylonian exile. The fountain gate was the access to the Gihon Spring, which provided fresh water to Jerusalem.[1]

[1] https://tncchurch.org/nehemiah-the-gospel-in-the-gates-fountain-gate-neh-3f/

Field, Potter’s (Landmark)

The Potter’s Field is where Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, killed himself.

Gilgal (Region)

Gilgal is a frequented place in the Old Testament, mentioned over 40 times. It is first named Gilgal in the book of Joshua. Here Joshua set up 12 stones to commemorate God parting the Jordan River for the Israelites so they could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 4:19-22). The new generation of Israelites were all circumcised (Joshua 5:2-9). After that, Gilgal became a place of worship and a place where prophets would render judgments.

Galilee (Region)

Galilee is the northernmost region of Israel and the location of Jesus’ childhood home (Nazareth), ministry base (Capernaum), and early ministry years where he chose his original twelve disciples (Mark 3:13-19). Several stories in the New Testament take place on or near the Sea of Galilee.

Hebron (City)

Hebron is the initial home and subsequent burial place in the Promised Land (Canaan) of the patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah. It is the first plot of the Promised Land owned by God’s people. It is also where King David established Israel’s first capital before moving it to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 2:1-4).

Hierapolis (City)

Hierapolis is a city in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) where new believers who converted after hearing the apostle Paul share the gospel planted a church. It is also the location, according to tradition, where the apostle Philip was martyred.

Israel (Nation)

Israel is the special name given by God to the patriarch Jacob, whose twelve sons eventually became the nation of Israel (later called “Jews”). “Israel” is the name for both the man and the nation. It refers to God’s chosen people, from whom would come a Messiah from King David’s dynasty who would save mankind from sin.

Iconium (Town)

Iconium is a key location in the region of Galatia in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) where Paul planted a church during his first and second missionary journeys recorded in Acts. Paul wrote the New Testament letter, Galatians, to the people in Galatia (including Iconium).

Jerusalem (City)

Jerusalem is the capital city (established as such by King David), the administrative center, the location of the temple, and the place where the Jewish people held seven annual festivals, according to God’s instructions in Leviticus. It is the place Jesus was crucified and resurrected, it is the place from which his disciples spread out to share the gospel with the world, and it is the place to which Jesus will return when he comes again.

Jordan (River)

The Jordan River is the location of Jesus’ baptism and where many people flocked to be baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:6). It has a long history. It’s the river God parted, just like the Red Sea, so that Joshua and the people of Israel could enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3). It’s also the place where God healed Naaman the Syrian soldier of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:10). It’s on the border of the Promised Land, which is often called the land “beyond the Jordan” (e.g., Deuteronomy 3:25 ESV).

Kedesh (City)

Kedesh is one of the six cities of refuge in Israel, where a person who accidentally killed someone could flee for safety from vengeance before trial (Joshua 21:32).

Kidron Valley (Region)

The Kidron Valley is a valley that runs between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. David fled through this valley after his son Absalom betrayed him, and Jesus crossed it on his way to Gethsemane, where Jesus would pray and then be betrayed by Judas Iscariot (John 18:1).

Lachish (City)

Located about thirty miles southwest of Jerusalem in an area where approaching enemies would be easy to spot, Lachish was the most important fortress city after Jerusalem in Israel’s southern region, despite being captured during both the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions.

Lystra (Town)

Lystra is the birthplace of Timothy in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) where Paul ministered during his first and second missionary journeys.

Mount Sinai (Mountain)

Mount Sinai is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments after Israel’s exodus from Egypt, establishing his covenant with the Israelites, and providing them with the tabernacle design.

Mars Hill (Landmark)

Mars Hill is also known as the Areopagus, the location in Athens where the apostle Paul delivered a famous sermon during his second missionary journey to a group of Greek philosophers (Acts 17:16-34).

Nineveh (City)

Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire, the superpower of the Middle East that destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC. It is the city that repented after hearing Jonah, the prophet, and it is the city that years afterward got destroyed in fulfillment of Nahum’s prophecy, because they refused to repent.

Nazareth (Town)

Nazareth is the town in Galilee where Jesus’ family settled after their return from Egypt, and thus why Jesus is called a “Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23 ESV).

Ophrah (Town)

Ophrah is the birthplace of Gideon, one of the faithful judges who delivered the Israelites from Midianite domination (Judges 9:5).

Olives, Mount of (Hill)

The Mount of Olives is a hill outside Jerusalem where several key events took place during Jesus’ ministry, including Jesus’ prayer and arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25), and possibly his ascension. It is also the spot where the Messiah is prophesied in the Old Testament to return (Zechariah 14:4).

Philistia (Nation)

Philistia is the home of Israel’s arch nemeses, the Philistines, and includes cities such as Gaza, Ashdod, and Ashkelon.

Philippi (City)

Philippi is a Greek city where the apostle Paul first entered Europe on his second missionary journey and planted a church; location of the first European convert to Christianity (Lydia) and destination of Paul’s New Testament letter Philippians.

Qadesh or Kadesh Barnea (Area)

Qadesh is on the southern border of Canaan, where the Israelites encamped after the exodus from Egypt and spied out the Promised Land, but rejected God’s promised victory (Numbers 13:26). Qadesh is the place where Moses struck the rock and water came out (Numbers 20:10-13) and where his sister, Miriam, died (Numbers 20:1).

Red Sea (Sea)

The Red Sea is where God performed one of the most iconic miracles in the Bible. He parted the waters of the Red Sea for the escaping Israelites to travel safely across it on dry ground during their exodus or escape to the Sinai Peninsula from Egyptian slavery.

Rome (City)

Rome was the capital of the Roman empire. It’s also the location of the largest early church congregation, where the apostle Paul addressed his New Testament letter, Romans, and traditionally where Paul and Peter were martyred.

Shiloh (Town)

Shiloh is a town twenty miles north of Jerusalem that was Israel’s main worship center before the monarchy (you may remember it’s where Hannah and her husband went to worship in the book of 1 Samuel). Shiloh is where the tabernacle remained for nearly 370 years.

Samaria (Region)

In the New Testament, Samaria is the region Jesus passes through on one of his journeys, where he meets a Samaritan Woman and reveals to her that he is the Messiah (John 4). In that story, we learn that Samaritans and Jews were at odds, because the Samaritans were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles after the Assyrian conquest of northern Israel. Jews considered the Samaritans unclean.

Tyre (and Sidon) (Cities)

Tyre and Sidon are powerful Phoenician twin cities (modern-day Lebanon) which provided important materials and laborers for the building of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 5).

Thessalonica (City)

Thessalonica is a Greek city where the apostle Paul established a church during his second missionary journey and to where he addressed two New Testament letters, 1 & 2 Thessalonians.

Ur of the Chaldeans (Town)

Ur of the Chaldeans is in Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (in modern-day Iraq). It was the hometown of the patriarch Abraham before he journeyed to Canaan.

(E)uphrates (River)

There is no New Testament location that starts with “U”, so we had to use some creativity. We first see the Euphrates River in Genesis where it is mentioned in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:14). The river became important to the key pagan superpowers, Assyria and Babylon, in Old Testament times. It plays a key role in the end times (Revelation 9:13-15; 16:12). The Euphrates River is in Syria and Iraq.

Valley of Elah (Region)

The Valley of Elah is the area between Israel and Philistia where David confronted and killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17).

Villages (Towns)

The Gospels often mention unspecific villages throughout Israel and neighboring lands where Jesus went to preach and perform miracles.

Well of Beersheba (Landmark)

The Well of Beersheba is a well dug by Abraham after his treaty with the Philistine king Abimelech, marking the southernmost boundary of the Promised Land. It is also the place where God revealed himself to Isaac, Jacob, Hagar, and Elijah.

Wilderness (Region)

The wilderness is a non-specific location where, after his baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days and nights and to be tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). We also read about the wilderness in the Old Testament—a more specified region where God’s people wandered outside the promised land for 40 years.

(e)Xile (Babylon)

We had to get creative with X! God sent the nation of Israel into exile for her disobedience and rebellion. Israel was conquered by the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar and taken into exile throughout the empire, mainly in modern-day Iraq and Iran. After seventy years, they were allowed to return to Jerusalem. The books of Ezekiel, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah take place during the exile, as well as the prophecies of Jeremiah (before and during exile), Haggai, and Zechariah.

Yokneam (or Jokneam)

Yokneam is a major Canaanite city conquered by Joshua during the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land, later designated a Levite city in the territory of Zebulun.

Zion, Mount (Mountain)

Zion is the mountain on which Jerusalem is built. It is synonymous with the city and symbolizes God’s presence and reign among his people.

Zion (Kingdom)

Zion symbolizes the spiritual reign of God among his people the Church and the coming heavenly city in the end times (Revelation 14:1).

What Did You Learn?

The events of the Bible don’t take place in Middle Earth or Narnia, but rather right here in our world, in countries that still go by the names they bore in Bible times. The God we read about in the Bible is the God who made and loves and sustains and works in this world. And it is to our world that God sent his son Jesus to demonstrate his love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

Do you believe that the Bible tells the truth? And if so, have you considered Jesus, the central figure in the story of the Bible and the most important person in history? 

Who Is Jesus?
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