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Places in the Scriptures

PLACES IN
THE
SCRIPTURES

A  /  B  /  C  /  D  /  E  /  F  /  G  /  H  /  I  /  J  /  K  /  L  /  M  /  N  /  O  /  P  /  Q  /  R  /  S  /  T  /  U  /  V  /  W  /  X  /  Y  /  Z




A

 

A
► Antioch | Turkey: Located in ancient Syria on the Orontes | One of the most important cities in the Hellenistic period | Capital of the Seleucid Empire
​​
​​► Antonia Fortress | Israel: Located on the north-west corner of the Temple MountRoman military headquarters in Jerusalem built by Herod the Great, named for Mark Anthony

► Ariel: see Jerusalem

► Aram: see Syria

► Armageddon: see Megiddo

► Assyria / Asshur | Iraq: Major city-state in Mesopotamia | Located on the Tigris River | One of the oldest civilization-centers in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) | Cultural, political, and religious center of the Assyrian Empire

► Athens | Greece: Greek capital of Attica/Achaia | Seat of Greek literature and art

B




B

 

► Banias: see Caesarea Philippi

► Babylon / Babel / Shinar | Iraq: Founded by Nimrod | Located on the Euphrates River | One of the oldest cities in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) | Cultural, political, and religious center of Babylonia | Sometimes used to denote "the world"

► Beersheba | Israel: "Well of the Oath" | Marked the southern boundary of ancient Israel 

► Beth She'an / Beit Shan / Scythopolis | Israel: "House of Safety" | Located on major crossroad in the Jordan River Valley from Damascus to Egypt and Jerusalem from Shechem | One of the oldest cities in Israel | | Part of the Decapolis

► Bethabara: see Jordan River

► Bethany | Israel: "House of the Poor" | Located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives

► Bethel / Luz | Israel: "House of God" | Located on the border of Benjamin and Ephraim | One of the most sacred places in Israel

► Bethlehem / Ephratah | Israel: "House of Bread" | Ancient town located five miles south of Jerusalem

► Bethsaida | Israel: "House of Fish" | Located on the north end of the Sea of Galilee
C




C

 

► Caesarea / Strato's Tower | Israel: Mediterranean coastal port | Expanded by Herod the Great to become the Roman capital in Judea

► Caesarea Philippi / Banias / Paneas / Neronias Irenopolis | Israel: Located at the base of Mount Hermon | The spring is one source of the Jordan River | Near to Dan | Rebuilt by Philip the Tetrarch

► Caiaphas, Palace of | Israel: Located in the Upper City of Jerusalem | Large residence of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas 

► Calvary: see Golgotha

► Cana | Israel: Small town in the Galilee near Nazareth

► Canaan: see Israel

► Capernaum | Israel: Fishing village located on north end of the Sea of Galilee | Located on the Via Maris trade route

► Carmel, Mount | Israel: Coastal mountain and important site of ancient religious worship

► Cenacle: see Upper Room

► Church of the Holy Sepulcher: see Golgotha and Garden Tomb

► City of David | Israel: Considered the original settlement core of Jerusalem | Area included: Gihon Springs, Hezekiah's Tunnel, Pool of Siloam

► Corinth | Greece: Chief town of Achaia, the Roman province

CE-CZ
D




D

 

► Damascus | Syria: Located north of the Galilee region on the Via Maris trade route in Syria | One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world | Fourth holiest city in Islam
► Dan / Laish / Leshem | Israel: "Lion" | Northernmost city of ancient Israel | Near foot of Mount Hermon and Caesarea Philippi
► Dead Sea / Salt Sea / Sea of Arabah | Israel: Lowest lake on earth at 1300 feet below sea level | Water is ten times saltier than ocean | Contains many minerals associated with healing

► Decapolis: see Beth She'an

► Dome of the Rock / Foundation Stone | Israel: Iconic golden dome shrine in Jerusalem | Oldest Islamic structure in the world; included in the al-Aqsa Mosque Compound | Built over rock where Abraham was to offer his son | Most likely built where the two Jewish temples stood

► Dothan | Israel: Located in northern Samaria (modern West Bank) | Known for its fertile valley and good pastures

E




E

 

► Ebal, Mount | Israel: Mountain in Samaria, north of Shechem/Nablus near to Mount Gerizim | One of the highest peaks in the West Bank 

 Edom / Idumea | Israel: "Red" | Located south of the Dead Sea | Located around Mount Seir | Not included in ancient Israel | Inhabited by Esau's descendants

► Egypt / Mizraim: One of the oldest countries in the world | Located on the Mediterranean | Civilization relied on the Nile River | One of the most commonly mentioned locations in the Bible outside of the Holy Land

► En-gedi: see Dead Sea

► En-mishpat: see Kadesh-barnea

► Ephesus | Turkey: Capital of the Roman province of Asia | Important business center in Asia Minor 

► Esdraelon, Plains of: see Jezreel Valley




F

 

F

► Fayette | New York: Located in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York




G

 

G

► Galilee, Sea of / Chinnereth / Gennesaret / Tiberias | Israel: Lowest fresh-water lake in the world with a flourishing fishing industry | 12 miles long and 7 miles wide | Jordan River flows through it

► Garden Tomb | Israel: Tomb in a garden outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was buried | Alternate site is at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

► Gaza | Israel: Located on the Mediterranean Sea | One of the five Philistine cities | Located on the Via Maris trade route

► Gerizim, Mount | Israel: Mountain in Samaria, south of Shechem/Nablus near Mount Ebal | One of the highest peaks in the West Bank 

► Gethsemane | Israel: Olive grove across the Kidron brook on the low slope of the Mount of Olives

► Gibeon | Israel: Canaanite city located north of Jerusalem which later became Israelite 

► Gilgal | Israel: "Circle of Stones" | Located near the Jordan River, although possibly several locations used the same name

► Gihon Springs: see City of David

► Golgotha / Calvary | Israel: Hill outside Jerusalem's walls on which Jesus was crucified | Traditional site is at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; other possible location is outside the Garden Tomb

GI-GZ
H




H

 

► Haran / Charran | Turkey: Named for Abraham's brother HaranNear the source of the Euphrates River | Important trading center mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions
► Harmony | Pennsylvania: Located in Northeast Pennsylvania

► Hebron / Mamre / Kirjath-arba | Israel: Located in southern Judea | 20 miles south of Jerusalem | One of the oldest cities in the Levant | One of Judaism's Four Holy Cities

► Hermon, Mount / Senir / Sirion | Syria: Tallest mountain in the Holy Land at 9400 ft | Waters and springs feed the Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, and Dead Sea

​​

► Hezekiah's Tunnel: see City of David

► Horeb, Mount: see Sinai

I




I

 

 Idumea: see Edom
► Israel: Geographic region in the Levant that God chose for His people in the Bible | Boundaries have changed many times through the years, but are typically divided into the regions below




J

 

J
JO-JZ
► Jaffa: see Joppa

► Jebus: see Jerusalem

► Jericho / City of Palms | Israel: World's oldest walled city | Tel-Aviv, a modern city, is located just north 

► Jerusalem / Salem / Shalem / Ariel / Jebus / Aelia Capitolina | Israel: One of the world's oldest cities | Considered holiest city in Judaism & Christianity, and 3rd holiest in Islam | Capital of modern Israel and Palestine

 

► Jezreel Valley / Plains of Esdraelon | Israel: Largest valley in Israel | Fertile area used to grow many crops | Located on the Via Maris, a major trade route route between Africa and Asia, making it a strategic military location; Egyptians, Hittites, Israelites, Philistines, Assyrians, Syrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Crusaders, Turks, and the British have all fought battles in that valley | The final end-of-the-word battle of Armageddon will also be fought here (see Megiddo)

​​

► Joppa / Jaffa / Tel-Aviv | Israel: Mediterranean coastal port, one of world's oldest | Just north is Tel-Aviv, a modern port city

​​

► Jordan River | Israel: Flows from Mount Hermon, through the Sea of Galilee, through the Jordan Valley, and ends in the Dead Sea | One of the world's most sacred rivers | Serves as a border between Israel and Syria and Jordan today

► Judea / Yehud | Israel: Mountainous region of Israel which included Jerusalem, the Shephelah to the Mediterranean, the Hill Country, Desert, and Wilderness, the Jordan Valley, and the Dead Sea
► Judean Wilderness / Desert | Israel: Hilly desert that lies east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea




K

 

K

► Kadesh-barnea / En-mishpat | Israel: "Water of Meribah" | Located in the southwest end of Israel in the desert

► Kidron Valley / Cedron / Valley of Jehoshaphat | Israel: Valley/ravine separating the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem | Small brook runs through the bottom

L




L

 

► Laish: see Dan

​​

► Leshem: see Dan

► Levant: Sub-regional area in the Middle East which contains Israel and nearby countries, including Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon

► Luxor: see Thebes

M




M

 

► Machpelah, Cave of: see Hebron

► Magdala | Israel: Fishing village on western shore of Sea of Galilee | Located on the Via Maris trade route

► Mamre: see Hebron

► Masada | Israel: Isolated rock plateau | Located in the Judean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea | One of Israel's most popular tourist destinations today

  • Wikipedia | Google Maps

    • David hid from Saul in the area (1 Sam. 24:22; 1 Chron. 12:8)
    • King Herod built two winter palaces
    • Site of the Jews’ last stand during the A.D. 66-73 revolt against the Romans. 960 Jews killed themselves rather than surrender

► Megiddo, Tel / Armageddon / Esdraelon | IsraelStrategic military stronghold in Jezreel Valley along the Via Maris trade route from Egypt to Assyria

► Meribah: see Kadesh-barnea

► Midian | Saudi Arabia: "Judgement" | Located east of the Gulf of Aqaba | Midianites were nomadic, so their lands are somewhat undefined

► Moab | Jordan: Mountainous desert region located east of the Dead Sea

► Moriah, Mount: see Temple Mount

N




N

 

► Nablus: see Shechem

► Nazareth | Israel: Village in the hilly Galilee region

Nineveh: capital of Assyria
O




O

 

► Olives, Mount of / Olivet | Israel: Mountain located opposite of the Temple Mount | Named for the olive groves which once covered its slopes




P

 

► Patmos, Isle of | Greece: Island in the Aegean Sea

► Persia | Iran: Ancient city-state from modern-day Afghanistan to the Mediterranean | Founded by Cyrus the Great | Its capitals were Persepolis, Babylon, Susa/Shushan, and Ecbatana

P




Q & R

 

► Rakkath: see Tiberias

 Rome | Italy: Capital of the ancient world | One of Europe's oldest continuously occupied cities 

Q&R




S

 

► Safed / Sepph / Tzefiya / Tzfat | Israel: City in Upper Galilee | One of Judaism's Four Holy Cities
  • Wikipedia | Google Maps
    • Jerusalem Talmud listed it as one of the five elevated spots fires were lit to announce the New Moon and festivals during the Second Temple period
    • Became the principal center of the Kabbala in the 16th century
► Salem​: see Jerusalem

► Samaria / Shomron | Israel: Ancient city and region in the central Israel | Now part of the West Bank | Became headquarters of the Northern Kingdom of Israel | After 10 tribes carried away, Samaritans emerged as an ethnoreligious group, claiming the area for their own

► Scythopolis: see Beth She'an

► Shalem: see Jerusalem

► Shechem / Nablus / Sychar | Israel: Most ancient sacred town in Samaria | Sits in between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal

► Shiloh | Israel: "He Whose it Is" | Located in Samaria and the modern-day West Bank | Located between Bethel and Shechem
► Shinar: see Babylon
► Shushan / Susa | Iran: Capital of Elam and Persia
► Siloam, Pool of: see City of David
► Sinai / Horeb | Egypt: Mountain in the Sinai peninsula of Egypt | Possibly Jabal Mousa today

► Strato's Tower: see Caesarea

► Susa: see Shushan

► Sychar: see Shechem

► Syria / Aram-Damascus: Country/area north of Israel & Palestine | Original inhabitants were Semitic | Important cities included Ebla, Antioch, and Damascus | Conquered at different times by Sumerians, Mitanni, Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Hittites, Phoenicians, Arameans, Persians, Greeks, and Romans

S
SH-SZ




T

 

► Tabor, Mount | Israel | Rounded mountain at the east end of the Jezreel Valley

 

► Temple Mount & Temple / Solomon's Temple / Temple of Zerubbabel / Herod's Temple / The Noble Sanctuary / Jehovah-jireh | Israel: Platform plaza built on Mount Moriah (sometimes referred to as Mount Zion) in Jerusalem | Housed the two Jewish temples: the Temple of Solomon and the Temple of Zerubbabel (rebuilt by Herod) | Currently houses the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque

► Tel-Aviv: see Jaffa

► Thebes / Luxor / No | Egypt: Located on the Nile River 400 miles south of Cairo | Upper Egypt | Capital of Egypt during the Middle and New Kingdom Eras | Includes temple of Karnak

► Tiberias / Rakkath | Israel: Originally a pagan city built by Herod Antipas on western shore of the Sea of Galilee, but after the fall of Jerusalem, it became a major political and religious hub for the Jews, including the Sanhedrin | Considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities

► Tomb of the Patriarchs: see Hebron
T
U–Y

► Upper Room / Cenacle | Israel: Room in Jerusalem which is the traditional site of the Last Supper

Z




Z

 

Zion, Mount: see Temple Mount

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