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Search for Biblical Geographical Locations
Julian Spriggs M.A.
This page lists a growing number of the geographical locations where events described in the Bible took place. It gives the Biblical name of the location, its modern name, and the modern nation where it is sited. It also gives the latitude and longitude of the location, and links to Google maps terrain and satellite view, if available.
There is a link to the page on Wikipedia about the location, and to the Holy Land Photos site, if these are available. Links to other websites are given if available.
The locations are listed in alphabetical order, and can be filtered by the name of the modern nation and the Bible period or periods that the location is associated with. Locations can also be searched by name.
New locations are continually being added to this page.
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92 locations found
Amphipolis
Serres, Central Macedonia
Greece
40° 49' N, 23° 50' E
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Acts
Acts 17:1
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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Luke records that Paul and Barnabas passed through the two cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia on the Second Missionary Journey without giving any further details. It is not known whether Paul stopped any longer than one night in each place, or did any missionary work there. Both cities lay on the Via Egnatia, the direct route between Philippi and Thessalonica.
Amphipolis was a large city, with extensive archaeological remains. There is a large burial mound and the famous lion of Amphipolis.
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Antioch (Pisidia)
Yalvac, Isparta Province
Turkey
38° 18' N, 31° 11' E
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Acts
Acts 13:14
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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The site of Pisidian Antioch is near the Turkish town of Yalvac at the western edge of the Anatolian Plateau. It was located at a crossroads, so became an important trading and communication centre. The city was established in the third or fourth century BC, and designated as a Roman colony in the province of Galatia by the Emperor Augustus in 25 BC, after which many buildings had been constructed. Excavated remains include a monumental gate, streets, a small theatre, a Temple to Augustus and a bathhouse. There are also remains of a large church dedicated to St Paul, also known as the 'Great Basilica'. It has been claimed that the church was originally built on the site of the Jewish synagogue where Paul preached (Acts 13:16-41). Antioch remained an important centre of the church for several centuries.
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Antioch (Syria)
Antakya, Hatay Province
Turkey
36° 12' N, 36° 11' E
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Acts
Acts 11:19-30, 13:1-3
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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Antioch in Syria, also known as Antioch on the Orontes, is now the city of Antakya in the Hatay province of Turkey. It founded by Seleucus I around 300 BC, as the capital of the Kingdom of Syria. It was the first predominantly Gentile church, where the believers were first called 'Christians' (Acts 11:19-26), and became one of the most important Christian centres. The church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas out on their missionary journeys (13:1-3). After each journey, Paul returned to this church.
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Apollonia
Pirgos Apollonias, Kavala
Greece
40° 44' N, 24° 8' E
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Acts
Acts 17:1
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Road Map
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Apollonia was a small town lying on the Via Egnatia, south of Lake Bolbe, which Paul and Silas passed through when travelling from Philippi to Thessalonica. No excavations have taken place here.
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Arad
Negev
Israel
31° 17' N, 35° 08' E
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Exodus and Conquest, United Monarchy, Divided monarchy
Num 21:1, 33:40, Josh 12:14,
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
Madain Project
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Arad was a Canaanite city in the Negeb inhabited at the time of Moses and Joshua. Their king attacked Israel when they began to enter the Promised Land, but was defeated by the Israelites (Josh 12:14). "When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming ..." (Num 21:1, 33:40).
A fortress was built by the Kingdom of Judea probably to defend the land from the Edomites. It contained a whole temple, which is described on tablets found on the site as a 'temple to Yahweh'. Within the temple was a high place containing smooth standing stones, representing the presence of Yahweh, and altars. Remains of the incense on the altars have recently been analysed and found to contain frankincense and cannabis.
Excavation of the site of Arad began in the 1960's. It is located west of the Dead Sea, about 10 km (6 miles) west of the modern town of Arad.
A replica of the high place from Arad is displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
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Ashdod
Ashdod
Israel
31° 48' N, 34° 39' E
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Exodus and Conquest, Post-exilic, Acts
1 Sam 5:1, 6:17, Neh 13:23, Acts 8:40
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
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Ashdod was one of the five cities of the Philistines, known as the Pentapolis, along with Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath and Gaza (Josh 13:3). They are often named together in judgement oracles by the prophets:
"For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they carried into exile entire communities, to hand them over to Edom. So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, fire that shall devour its strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish." (Amos 1:6-8).
"For Gaza will be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted." (Zeph 2:4).
"Ashkelon shall see it and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are withered. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; a mongrel people shall settle in Ashdod, and I will make an end of the pride of Philistia." (Zech 9:5-6)
Modern Ashdod is a large city and major port in Israel. The ancient Philistine town of Ashdod lies about 6 km (4 miles) to the south-east. It is known as Azotus in Greek, and Isdud in Arabic. It is an important archaeological site known as Tel Ashdod.
In the Book of Samuel, Ashdod is described as one of the important cities of the Philistines. After the Philistines had captured the ark of the covenant from Israel, they took it to Ashdod and placed in the temple of their god, Dagon (1 Sam 5:1). The following morning the statue of Dagon had fallen on its face before the ark. Then the next day the statue had fallen and was broken. The Lord struck the people of Ashdod with tumours, after which the ark was taken to Gath, then returned to Israel (1 Sam 5:1 - 6:9).
Nehemiah criticised the people of Israel for marrying women from Ashdod and other non-Jewish cities, and having children who could not speak the language of Judah (Neh 13:23).
In the Book of Acts, Philip the evangelist found himself at Azotus after witnessing to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:40).
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Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Israel
31° 40' N, 34° 34' E
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Exodus and Conquest
Judges 14:10-20
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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Ashkelon was one of the five cities of the Philistines, known as the Pentapolis, along with Ashdod, Ekron, Gath and Gaza (Josh 13:3). They are often named together in judgement oracles by the prophets:
"For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they carried into exile entire communities, to hand them over to Edom. So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, fire that shall devour its strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish." (Amos 1:6-8).
"For Gaza will be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted." (Zeph 2:4).
"Ashkelon shall see it and be afraid; Gaza too, and shall writhe in anguish; Ekron also, because its hopes are withered. The king shall perish from Gaza; Ashkelon shall be uninhabited; a mongrel people shall settle in Ashdod, and I will make an end of the pride of Philistia." (Zech 9:5-6)
Ashkelon or Ascalon was a major Philistine city on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea on the Philistine plain. It is 51 km (32 miles) south of Joppa and 19 km (12 miles) north northeast of Gaza. It is a large archaeological site to the south of the modern city of Ashkelon.
After Samson's wife explained his riddle, Samson went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men, and gave their garments to those who had explained the riddle (Judges 14:10-20).
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Assos
Ayvacik, Çanakkale Province
Turkey
39° 29' N, 26° 20' E
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Acts
Acts 20:13
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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At the time of Paul's visit on his third missionary journey Assos was a larger town which has now shrunk to be the village of Behramkale, or Behram. It had an important strategic harbour. There is a significant archaeological site with wide-ranging views to the sea, containing a temple to Athene, a theatre, an agora and some remains of the ancient harbour below.
Luke does not describe any ministry that Paul did there. In Assos Paul rejoined his companions on the ship travelling to Mitylene on the island of Lesbos.
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Assur
Saladin Governorate
Iraq
35° 27' N, 43° 16' E
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Divided monarchy
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
UNESCO
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Assur was the capital of the Old Assyrian Empire during the second millennium BC, until it was conquered by the Babylonians under Hammurabi. During the neo-Assyrian Empire the capital was moved to other cities, first of all to Calah, then to Nineveh. The ruins of Assur are on the west bank of the River Tigris about 30km (20 miles) south of Mosul in Iraq, and are now a UNESCO World Heritage site, but have been damaged during the recent conflicts.
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Athens
Greece
37° 58' N, 23° 43' E
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Acts
Acts 17:16-34
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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Athens has been the cultural and political centre of Greece for thousands of years. It is well known for its outstanding archaeological remains, including the Acropolis, temples and Agoras.
Luke recorded that Paul argued with people in the market-place (agora) every day (17:17). This is known as the Greek or Classical Agora today.
Paul gave his famous speech to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers in front of the Areopagus on Mars Hill (17:16-31), very close to the Acropolis. There is a tablet recording Paul's speech inset into the rock.
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Attalia
Antalya
Turkey
36° 53' N, 30° 42' E
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Acts
Acts 14:25
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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Attalia was the port for Perga, where Paul probably landed from Cyprus on his first missionary journey. It is now the city of Antalya. He sailed from here back to Antioch at the end of his first journey (14:25).
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Babylon
Hillah, Babil Governorate
Iraq
32° 33' N, 44° 25' E
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Divided monarchy, Exilic
2 Kg 25, 2 Chr 36, Daniel
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
UNESCO
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The ancient city of Babylon was built on both sides of the River Euphrates.
It became the capital of the neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar, and the location of the exile of the Jews from Judah (2 Kg 25, 2 Chr 36). The prophet Daniel became prominent in the court of Babylon.
The ruins of Babylon are near the Iraqi town of Hillah, about 85 km (53 miles) south of Baghdad.
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Balawat
Nineveh Governorate
Iraq
36° 13' N, 43° 24' E
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Divided monarchy
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
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Balawat was a smaller town north-east of Nimrud (Calah). It is the site of the ancient Assyrian city of Imgur-Enlil, meaning 'Enlil agreed'. The city was founded by Ashurnasirpal II, with construction continuing under Shalmaneser III.
The reconstructed gates from a royal building built by Shalmaneser III in 845 BC in Balawat are displayed in the British Museum. The bronze bands are decorated with scenes of battle, including the Battle of Qarqar.
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Beer-sheba
Tel Be'er Sheva, Negev
Israel
31° 15' N, 34° 50' E
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Patriarchs, Exodus and Conquest
Gen 21:25-34, 22:19, 26:17-25, 46:1, 1 Sam 3:20
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
Israel Parks
Madain Project
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Beer-sheba is mentioned 33 times in the Bible. It is often used when describing the southern limit of the promised land, such as "From Dan to Beersheba" (1 Sam 3:20).
Beer-sheba was a significant centre in the lives of the patriarchs. It was given its name meaning 'Well of Seven' or 'Well of the Oath' when Abraham and Abimelech made a covenant about the use of the well (Gen 21:25-34). Following this, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the LORD. He also made Beer-sheba his place of residence (22:19).
Abraham's son Isaac also made an agreement after another argument with Abimelech about the use of the well in Beer-sheba, which had been stopped up following the death of Abraham (Gen 26:17-22). God then appeared to Isaac and renewed the promise to Abraham (Gen 26:23-25). God also appeared to Issac's son Jacob at Beer-sheba, telling him not to fear to go to Egypt to be reconciled with Joseph (Gen 46:1).
Beer-sheba was allocated to the tribes of Simeon and Judah (Josh 15:15:28; 19:2), and served as the southern outpost of the kingdom of Judah.
The site of Tel Be'er Sheva is close to the modern city of Beersheba, the administrative centre of the Negev region of Israel. Archaeological excavations have been taken place for more then 30 years.
A reconstructed four-horned altar from Beersheba is displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
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Beroea
Kar-Verria, Macedonia
Greece
40° 31' N, 22° 12' E
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Acts
Acts 17:10
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
Discover Veria
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Berea or Beroea, is now the small town of Veria. There are more recent mosaics recording Paul's visit on his second missionary journey, and remains of Roman roads. There is an old synagogue, which may have been built over the location of the ancient synagogue visited by Paul.
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Beth-shemesh
Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem
Israel
31° 45' N, 34° 59' E
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Exodus and Conquest, United Monarchy, Divided monarchy
Josh 15:10, 21:6, 1 Sam 6:12-20, 1 Kg 4:9, 2 Kg 14:11-14
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
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Beth-shemesh means the 'house of the sun' or the 'temple of the sun' in Hebrew. It was originally named after the Canaanite sun-goddess Shapash, or Shemesh, who was worshipped there before the conquest of the land.
The border between the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Dan was defined as passing through Beth-shemesh (Josh 15:10). It was one of the 13 citires allocated to the Levitical Kohathites (Josh 21:16). There was a different settlement also called Beth-shemesh in the territory of the tribe of Naphtali (Josh 19:38).
Beth-shemesh in Judah was the first city that the ark of the covenant was brought to when being returned from the Philistines (1 Sam 6:12-20), before being passed on to Kiriath-jearim. The ark was set down beside a great stone, which served as a witness in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh (1 Sam 6:18).
It was one of the administrative districts of Solomon (1 Kg 4:9). Beth-shemesh was the site of a battle between King Amaziah of Judah and King Jehoash of Israel (2 Kg 14:11-14).
Tel Beit Shemesh, the site of Beth-shemesh, is a small archaeological tell northeast of the modern city of Beit Shemesh about 20 km (12 miles) west of Jerusalem. It has been well excavated by a number of archaeological expeditions.
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Bethel
Beitin
Palestine
31° 55' N, 35° 14' E
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Patriarchs, Exodus and Conquest, United Monarchy, Divided monarchy
Gen 28:10-22, 1 Kg 12:25-44, Amos 7:10-17
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
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Originally called Luz, Bethel, meaning 'House of God' was given its name by Jacob after his dream of ladder reaching to heaven (Gen 28:10-22). Following the division of the kingdom, Jeroboam I placed a golden calf at Bethel, claiming that it was a representation of Yahweh (1 Kg 12:25-33). The prophet Amos brought his words against the northern kingdom of Israel at Bethel (Amos 7:10-17).
The site of Bethel is thought to be near the village of Beitin, on the Palestinian West Bank, 3 miles (5 km) north-east of Ramallah.
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Caesarea
Caesarea
Israel
32° 30' N, 34° 54' E
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Gospels, Acts
Acts 18:22
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
Holy Land Photos
Israel Parks
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The harbour of Caesarea was constructed by Herod the Great between 22 BC and 10 BC. It became the main port for Judea, and the seat of the Roman government. It was here that Paul was brought so his case could be heard by Felix and then by Festus, leading to his appeal to the emperor (25:12), and by Agrippa II.
The extensive remains of the harbour and city are now known as Caesarea Maritima.
An inscription naming Pontius Pilate was found in Caesarea, and is now displayed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
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Calah / Nimrud
Noomanea, Nineveh Governorate
Iraq
36° 06' N, 43° 20' E
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Divided monarchy
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Road Map
Satellite View
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Wikipedia
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This was the site of the palace of Ashurnasirpal II (883 - 859 BC), originally discovered in 1845 by Henry Austin Layard, who is known as the father of Assyriology. It is situated approximately 30km (20 miles) south of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Many of the wall panels are now displayed in the British Museum in London.
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