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Casual English Bible

By Stephen M. Miller

Bible Maps Search Engine

Maps related to Jerusalem

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About the Casual English Bible Maps..

Bible maps make the Bible clearer

The Casual English Bible® maps tell Bible stories in a captivating way that engages even people who have never read the Bible. Lavishly detailed maps only make the stories of Jesus and others more compelling and easier to picture and to understand.

These 3D-style maps of Bible lands are created from blended high resolution satellite images, matched to precise elevation data from international space agencies.

How to search for maps

—Type “Galilee” into the Casual English Bible’s map search engine, below. Instantly, you’ll see dozens of beautiful maps…many in 3D style. Each one tracks with a different Bible story. These aren’t generic maps with a hundred place names.
—Type “Samson” into the Bible map search engine. You’ll see the tiny village where he lived in the Judean foothills below Jerusalem.
—Type “Corinthians” and you’ll see a gallery full of maps associated with Paul’s letters of 1, 2 Corinthians, to the church in Corinth, Greece.

3D sense of the lay of the land

Get a feel for the lay of the land:

—Ararat Mountains, where Noah’s boat ran aground. The Bible doesn’t say it was Mount Ararat.
—Judean hills where Joshua and the Israelites found most of their battles for the Promised Land. They avoided the plains, where their enemies with armored chariots had the advantage over Israel’s foot soldiers.
—Jesus’ 20-mile climb from Jericho and the Jordan River Valley upward half a mile high, to the crest of the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem.
—One surprise for some readers is the Jesus Triangle, a plug of ground between three cities. It’s where Jesus spent most of his ministry time. A person can walk that entire triangle in a single day. Type “Jesus triangle” to see it.

Map of ancient Israel

map of Israelites settling east of the Jordan River

Map of ancient Israel

Bible Book: Deuteronomy Type: Maps Location: Ammon, Arad, Aram, Arnon River, Aroer, Ataroth, Bashan, Beersheba, Beon, Canaan, Cluster Valley, Damascus, Dibon, East Manasseh, Elealeh, Gad, Gilead, Hebron, Heshbon, Jabesh-gilead, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Judean hills, Moab, Mount Hermon, Mount Nebo, Negev, Nimrah, Philistia, Plains of Moab, Rabbah, Ramoth in Gilead, Reuben, Sebam Era: Conquering Canaan
Map of ancient Israel east of the Jordan River: East Manasseh, Gad, Reuben tribes of Israel.
Israel east of the Jordan River
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Boundary of Promised Land

map of boundaries of Promised Land as described in Numbers 34

Boundary of Promised Land

Bible Book: Numbers, Deuteronomy Type: Maps Location: Aleppo, Beersheba, Bethel, Canaan, Carchemish, Damascus, East Manasseh, Edom, Euphrates River, Gad, Gaza Strip, Gerar, Hamath, Haran, Hebron, Israel, Jerusalem, Mount Seir, Nablus, Negev, Paddan-Aram, Peniel, Petra, Ramoth in Gilead, Reuben, Route of the Israelite spies, Shechem, Sinai Peninsula, West Bank Era: Conquering Canaan, Exodus
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Israel east of the Jordan River

Map of Israelite tribes settling east of the Jordan River

Israel east of the Jordan River

Bible Book: Numbers, Deuteronomy Type: Maps Location: Arad, Aram, Arnon River, Aroer, Ataroth, Bashan, Beersheba, Beon, Canaan, Cluster Valley, Damascus, Dibon, East Manasseh, Elealeh, Gad, Gilead, Hebron, Heshbon, Israel, Jabesh-gilead, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Judean hills, Moab, Mount Hermon, Mount Nebo, Negev, Nimrah, Philistia, Plains of Moab, Rabbah, Ramoth in Gilead, Reuben, Sebam Era: Conquering Canaan
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Map View from Mount Nebo

Map of the view of the Promised Land of Israel from Mount Nebo - for the Casual English Bible

Map View from Mount Nebo

Bible Book: Deuteronomy Type: Maps Location: Canaan, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jordan River, Mount Ebal, Mount Gerizim, Mount Nebo, Plains of Moab Era: Conquering Canaan, Exodus

View from Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo has the highest summit on the plateau, at 2,300 feet elevation, or 710 meters. That’s an especially good vantage point to view what is now Israel and Palestinian territories since the Dead Sea is about 1,400 feet below sea level, or 430 meters. That’s more than a kilometer above the Jordan River Valley, about three-fourths of a mile.

Why God didn't let Moses into Promised Land

Scholars debate why God reacted wouldn't let Moses into the Promised Land of Canaan. Two popular guesses:
  1. God told Moses to merely speak to the rock, but Moses angrily hit it with a stick—twice. Also, Moses seemed to take some credit for the miracle when he said “Do we have to bring water from this rock” (Numbers 20:9). As in God and Moses, the tag team? Some scholars say God’s complaint about Moses and Aaron in Numbers 20: 12 and 24 seem like an overreaction to what the men did.
  2. So, another guess is that the writer didn’t want to report what really happened. Instead, he wanted to protect the reputation of the men.
The Lord told Moses, "Go to the Abarim Mountains (1)  and climb Mount Nebo, (2) in the land of Moab. From there, you can look toward Jericho. You’ll see the land of Canaan, which I’m giving to the people of Israel. 50Afterward, you’ll die there on that mountain and return to your ancestors, just as your brother Aaron did at Mount Hor.(3) 51You didn’t believe me enough to do what I said at the Complainer’s Spring (4) in the Zin Desert. You didn’t do anything to show the people that I’m holy. 52For that, I’m not going to let you lead them into the land I’m giving them." (Deuteronomy 32:49-52, Casual English Bible). See Bible Gateway for other Bible versions.

Notes

  1. Mountains east of the Jordan River. It includes Mount Nebo and extends south.
  2. Across the Jordan River from Jericho.
  3. It’s unclear where Mount Hor was. There’s a long tradition that connects it to Jebel Nabi Harun (Mountain of Prophet Aaron), roughly a day’s walk south of Edom’s capital city of Petra. Some scholars say that mountain was well inside the country of Edom, which is where the Israelites were forbidden to go. Another contender is Jebel Madurah. It was about a two-day walk northwest of Petra. The mountain is southwest of the Dead Sea, along what would have been the border of the Promised Land and Edom.
  4. Literally “the waters of Meribah-kadesh.” Meribah means to fight, argue, complain, rebel. Kadesh is a location. Scholars most often identify Kadesh, also called Kadesh Barnea, as the spring-fed oasis at Tel el-Qudeirat, on Egypt’s side of the border with Israel. Another contender is Ain Qadeis, also on Egypt’s side of the border. Bible writers put the location in different deserts: Zin Desert (Numbers 20:1) and Paran Desert (Numbers 13:26). Some theorize there were two Kadesh oases. West Kadesh and East Kadesh. Not many scholars seem to buy into that. The story of Moses disobeying God, as reported in Exodus, says Moses named the site “Pushy Complainers,” or literally in the Hebrew name, “Massah Meribah.” Massah means to test or to get pushy.
View from Mount Nebo
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Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan

Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan

Bible Book: Joshua Type: Maps Location: Acacia Grove, Ammon, Gilgal, Heshbon, Jericho, Jerusalem, Moab, Mount Nebo, Plains of Moab, Route of crossing Jordan River Era: Conquering Canaan

Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan

Jordan River

The Jordan River and the river valley are important locations in both the Old and New Testaments. It's especially important to the Jewish and Christian people.

Geography of the River

The river is a river in the Middle East that starts north, in the mountains of Lebanon. It flows into the Dead Sea. Bible writers talk about it many times. They report it in the story of Joshua, who led the Israelites across the Jordan into Canaan. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan. The Jordan River valley is a lush green area that is surrounded by desert. It's famous for its fertile land and beautiful scenery. Bible writers called it the land of milk and honey. This is because God told Moses that he would lead the Israelites to a land "where milk and honey flow like rivers" (Exodus 3:8, Casual English Bible).

Jordan River scenes in the Bible

The Jordan River valley is home to other important biblical sites, including Jericho. That's the city famous for its walls that came tumbling down in Joshua's time. The northern river valley is also home to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. And in that same valley, on the Sea of Galilee, is where the Bible writers report that Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. The Casual English Bible describes the river as "the most famous river in the Bible." It says that when Joshua led the Israelites across the river and into the Promised Land "walking in the water of the Jordan River symbolized the people stepping out in faith and trusting God to keep his promise." The Bible says God stopped the Jordan River during flood sea, which allowed the Israelites to cross. Israelites are the ancient ancestors of today's Jewish people.
For more about the River, consider these bestselling Bible-background books: Complete Guide to the Bible, Who's Who & Where's Where in the Bible.
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Map of Canaan, Promised Land

cross-section map of the Jewish homeland, the Promised Land, today's Israel and Palestinian Territories

Map of Canaan, Promised Land

Bible Book: Numbers, Deuteronomy Type: Maps Location: Beersheba, Bethlehem, Caesarea Philippi, Damascus, Galilee, Hebron, Israel, Jerusalem, Joppa, Jordan River, Judah, Judean hills, Mount Hermon, Mount Tabor, Nazareth, Samaria the city, Sebaste, Sidon, Sychar, Tel Aviv, Tyre

Map of Canaan, Promised Land

Ancient Israel, known as Canaan, was located in the eastern Mediterranean region on a plug of ground with diverse geography: seacoast, mountains, river valley, desert. There's also some wasteland that's something of a cross between desert, Mars, and the floormat in a '91 Buick Skylark.

Hill people

The land affected where Israelites chose to live. And it directed the battles they fought with neighboring peoples such as the Philistines and others.
The Jordan River runs down the center of the country, providing a source of water for the Israelites and their crops.
Israelites settled in various parts of the country, depending on the availability of water, fertile land, and defensive positions. Hilltops were good. The Bible describes the Israelites settling in areas such as the central hill country, the Jordan Valley, and the coastal plain.

Powerful Philistine enemy

Philistines, a powerful people of the ancient Near East, today's Middle East, lived in the coastal plain. They were a constant threat to the Israelites. The Bible describes several battles between the Israelites and the Philistines, including the famous story of David and Goliath.
The geography of the land also played a role in these battles. The Philistines' control of the coastal plain gave them a strategic advantage in terms of trade and military power. However, the Israelites' knowledge of the hill country and their ability to use it to their advantage helped them win battles against the Philistines.

Israel's many enemies

The Israelites also faced conflicts with other neighboring peoples, including the Canaanites, Amorites, and Moabites. The geography of the land influenced these conflicts as well, with battles often fought over valuable resources such as water and fertile land.
Lay of the land
Get a larger copy of this map and a license to use it in your presentation, book or website.

Lay of the land

map cross-section Israel

Lay of the land

Bible Book: Psalms Type: Maps Location: Bethlehem, Hebron, Israel, Jerusalem, Joppa, Jordan River, Judah, Mount Hermon, Mount Tabor, Nazareth, Samaria the city, Sychar Era: Heroes, kings

Map of Canaan, Promised Land

Ancient Israel, known as Canaan, was located in the eastern Mediterranean region on a plug of ground with diverse geography: seacoast, mountains, river valley, desert. There's also some wasteland that's something of a cross between desert, Mars, and the floormat in a '91 Buick Skylark.

Hill people

The land affected where Israelites chose to live. And it directed the battles they fought with neighboring peoples such as the Philistines and others.
The Jordan River runs down the center of the country, providing a source of water for the Israelites and their crops.
Israelites settled in various parts of the country, depending on the availability of water, fertile land, and defensive positions. Hilltops were good. The Bible describes the Israelites settling in areas such as the central hill country, the Jordan Valley, and the coastal plain.

Powerful Philistine enemy

Philistines, a powerful people of the ancient Near East, today's Middle East, lived in the coastal plain. They were a constant threat to the Israelites. The Bible describes several battles between the Israelites and the Philistines, including the famous story of David and Goliath.
The geography of the land also played a role in these battles. The Philistines' control of the coastal plain gave them a strategic advantage in terms of trade and military power. However, the Israelites' knowledge of the hill country and their ability to use it to their advantage helped them win battles against the Philistines.

Israel's many enemies in Canaan

The Israelites also faced conflicts with other neighboring peoples, including the Canaanites, Amorites, and Moabites. The geography of the land influenced these conflicts as well, with battles often fought over valuable resources such as water and fertile land.
For more Bible background, consider the bestselling Complete Guide to the Bible, by Stephen M. Miller.
Get a larger copy of this map and a license to use it in your presentation, book or website.
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