About This Atlas
An interactive atlas of biblical geography, built to serve students, pastors, and anyone who wants to understand where biblical events happened and why place matters for reading Scripture.
The Map
This atlas uses Leaflet.js to render a fully interactive map. The default tile layer is ESRI World Street, which shows modern roads, terrain, and cities — providing geographic context for ancient biblical locations. Five tile layers are available via the map controls:
- ESRI World Street — default. Roads and terrain for orientation
- ESRI World Topo — terrain contours and natural features
- ESRI World Satellite — satellite imagery
- CartoDB Positron (Light) — minimal light basemap
- CartoDB Dark Matter — dark basemap for low-light use
Map tiles are served by ESRI ArcGIS Online and CartoDB. All tile data is © OpenStreetMap contributors under the Open Database License (ODbL).
Biblical Place Data
Biblical places are mapped using modern archaeological and geographic scholarship. Ancient sites are identified by their biblical name, latitude/longitude coordinates, and a description of their biblical significance. Not every ancient location has been definitively identified — some coordinates represent scholarly consensus; others are approximate.
Each place includes:
- Category (city, landmark, mountain, water body, island)
- Era(s) of biblical significance (Patriarchal through Church)
- Old Testament and/or New Testament significance
- Key Scripture verses that explicitly name the location
- Neighboring biblical places within ~30 km
How Places Are Named
The map uses modern scholarly identifications of biblical sites — for example, Tell es-Safi is identified as Gath, and Khirbet Qumran as Qumran. Where biblical and modern names differ, both are noted. Ancient names are included where they appear in Scripture.
Some sites are debated among scholars; the atlas generally follows the majority scholarly view. Where identification is uncertain, the description notes this.
Marker Shapes
Each biblical category has a distinct marker shape to make the map scannable at a glance:
- City or Settlement — villages, towns, and capital cities
- Landmark or Route — roads, valleys, and crossroads
- Mountain or Valley — peaks, ridges, and plains
- Water Body — rivers, seas, lakes, and springs
- Island or Coastal — islands, harbors, and coastal sites
Click any marker to read about that place's biblical significance and explore related events and key verses.
Scripture Translations
In-app scripture text is shown in the World English Bible (WEB), a public-domain translation. It is delivered via the free bible-api.com API, which only supports public-domain texts.
The NASB (New American Standard Bible) link opens on BibleGateway.com for each verse. NASB is used because it is widely available, accurately translated, and well-suited for detailed study.
The Timeline
The Timeline view shows biblical events plotted chronologically, from the patriarchal period through the New Testament church. Events are shown as cards positioned along a horizontal timeline; click any card to fly to that place on the map. Use the era filter buttons above the timeline to focus on a specific period.
The timeline covers seven eras: Patriarchal, Exodus and Wilderness, Conquest and Judges, United Monarchy, Divided Monarchy, Exile and Return, and the Gospel and Early Church.
Filters
Use the category tabs to filter by type of place. Use the Old Testament / New Testament checkboxes to show only places relevant to the era you are studying. Filters combine: selecting "Cities" + "Old Testament" shows only cities mentioned in the Old Testament.
The era filter on the timeline lets you isolate a specific biblical period for focused study.
Search
The search box uses semantic matching — it finds places by meaning as well as by name. Searching "where Jesus healed a blind man" will surface Jericho (Zacchaeus), Bethsaida (the blind man at Bethsaida), and Jerusalem (Lazarus). The random button jumps to a random biblical place.
Accuracy Caveats
Biblical geography involves genuine scholarly uncertainty. While this atlas represents the current best consensus:
- Some ancient sites have not been definitively located
- Territory boundaries shown on the map are approximate editorial illustrations, not historical fact
- The route of the Exodus and the location of biblical Mt. Sinai are actively debated
- Some Pauline journey stops are disputed among scholars
- Coordinates may differ slightly between reference sources
This atlas is a devotional and educational tool, not an academic authority. When precision matters, consult specialized reference works.