Access Foundation

Bible

Atlas
Zaine Ridling, Ph.D Editor

PDF version by: The eBible Study Library

Bible

Atlas
Access Foundation
Zaine Ridling, Ph.D Editor

Introduction
Almost every reader of the Bible will realize that the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, contain extensive historical materials and innumerable allusions to the geographical background of that history. The geographical references range eastward to the Tigris and Euphrates and beyond to Media, Elam, and Parthia from which came some of those present at Pentecost and even to India. Including Asia Minor, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Arabia, they reach westward beyond Greece and Rome as far as Spain, which Paul visited or hoped to visit, and where we are probably to find Tarshish, towards which Jonah started his fateful voyage. Between these limits, the Holy Land itself, under its various names Canaan, the land of Israel, or Palestine with its immediate neighbors, is at the center of the picture throughout. It is not surprising, therefore, that an Atlas should be of great help to every reader of the Bible and particularly every student; but it must be a historical atlas, not only showing, by maps at the most convenient scales, the physical geography of the area concerned and of particular parts of it, but also, by successive maps of the same area, showing the historical changes which came about through the rise and fall of empires, the changes in geographical names, the appearance of new cities and villages and the disappearance of others, and similar historical developments. Moreover, it cannot be based on the Bible alone, but must make full use of modern archaeological knowledge which both illuminates and supplements the Bible text. Thus, there is mention in the Bible of Ur and Babylon in Mesopotamia, Hazor, Megiddo and Beth-shan in northern Palestine, Lachish, and Debir in Judah, and many other places about which little, perhaps not even their exact locations, would be known were it not for archaeological data. Further, there are places very important historically, which do not happen to be mentioned in the Bible, but which must be shown on the maps of the region and taken into account by the student as part of the total historical and geographical background. Thus, there will be found in this Atlas such places as Mari on the Euphrates, Akhetaton (Tell el-'Amarna) in Egypt, Ugarit in Syria, Hattusa in Asia Minor, Serabit el-Khadim in Sinai, which are unfamiliar to most Bible readers but are nonetheless important. There are, too, names of whole peoples, such as the Hurrians in Mitanni, the Sumerians in the Tigris-Euphrates valley, or the Hittites, with their capital at Hattusa, which can be placed on the map as a result of archaeological evidence. Few and obscure allusions to the Hittites in the Bible would give very little idea of their real importance. Such peoples as the Hittites are on the fringe of the Bible story but in a Bible atlas they must be shown as part of the total background. Nevertheless, in all the maps of this Atlas, the Bible is central, and their purpose is to throw light on it and relate it to its historical and geographical setting. Because in many cases a map alone would not do this for the ordinary reader, it is recommended that

the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version. Ed. Michael D. Coogan. 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press), be used in conjunction with this electronic atlas. The progress of knowledge about the geographical and material background of the Bible not only the empires, cities, and villages but the daily life and everyday objects of biblical times has been phenomenal, particularly in this century, and this has been primarily, if not entirely, due to continued archaeological research. The overall plan of the maps is set out in the Chapter Outline: if this plan is studied briefly and borne in mind, the use of the maps themselves will be greatly assisted. Zaine Ridling, Ph.D. Access Foundation

Chapter outline
Part One The Biblical Setting
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 The Face of the Ancient Near East Natural Regions of Palestine Life in Ancient Palestine

Part Two The Hebrew Bible Period

Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Before Abraham The World of the Patriarchs The Egyptian Experience The Exodus Conquest and Settlement The Kingdom of David and Solomon The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel Judah Alone amid International Powers The Babylonian Exile The Persian Period The Hellenistic Period

Part Three The New Testament Era

Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Rome's Emergence as a World Power The Romans, Palestine, and Herod the Great The World of Jesus The Life and Ministry of Jesus Early Expansion of the Church The First Jewish Revolt The Early Christian Church

Part One: The Biblical Setting

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 The Face of the Ancient Near East Natural Regions of Palestine Life in Ancient Palestine

Chapter 1 The Face of the Ancient Near East

Map 001: Map 002: Map 003: Map 004: Map 005: Map 006: The Ancient Near East Modern States and the Ancient Near East Mesopotamia: Homeland of Abraham Egypt: Land of Bondage Syria and Lebanon International Routes, The King's Highway

Chapter 2 Natural Regions of Palestine

Map 007 Map 008 Map 009 Map 010 Map 011 Map 012 Map 013 National Regions of Ancient Palestine Cross Sectional Views of Longitudinal Zones Northern Coastal Plains Plain of Dor, Plain of Sharon, Samaria, et al. Philistine Plain, Shephelah, Judah, and the Dead Sea Arabah, Negeb, Wildernesses of Zin and Paran Modern Political Divisions of Ancient Palestine

Chapter 3 Life in Ancient Palestine

Map 014 Climate Patterns of Ancient Palestine

Part Two: The Hebrew Bible Period

Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Before Abraham The World of the Patriarchs The Egyptian Experience The Exodus Conquest and Settlement The Kingdom of David and Solomon The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel Judah Alone amid International Powers The Babylonian Exile The Persian Period The Hellenistic Period

Chapter 4 Before Abraham

Map 015 Map 016 Map 017 Selected Neolithic and Chalcolithic Settlements The Table of Nations Ancient Near East in the 3rd Millennium

Chapter 5 The World of the Patriarchs

Map 018 Map 019 Map 020 Map 021 Map 022 Map 023 Ancient Near East in the Time of the Patriarchs Palestine in the Middle Bronze Age The Migration of Abraham Abraham in Canaan Travels of Jacob The Journeys of Joseph

Chapter 6 The Egyptian Experience

Map 024 Map 025 Map 026 Map 027 Map 028 Map 029 Expulsion of the Hyksos Egypt and Palestine in the Late Bronze Age Campaigns of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II Canaan in the 14th Century: The T.E.A. Tablets The Egyptian Empire and the Hittites The Route of the Exodus

Chapter 7 The Exodus

Map 030 Map 031 Map 032 Events during the Sojourn at Kadesh-Barnea Journey of the Spies The Journey from Kadesh-Barnea to the Plains of Moab

Chapter 8 Conquest and Settlement

Map 033 Map 034 Map 035 Map 036 Map 037 Map 038 Map 039 Map 040 Map 041 Map 042 Map 043 Map 044 Map 045 Map 046 Map 047 Map 048 Map 049 Map 050 Ancient Near East from 1200-1000 BC The Sea Peoples The Levant from 1200-1000 BCE Joshua's Central and Southern Campaigns Joshua's Northern Campaign The Limits of Israelite Settlement The Tribal Allotments of Israel Levitical Cities and Cities of Refuge (1) The Judges of Israel Ehud and the Oppression of the Moabites Deborah's Victory over the Canaanites Gideon's Battles with the Amalekites Jephthah and the Ammonites Samson the the Philistines The Battle at Ebenezer and the Loss of the Ark The Ministry of Samuel and Anointment of Saul The Kingdom of Saul and His Wars David's Flight from Saul

Chapter 9 The Kingdom of David and Solomon

Map 051 Map 052 Map 053 Map 054 Map 055 Map 056 David's Rise to Power David's Wars of Conquest Israel's United Kingdom Solomon's Economic Enterprises Solomon's Building Activities Jerusalem in the Time of David and Solomon

Chapter 10 The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel

Map 057 Map 058 Map 059 Map 060 Map 061 Map 062 Map 063 Map 064 Map 065 Map 066 Map 067 Map 068 Map 069 Map 070 Map 071 The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah_01 The Campaign of Shishak Conflicts between Israel and Aram-Damascus The Omride Dynasty Phoenician Trade and Civilization Elijah and Elisha The Revolt of Jehu The Rise of Assyria Israel & Judah in the days of Jeroboam II and Uzziah The Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III The Syro-Ephraimite War Tiglath-Pileser III's Campaigns Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites Assyrian Districts after the Fall of Samaria Prophets of the 8th Century BCE

Chapter 11 Judah Alone amid International Powers

Map 072 Map 073 Map 074 Map 075 Map 076 Map 077 Map 078 Hezekiah's Preparation for Revolt Hezekiah's Jerusalem Sennacherib's Campaign against Judah Assyria in the 7th century BCE The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire The Reign of Josiah Nebuchadnezzar's Campaigns against Judah

Chapter 12 The Babylonian Exile

Map 079 Map 080 Map 081 Judah during the Exile Jewish Exiles in Babylon Jewish Refugees in Egypt

Chapter 13 The Persian Period

Map 082 Map 083 Map 084 Map 085 Map 086 World Powers of the 6th century BCE The Conquests of Cyrus the Great The Persian Empire The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah Judah in the 5th century BCE

Chapter 14 The Hellenistic Period

Map 087 Map 088 Map 089 Map 090 Map 091 Map 092 Map 093 Map 094 Alexander the Great's Empire The Division of Alexander's Empire ca. 275 BCE Palestine under the Ptolemies The Seleucid Empire and Antiochus III Campaigns of Antiochus IV against Egypt Selected Events in the Maccabean Revolt Jewish Expansion under the Hasmonean Dynasty Pompey's Campaign against Jerusalem

Part Three : The New Testament Era

Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Rome's Emergence as a World Power The Romans, Palestine, and Herod the Great The World of Jesus The Life and Ministry of Jesus Early Expansion of the Church The First Jewish Revolt The Early Christian Church

Chapter 15 Rome's Emergence as a World Power

Map 095 Map 096 Map 097 Map 098 Early Rome Roman Expansion in the 3rd & 2nd centuries BCE Civil Wars amidst Roman Expansion in 1st century BCE Roman Empire in the Age of Augustus

Chapter 16 The Romans, Palestine, and Herod the Great

Map 099 Map 100 Map 101 Roman Rule in Palestine 63-40 BCE The Kingdom of Herod the Great Herod's Building Program

Chapter 17 The World of Jesus

Map 102 Map 103 Map 104 The Division of Herod's Kingdom Palestine in the Time of Jesus_01 Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Chapter 18 The Life and Ministry of Jesus

Map 105 Map 106 Map 107 Map 108 Map 109 Map 110 Map 111 Map 112 Map 113 Jesus' Birth and Early Childhood John the Baptist Galilee in the Time of Jesus The Ministry of Jesus around the Sea of Galilee The Ministry of Jesus beyond Galilee Jesus' Journeys from Galilee to Judea Jesus in Judea and Jerusalem Jerusalem in the New Testament Period The Passion Week in Jerusalem

Chapter 19 Early Expansion of the Church

Map 114 Map 115 Map 116 Map 117 Map 118 Map 119 Map 120 Map 121 Map 122 Map 123 The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa I The Kingdom of Agrippa II Pentecost and the Jewish Diaspora Expansion of the Early Church in Palestine Paul's Conversion and Early Ministry The First Missionary Journey of Paul The Second Missionary Journey of Paul The Third Missionary Journey of Paul Paul's Arrest and Imprisonment Paul's Voyage to Rome

Chapter 20 The First Jewish Revolt

Map 124 Map 125 Map 126 Distribution of Roman Legions under Tiberius The First Jewish Revolt Titus's Campaigns

Chapter 21 The Early Christian Church

Map 127 Map 128 Map 129 Map 130 Map 131 Map 132 Churches of the Revelation The Roman Empire ca. 117 CE Palestine from 73-135 CE The Bar Kokhba Revolt, 132-135 CE Hadrian's Jerusalem Christian Expansion in the 2nd & 3rd Century