Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

Copyright © 2010 by Crossway

Text copyright © 2010 by John D. Currid

Published by Crossway

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Maps by David P. Barrett (www.biblemapper.com)

Illustrations produced by Maltings Partnership (Derby, England) under the direction of Leen Ritmeyer.

Terrain imagery generated from digital elevation data provided by CIAT (A. Jarvis, H. I. Reuter, A. Nelson, E. Guevara, 2006, Hole-filled seamless SRTM data V3, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture [CIAT], available from http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org).

Maps of average monthly temperature and average monthly rainfall for the Near East generated from data provided by UNEP/DEWA/GRID-Europe (http://www.grid.unep.ch/data).

Cover and interior design: Jimi Allen Productions

First printing 2010

Printed in Singapore

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the ESV ® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked RSV are from The Revised Standard Version. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-0192-0

ISBN-10: 1-4335-0192-9

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-1914-7

PDf ISBN: 978-1-4335-1912-3

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1913-0

Currid, John D., 1951-

      Crossway ESV Bible atlas / John D. Currid and David P. Barrett.

         p. cm.

      Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

      ISBN 978-1-4335-0192-0 (hc)

      1. Bible–Geography–Maps. 2. Bible–History of Biblical events–Maps. I. Barrett, David P. II. Title.

      G2230.C8 2010

      220.9’10223–dc22

                                                2009036660

IMG          17    16    15    14    13    12    11    10

10          9       8       7      6      5      4      3     2    1

PHOTOGRAPH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Photographs, used by permission, have been provided by the following:

Todd Bolen/BiblePlaces.com: 0-2, 0-3, 0-6, 0-8, 0-11, 0-13, 1-1, 1-3, 1-4, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 4-1, 4-3, 4-4, 5-1, 5-2, 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, 7-1, 7-4, 10-1, 10-2, 12-1, 12-2, 12-4, 12-5, 12-6, 12-9, 12-13, 12-16, 12-17, 12-19 (photos 2-4, 3-1, 5-4, 12-9 courtesy of the Rockefeller Museum) (photos 0-11, 12-6 courtesy of the Istanbul Museum)

John D. Currid: 0-4, 0-7, 0-9, 0-10, 0-12, 0-14, 0-15, 12-3, 12-7, 12-8, 12-10, 12-18

Michael Luddeni: back cover (inscription), 0-1, 2-1, 7-2, 8-1, 9-1

The British Museum: 6-3, 7-3, 7-5, 8-2 (© The Trustees of the British Museum. All rights reserved.)

iStockphoto: cover (pyramid), 1-2, 12-12, 12-14, 12-15

David Bivin/LifeintheHolyLand.com: 0-5, 4-2

The Barry J. Beitzel Photographic Collection: 11-1

Michael Luddeni/Oral Collins: 3-3

Michael Luddeni/Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology, Jerusalem: 5-3

William L. Krewson/BiblePlaces.com: 12-11

Getty Images: cover (aqueducts)

To Marvin R. Wilson, outstanding teacher, who started

me on the path of ancient Near Eastern studies

–John

To Anisea, with deepest love

–David

CONTENTS

Preface

PART 1: Introduction and Overview of the Biblical World

PART 2: Historical Geography of the Biblical World

1. Before Abraham

2. The World of the Patriarchs

3. The Sojourn in Egypt and the Exodus

4. The Wilderness Journeys, Conquest, and Settlement

5. The United Monarchy

6. The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

7. The Assyrian Era

8. The Babylonian Era

9. The Persian Era

10. The Hellenistic Era

11. The Maccabean Era

12. The Roman Era

PART 3: Regional Geography of the Biblical World

Introduction to Regional Maps

R-1. Biblical World

R-2. Mesopotamia, Levant, Media

R-3. Southern Anatolia, Cyprus, Northern Levant

R-4. Western Anatolia

R-5. Macedonia and Achaia

R-6. Crete

R-7. Central Italy

R-8. Italy and North Africa

R-9. Egypt

R-10. Sinai

R-11. Palestine

R-12. Judea

R-13. Samaria

R-14. Galilee, Tyre, Mount Hermon

R-15. Gilead

R-16. Moab

R-17. Edom

R-18. Philistia

R-19. Jerusalem in Old Testament Times

R-20. Jerusalem after the Exile

R-21. Jerusalem in New Testament Times

PART 4: Appendixes and Indexes

Timeline of Biblical History

Kings of Israel and Judah

The Herodian Dynasty

Selected Bibliography

SPECIAL ARTICLES

A Garden in Eden

Pottery

The Code of Hammurabi

Ancient Egyptian Literature and the Exodus

The Migration of the Sea Peoples

The Story of Ruth

The Stepped Structure in Jerusalem

The Tel Dan Inscription

The Historical Animosity between Israel and Judah

The Golden Calves

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

The Prism of Sennacherib

The Priestly Benediction

The Lachish Letters

Nehemiah’s Jerusalem

Elephantine

Alexandria

The Zenon Papyri

Judaism during the Hasmonean Era

Archaeological Remains in Jerusalem from the Time of Jesus

Sepphoris

ILLUSTRATIONS

Hebrew Calendar and Seasonal Activities

Ziggurats

The City of Ur

The Tabernacle and Court

The Tabernacle Tent

The City of Jericho

Jerusalem in the Time of David

Jerusalem in the Time of Solomon

Solomon’s Temple

Solomon’s Temple and Palace Complex

The City of Nineveh

Jerusalem in the Time of Hezekiah

The City of Babylon

The Temple of Ezekiel’s Vision

Zerubbabel’s Temple

Jerusalem in the Time of Nehemiah

The Temple Mount in the Time of Jesus

The Temple and Its Courtyards

The Temple

Galilean Fishing Boat

Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus

Golgotha and the Temple Mount

The Tomb of Jesus

Philippi in the Time of Paul

Corinth in the Time of Paul

Ephesus in the Time of Paul

Rome in the Time of Paul

Synagogue at Gamla

MAPS

0-1. Major Regions of the Ancient Near East

0-2. Natural Geographic Regions of Palestine

0-3. Average Temperatures in the Near East

0-4. Average Rainfall in the Near East

0-5. Average Annual Rainfall in Palestine

0-6. Economy of the Ancient Near East

0-7. Economy of Ancient Palestine

0-8. Seismic Activity in the Near East

0-9. Main Routes of the Ancient Near East

0-10. Main Routes of Ancient Palestine

0-11. Modern Political States of the Near East

0-12. Modern Political States and Archaeological Sites of Palestine

1-1. The Garden of Eden

1-2. Table of Nations

1-3. The Near East during the Early Bronze Age

1-4. Canaan during the Early Bronze Age

2-1. Abram Travels to Canaan

2-2. The Battle at the Valley of Siddim

2-3. The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

2-4. Journeys to Paddan-aram

2-5. Jacob Returns to Canaan

2-6. Joseph and His Brothers

2-7. Egypt at the Time of Joseph

3-1. The Near East during the Late Bronze Age

3-2. The Exodus from Egypt

4-1. The Journey to Kadesh-barnea

4-2. The Journey of the Spies

4-3. The Failed Entry into Canaan

4-4. The Journey to the Promised Land

4-5. Israel Defeats Og and Sihon

4-6. Balaam Blesses Israel

4-7. Preparing to Attack Jericho

4-8. Israel Enters the Promised Land

4-9. The Covenant Is Renewed at Mount Ebal

4-10. The Conquest of Canaan: The Southern Campaign

4-11. The Conquest of Canaan: The Northern Campaign

4-12. The Boundaries of the Promised Land

4-13. The Allotment of the Land

4-14. Kings Defeated by the Israelites

4-15. Israel at the Time of the Judges

4-16. The Judges of Israel

4-17. Ehud Defeats the Moabites

4-18. Deborah and Barak Defeat the Canaanites

4-19. Gideon Defeats the Midianites

4-20. Jephthah Defeats the Ammonites

4-21. The Migration of the Sea Peoples

4-22. Samson’s Exploits

4-23. The Setting of Ruth

4-24. Dan’s Migration and Israel’s War with Benjamin

4-25. The Ark’s Travels

5-1. Israel under Saul, David, and Solomon

5-2. Saul Rescues Jabesh-gilead

5-3. The Battle at Michmash

5-4. The Battle at Elah

5-5. David Flees from Saul

5-6. David Recovers Plunder from the Amalekites

5-7. The Battle at Mount Gilboa

5-8. David’s Struggle for Power

5-9. David Captures the Stronghold of Zion

5-10. David Defeats the Philistines

5-11. David Defeats the Ammonites and Syrians

5-12. David and Absalom

5-13. David’s Census

5-14. Solomon’s Administrative Districts

5-15. Jerusalem at the Time of Solomon

5-16. Solomon’s International Ventures

6-1. Solomon’s Enemies

6-2. The Kingdom Divides

6-3. Elijah and Elisha

6-4. Ahab’s Wars with Syria

6-5. Moab Revolts

6-6. Moab Expands Its Borders

6-7. Jehu Executes Judgment

6-8. Syria Captures Gilead

6-9. Resurgence during the Time of Uzziah and Jeroboam II

6-10. Zerah Attacks Judah

6-11. War between Israel and Judah

6-12. The Moabite Alliance Attacks Judah

6-13. Edom and Libnah Revolt

6-14. Uzziah Fortifies Jerusalem

6-15. Prophets of Israel and Judah

7-1. The Rise of the Assyrian Empire

7-2. Syria and Israel Attack Judah

7-3. Assyria Captures Northern Israel

7-4. The Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites

7-5. Judah after the Fall of Israel

7-6. Hezekiah Fortifies Jerusalem

7-7. Assyria Attacks Judah

8-1. The Decline of the Assyrian Empire

8-2. Josiah’s Reforms and His Battle with Neco

8-3. Nebuchadnezzar Attacks Judah

8-4. Exile to Babylon

8-5. The Fall of Jerusalem

8-6. Israel and Judah after the Exile to Babylon

8-7. Gedaliah Is Assassinated

8-8. Jeremiah Prophesies against Egypt

8-9. Ezekiel’s Vision of Israel’s New Boundaries

9-1. The Persian Empire

9-2. Judea under Persian Rule

9-3. Jerusalem at the Time of Zerubbabel

9-4. Jerusalem at the Time of Nehemiah

10-1. The Empires of Alexander and His Successors

10-2. The Empires of the Ptolemies and the Seleucids (Early)

10-3. Antiochus III’s First Egyptian Campaign (Fourth Syrian War)

10-4. Antiochus III’s Second Egyptian Campaign (Fifth Syrian War)

10-5. Antiochus IV’s Egyptian Campaign (Sixth Syrian War)

10-6. The Empires of the Ptolemies and the Seleucids (Late)

11-1. The Beginnings of the Maccabean Revolt

11-2. Israel under the Early Maccabees

11-3. Israel under the Later Maccabees

11-4. Key Locations of the Maccabean Era

11-5. Jerusalem at the Time of the Maccabees

12-1. The Rise of the Roman Empire

12-2. The Kingdom of Herod the Great

12-3. Palestine under Roman Rule

12-4. Jesus’ Birth and Flight to Egypt

12-5. Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

12-6. Jesus’ Ministry beyond Israel

12-7. Jesus Travels through Samaria

12-8. Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem

12-9. Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus

12-10. The Last Supper

12-11. Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion

12-12. Jesus’ Appearances after His Resurrection

12-13. Nations at Pentecost

12-14. The Ministry of Philip the Evangelist

12-15. Peter’s Early Ministry

12-16. Paul’s Conversion and Early Travels

12-17. The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa I

12-18. Paul’s First Missionary Journey

12-19. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

12-20. Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

12-21. Paul’s Arrest and Imprisonment

12-22. The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa II

12-23. Paul’s Voyage to Rome

12-24. The First Jewish Revolt

12-25. The Bar Kokhba Revolt

12-26. Jerusalem after the Time of Hadrian

12-27. The Roman Empire and the Spread of Christianity

3D MAPS

2-A. View of the Cities of the Plain from Hebron

3-A. Mount Sinai

4-A. View of Canaan from Mount Nebo

4-B. Shechem, Mount Gerizim, and Mount Ebal

4-C. Mount Tabor and the Valley of Jezreel

5-A. The Slopes of Mount Gilboa

6-A. The Mountains of Edom

8-A. Megiddo Pass and Its Strategic Position

10-A. The Battle of Issus

11-A. Beth-horon Pass and Gophna Hills

12-A. The Sea of Galilee

12-B. Caesarea Philippi and Mount Hermon

12-C. Cilician Gates

12-D. Ephesus Area

12-E. Cities of the Lycus Valley

PREFACE

AS ANY STUDENT OF SCRIPTURE QUICKLY learns, the Bible was not written in a vacuum. Its books are set in specific geographic locations in the Near East during specific times in history, and these factors greatly affect how a book should be understood and interpreted. At the same time, the authors of Scripture often assumed their audiences already understood the context in which their messages were set (since that was the audiences’ context as well), so they did not bother to describe these details fully in their books.

Today, of course, we live in a very different context, both geographically and historically, from that of the original audience of Scripture. We cannot rely on our experience alone or even on careful study of Scripture alone to fill in these details. Instead, we must look to other resources that accurately describe the Bible’s background and help to re-create its context in our minds. The Crossway ESV Bible Atlas has been created for this very purpose.

The Crossway ESV Bible Atlas strives to offer students of the Bible a comprehensive collection of highly accurate, aesthetically appealing resources that present geographical and historical information in a way that is easy to use and that will not overwhelm the reader with technical detail at unnecessary places. Incorporating and expanding upon the maps and other resources originally developed for the ESV Study Bible, the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas utilizes maps, narrative description, photographs, comprehensive indexes, and 3D re-creations of biblical objects and sites to help the reader gain a clearer understanding of the world of the Bible and the meaning of Scripture. These standard resources are further complemented, in Part 3, by a unique collection of highly detailed maps of various biblical regions, such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Greece, and Italy.

A CD containing grayscale and color digital versions of the historical maps, along with a searchable index, is included to assist those who want to utilize these materials in a digital environment. Windows users may use the installer to activate the ESV Atlas Search Center, which will locate all maps that contain a specific place name, Scripture reference, or keyword in the title or caption, or that fall within a specific date range. Mac users may open the file named ESVAtlas-Historical-Maps_1.html in a web browser to perform manual text searches for similar items.

The Crossway ESV Bible Atlas also capitalizes on the amazing recent advances in satellite imaging and geographic information systems. Terrain imagery has been generated from data originally supplied by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (see copyright page for more information). In addition, the precise locations of most ancient sites have been confirmed by pinpointing their ruins or the corresponding modern town through high resolution satellite imagery.

This extensive resource could never have happened without the help of numerous people and organizations to whom we are grateful. We wish to acknowledge Lane Dennis, Al Fisher, and Justin Taylor at Crossway, without whose support and direction this project would never have happened. The map design expertise of Josh Dennis at Crossway was invaluable, as was the editorial work of Bill Deckard. Barry Beitzel served as the geographical consultant for the majority of the historical maps, and his wealth of knowledge in this area was extremely helpful. We are also grateful for the photographic resources provided by Todd Bolen, Michael Luddeni, Barry Beitzel, and the British Museum. The illustrations and 3D reconstructions of Maltings Partnership and Leen Ritmeyer are greatly valued. Todd Bolen also graciously provided the scan of the Ordnance Survey map of Jerusalem by Charles Wilson (1865), used in the regional section of the atlas.

We pray that this resource helps readers expand their understanding of the world of the Bible and thereby helps them grow in their understanding of God’s Word.

PART 1:

INTRODUCTION

AND OVERVIEW

OF THE BIBLICAL

WORLD

"Stand by the roads,

and look, and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way is; and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah 6:16

THE LAND IN WHICH THE ISRAELITES settled is important in its location because it sits at the crossroads of the ancient Near East. It serves as the land bridge between Asia and Africa, and in ancient times it lay between the two great civilizations of the Near East, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Human settlement developed early in the river valleys of those two regions, and the shift from food gathering economies to agricultural economies can be viewed in the archaeological record of the Neolithic period. In time, trade began between the peoples of the Nile River basin and those of the Tigris and Euphrates River valleys. International highways evolved, connecting the two areas. Two major international highways connected Egypt and Mesopotamia; one of these went directly through the land of the Israelites, and the other lay just east of the Jordan River, skirting the impassable eastern desert.

Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, was home to the great nations of Babylonia and Assyria in Old Testament times. The patriarch Abraham was a native of Mesopotamia (Gen. 11:31). Assyria was the power that destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17:6). Babylonia did the same to the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. (2 Kings 25).

No kingdom in antiquity reached the heights of human civilization attained by Egypt. In fields such as medicine, architecture, and literature the Egyptians went far beyond the other nations of the ancient Near East. Egypt was a critical land in the Old Testament narratives. Joseph was sold and imprisoned in Egypt but then rose to power. The Egyptians enslaved the Hebrews for more than 400 years until they were miraculously delivered by the hand of God. Pharaoh Shishak became a thorn in the side of the divided kingdoms soon after the death of Solomon (1 Kings 14:25).

0-1. The Tigris River in Mesopotamia.

0-1. Major Regions of the Ancient Near East

Most contact between these two major regions, whether war or commerce, took place in the land of Palestine. The key to power in the ancient Near East was to control Palestine, and particularly the road system that traversed it. Down through history, this has continued to be true. When Napoleon attempted to bring the Middle East into his empire in 1799, he was halted at the Palestinian port of Acco (Acre). The failure of German forces to capture the Middle East during World War I was partly due to T. E. Lawrence’s rout of the axis armies within the Palestinian topography.

0-2. The Nile River. The Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt the gift of the Nile.

NATURAL GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF PALESTINE

Before we look at the individual regions of Palestine, we must consider the compactness of the land. The land of Palestine is approximately the size of the state of Vermont. Yet in this comparatively small area there occurs an amazing array of different physical features: Palestine is a land of contrasts in geography, topography, climate, and vegetation. For example, while the Dead Sea is about 1,300 feet (400 m) below sea level, the city of Jerusalem is about 2,400 feet (730 m) above sea level, though it is a mere 14 miles (23 km) from the Dead Sea. We will explore the individual geographic regions of the land from west to east (see map 0-2, p. 19).

0-2. Natural Geographic Regions of Palestine

The Mediterranean Coast

The coastline of Palestine contains few natural harbors. The Israelites and other inhabitants of the land, for the most part, ignored shipping; they were not known for their maritime exploits. The Phoenicians, whose land was on the coast north of Palestine, became well known for their seafaring. They founded many colonies throughout the Mediterranean, including Carthage on the northern shores of Africa. King Solomon established some trade by sea, but this was from Elath on the shore of the Red Sea and not from the Mediterranean Sea (1 Kings 9:26). Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, attempted to build a fleet at Ezion-geber in order to establish trade with Tarshish, but the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish (2 Chron. 20:37).

The Mediterranean coast of Palestine may be divided into three areas. The first is the Sharon Plain, extending from the modern city of Haifa in the north to the city of Tel Aviv/Jaffa on the Jarkon River in the south. Its character is determined by three sandstone ridges, called Kurka Ridges, which run from south to north. The area has many small rivers that make much of the land swampy. It lacks natural deepwater ports. Thus, in the Roman period, Herod the Great constructed an artificial harbor along the Sharon Plain; he called it Caesarea after his patron Caesar Augustus (see photo 0-3). The Roman Empire thus opened up the Mediterranean for commerce through shipping, and Caesarea became the main gateway to the west from Palestine.

The second coastal area is Philistia, extending from Tel Aviv/Jaffa in the north to the Besor Brook south of Gaza. This area is mainly grassland with no forests. This was the settlement area of the ancient Philistines, which included their pentapolis (five capital cities) of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza.

The third and final region is the Sinai coast-lands. This is a semiarid coastland with many sandy dunes and little rain. Throughout history its population has been sparse. Its primary importance for antiquity is that it was the area through which the Great Trunk Route ran; this was a main highway for commerce and also for military incursion. Pharaoh Shishak’s invasion of Israel and Judah went along this route.

0-3. The coastal plain near Caesarea.

The Shephelah

Within a dozen miles of the Mediterranean coast going eastward is the Shephelah, a transitional area between the plains along the coast and the mountains of the central hill country. It is a region of rolling hills in which appear numerous broad valleys that penetrate from the western plains (see photo 0-4). In antiquity the broad valleys tended to be areas of transit and areas of conflict between the peoples of the hill country and those of the coastal plains. For example, part of the battle between Joshua’s forces and the five kings of the Amorites occurred in the Shephelah; it was there where the sun stood still in the Valley of Aijalon so that the Israelite forces could have the time to defeat the enemy ( Josh. 10:12). Samson struck one thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey ( Judg. 15:16) in one of these traversing valleys. David defeated the Philistine giant Goliath in one of these valleys, the Valley of Elah (1 Sam. 17:1–2).

0-4. The Shephelah, or foothill region, between the hill country of Judah and the coastal plain of Philistia.

The Central Hill Country

To the east of the Shephelah are the central highlands (see photo 0-5). This mountainous spine runs from north to south for approximately 90 miles (145 km): it begins at the southern tip of the Valley of Jezreel near Mount Gilboa and continues southward into Samaria and the mountains of Gerizim and Ebal; from there it continues into Judea to the city of Hebron. These hilly areas appear quickly as one travels from the Mediterranean Sea inland; from sea level at the Mediterranean to the city of Jerusalem the land rises 2,400 feet (730 m) in just 35 miles (56 km).

0-5. The hill country of Palestine, which was the primary area of Israelite settlement after the conquest under Joshua.

The central highlands played an important role in biblical history. After Abraham entered the land of Canaan he first stopped at Shechem in the northern highlands (Gen. 12:6). Abraham and his nephew Lot were encamped between the towns of Bethel and Ai in the hill country when they decided to separate and divide the land (13:3). After their parting, Abraham moved to the area of Hebron in the southern highlands (v. 18). Abraham took his son Isaac to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah, which is identified with Jerusalem, in the central hill country (Gen. 22:2; cf. 2 Chron. 3:1). David captured the city of Jerusalem, purchased the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite there (1 Chron. 21:18– 27), and planned the building of God’s temple on the site. Jerusalem became the capital city of the united kingdom, and of the southern kingdom of Judah after the division. The Son of God, Jesus, was born in the southern hills of Judea. And although he spent much of his life in Galilee, he returned to the hills around Jerusalem to bring to a climax his work and ministry. His crucifixion, death, and resurrection occurred in Jerusalem. He appeared to many of his disciples there. And from the top of the Mount of Olives he ascended in glory to sit at the right hand of the Father.

Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, was located in the Samarian highlands. Omri founded the city in the mid-ninth century B.C., and his son Ahab made it infamous when he married the Baal worshiper Jezebel, princess of Tyre (1 Kings 16:29–34). Phoenicia had great influence on the material culture of the northern kingdom, and trade between the two areas was brisk. Its pagan religious influence on Israel was also enormous, and this raised the ire of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17–18). According to the books of 1–2 Kings, not one good king ever reigned in Samaria. The city was destroyed by the Assyrian army in 722 B.C.

The Rift Valley

To the east of the highlands is a precipitous drop to the Rift Valley, a major and imposing fault that runs north-south from Asia Minor through Africa. Part of that major land fault is the Jordan Valley, which descends from Mount Hermon in the north to the Dead Sea in the south. The Jordan Valley may be divided into four parts:

1. The Upper Jordan. The peak of Mount Hermon is 9,200 feet (3 km) above sea level. Snow usually blankets the top of this mountain. The melting of that snow along with fresh water springs at the foot of Mount Hermon feed water into the Rift Valley and form the headwaters of the upper Jordan River. This river flows south until it empties into the Sea of Galilee near the New Testament town of Bethsaida.

Mount Hermon was understood to be the northern point of the Land of Promise in numerous biblical texts (see Josh. 12:1). This region, however, was a frontier zone in Old Testament times and supported only two major cities: Dan and Hazor. Hazor was destroyed in the northern campaign of Joshua ( Josh. 11:10–11). Solomon made Hazor into one of his major store cities (1 Kings 9:15). Jeroboam set up one of his golden calves in the city of Dan (1 Kings 12:28–30). Both of these sites have undergone major archaeological excavation. During the New Testament period, Peter made his famous confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi, which is next to Dan (Matt. 16:13–20).

2. The Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is actually a lake that is 13 miles (20 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide. Its surface is 680 feet (207 m) below sea level, and at one point it reaches a depth of 145 feet (45 km). In the Old Testament it was called the Sea of Chinnereth, and it only appears in border descriptions (e.g., Josh. 12:3; 13:27). The Sea of Galilee does not play a major role in any Old Testament narratives. In the New Testament period the lake was a principal setting for Jesus’ Galilean ministry. Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and healing ministry centered largely on the northern and western shores of the sea and in the towns of Bethsaida (Mark 6:45), Chorazin (Luke 10:13), Capernaum (Matt. 4:13), and Magdala (also called Magadan; 15:39). Several of his disciples were fishermen from these villages ( John 1:44). It was upon the Sea of Galilee that Jesus walked on the water (Mark 6:45– 52). And he calmed a storm while coming across the lake in a boat (Mark 4:35–41).

3. The Lower Jordan. The Jordan River emerges from the southern end of the Sea of Galilee and flows downward to the Dead Sea, a distance of approximately 65 miles (105 km). In that distance the river drops around 600 feet (185 m) in elevation. This descent is probably the reason for the name of the river: in Hebrew the name Jordan means descending/downward. Where the river nears its end at the Dead Sea its descent is more precipitous, about 40 feet per mile (12 m per 1.5 km), so that the water rushes into the Dead Sea. The surface of the Dead Sea is 1,300 feet (400 m) below sea level. The Jordan River is not a straight line from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea; rather, it meanders in a serpentine course (see photo 0-6). And it is neither wide nor deep. Although the measurements vary from place to place, the river averages a hundred feet (30 m) wide and seven to eight feet (c. 2 m) deep.

The lower Jordan River was the eastern boundary of the Land of Promise in Old Testament times. The Israelites entered the Promised Land across the river when God miraculously divided it in much the same way as he had parted the Red Sea ( Josh. 3:14–17). The prophet Elijah later separated the river and walked through it, after which he was taken to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:6–14). Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was healed in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:13–14). In New Testament times, Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River (Mark 1:4–11), and there John prophesied that the Messiah’s time was at hand ( John 1:24–28).

4. The Dead Sea. The surface of the biblical Salt Sea (see photo 0-7) lies at the lowest point on earth at 1,300 feet (400 m) below sea level. Its deepest point is in the northern half of the sea, where it plunges another 1,300 feet (400 m) to its bottom. The sea is 49 miles (80 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide. It has no outlet—water leaves only by evaporation. This process can be quite rapid; in the summer the sea can lose as much as an inch (25 mm) in one day. The salt concentration in the Dead Sea is as much as seven times as dense as seawater, making plant and marine life impossible. In ancient times salt and bitumen were gathered there, and only a few settlements were able to survive on the shores of the Dead Sea.

0-7. The Dead Sea, so named because its high salt content renders it uninhabitable by any marine life.

0-6. The Jordan River Valley. It is part of the larger Rift Valley that extends from the Sea of Galilee in the north into Africa in the south.

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were located in the region of the Dead Sea (Gen. 19:23– 26). It was here that Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt, becoming just like the salty region that surrounded her. On the western banks of the sea are some canyons with springs in them. The most famous of these is Engedi, where David hid from King Saul, and where he spared the king’s life in a cave (1 Sam. 24:1–7). In the second century B.C. a separatist sect settled along the western shore of the Dead Sea at Qumran. Here they awaited the coming of the Messiah, and they copied numerous texts, many from the Old Testament, which they hid in caves. At Masada, on the western bank of the Dead Sea, the