Map Ramah to Shiloh
Bible map Ramah to Shiloh.
Ramah was a short version of the city’s full name, Ramathaim—a bit like LA is short for Los Angeles and KC is short for Kansas City. Ramah is usually linked to ruins called Al-Ram. It’s about 5 miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem and about 15 miles (24 km) south of Shiloh. That’s almost a day’s walk to Shiloh. Some scholars link Rama to another ruin about five miles southwest, Nabi Samwil. At the time, Jerusalem was still a generation away from when King David would capture it and turn it into his capital, the City of David.
Road from Ramah to Shiloh
Map Persian province of Judah
Map Persian province of Judah
Map of the Persian province of Judah
After the Jewish nation of Judah fell to Babylonian invaders in 586, many survivors lived in exile. Some returned 50 years later, when Persians freed them.
It was only a partial freedom. The Jews lived for the next 200 years as a tiny province of Persia: Yehud, which is translated "Judah" or "Judea."
It was roughly a 40-mile-wide square plug of ground (60 km), in territory that became known as Palestine. The Jewish province included Jerusalem and beyond, into what are now central parts of Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Jerusalem is where Jews sacrificed animals to God. So when the Jews returned, they built a new temple and later restored some of the walls around the city, but not to the larger size it was before the defeat.
Map of Judah as a Persian province
Map of Bethel
Map of Bethel
Map of Bethel and Greater Jerusalem in Old Testament Bible times.
Map of Bethel and Greater Jerusalem
Bible map of Samaria
Map Ephraim tribe
Map Ephraim tribe
Bible map of Ephraim tribe with others viewed from above the Greater Jerusalem area, looking to the Northern Jewish Kingdom of Israel.
Bible map of Ephraim
Bible map Jerusalem
Bible map Jerusalem
Bible map of the Greater Jerusalem area with nearby cities to the north in the northern Jewish Kingdom of Israel
Bible map Greater Jerusalem area
Map of Hosea’s world
Map of Hosea's world
Map of Hosea's world of Israel and Judah and surrounding countries in the mid-700s BC.
Map Samaria Mt Gerizim Mt Ebal
Map Samaria Mt Gerizim Mt Ebal
Map Samaria Mt Gerizim Mt Ebal Shechem.
Map of Samaria, Mt. Gerizim, Mt. Ebal
Map of Micah’s world
Map of Micah's world
Map of Micah's world of Israel and Judah and surrounding countries in the 700s BC.
Map of Samaria, city and territory
Map of Samaria, city and territory
Samaria, capital of Israel
And territory in northern Promised Land
Map of Samaria: Samaria was one of the capital cities of the northern Jewish nation that took the name of Israel when it parted company with the tribe of Judah in the south. Samaria also became the name of the territory in and around the city. In time, it became a nickname for the northern tribes. King Omri built the city of Samaria and made it his capital. He was the father of the infamous King Ahab who married the Baal-worshiping Jezebel. Omri bought a hill from a man named Shemer and paid about 150 pounds of silver for it. Omri built a new capital city on that hill. He named the town Samaria, after the former owner.Attacking Samaria
Syrian King Ben-hadad mobilized all the armies in his region. He combined the infantry, cavalry, and chariot corps of 32 kings of kingdom territories and towns. Then he took them to Israel’s capital city of Samaria and attacked. Israel’s elite corps of guards stepped forward, creating a first line of attack. Ben-hadad’s scouts saw them coming and reported back, “Men from Samaria are advancing onto our position.”Standoff then counterattack
For seven days the two armies eyed each other from their camps. Then, on day seven, they fought. Israel killed 100,000 Syrian infantrymen on that first day. The rest fled into the walled city of Aphek for protection. But the walls collapsed, killing another 27,000 of them. Ben-Hadad hid in the back room of a house. His officials said, “Listen, we’ve heard Israel’s kings show mercy. Let’s go to their king dressed in humble cloths, in sackcloth with rope belts.” He may let us live. So, wearing sackcloth with rope belts, the leaders presented themselves to the king of Israel.Invader surrenders
They said, “Ben-Hadad sends this message: “I am Ben-Hadad, your servant. Please let me live.” Ahab said, “Ah, he’s still alive? And he’s my brother now?” The captives took that as a hopeful sign. So, they said, “Yes. Yes he is. He’s your brother, Ben-Hadad.” Ahab said, “Then bring him here.” When Ben-Hadad stepped up, Ahab told him to step into his chariot with him. Ben-Hadad said, “I’m giving you back the cities my father took from your father. And I’m offering you a marketplace in Damascus, just as my father once had a market in Samaria.” Ahab said, “Agreed. Because of this peace treaty, I’ll set you free.”For more Bible features
Map of Samaria territory