The Basic Bible Atlas: A Fascinating Guide to the Land of the Bible

By John A. Beck

The Bible tells the story of God meeting real people in a real time and place, yet we rarely take the time to wonder, Why there? Maybe we have a hard time even picturing where there is. To begin to fully understand the Bible, we must understand the geographical settings of Scripture and how each place participates in the biblical story.

With its colorful maps, The Basic Bible Atlas helps us link geography to Bible study so we can understand how place impacted events in the Bible. From Eden to Egypt, from the promised land to Persia, from Bethlehem to the New Jerusalem, The Basic Bible Atlas is a fascinating guide to the land of the Bible. Your Bible study will never be the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781493430185

John A. Beck

John Beck earned his ThM and PhD from Trinity International University and is currently an adjunct instructor for Jerusalem University College. His passion to aid others in their Bible reading has led to the publication of a variety of books, including The Land of Milk and Honey, God as Storyteller, and A Visual Guide to Bible Events.

Book preview

"Although I have studied the land and history of Israel for a lifetime, I never cease to gain new insights from the writings of Dr. John Beck. The Basic Bible Atlas is no exception. Drawing from his rich teaching experience and travels in the Bible lands, John demonstrates the importance of physical setting as a key to understanding the biblical narratives. Focusing on significant developments and turning points, he tells the stories of Israel with crystal clarity and penetrating insight."

J. Carl Laney, professor of biblical literature and coordinator for Israel study programs, Western Seminary, Portland, OR

This atlas is a delightful foray into the real world of the Bible. In it, John Beck has woven the narrative line of the Bible into its geographical context, showing us how to read the land as we read the text. The result is a rich tapestry that gives vibrancy to our Bible reading and grounds its claims on our lives.

Paul H. Wright, Jerusalem University College

"John Beck’s episodic presentation in The Basic Bible Atlas takes you on a delightful journey from the garden lost to a soon-to-be-made-new garden where mankind’s broken image will be repaired and restored. Along the way, God’s abundant grace and mercy come clearly and easily into view. It is an atlas every Christian must have to aid in their walk with the Lord."

Rev. Robert Chew, senior pastor, Moriah Bible Presbyterian Church, Singapore

Far more than just another book of maps, this work is invaluable for anyone who has ever tried to thread the stories of the Bible into a cohesive narrative. Using his astute understanding of geography as an organizing principle of Scripture, John Beck takes the reader on the long journey from Genesis to Revelation, where the story of salvation begins and ends in the same garden. Biblical history flows like the rivers of the Fertile Crescent in this interpretive resource not to be missed by any serious student of Scripture who is ready to think about the Bible in a whole new way.

C. Chappell Temple, PhD, lead pastor, Christ Church of Sugar Land (Texas)

"John Beck has provided students of Scripture another helpful resource to assist us as we study the Bible. The Basic Bible Atlas will provide an entrance point for both new and seasoned believers who want to connect the Bible’s content with the Bible’s geography. This relatively brief volume provides a geographically rich survey of the metanarrative of Scripture. Those geographical dimensions deepen our understanding of Scripture and add vividness and color to our preaching and teaching of its truths."

Michael A. Grisanti, professor of Old Testament, The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA

As one of many who have walked the biblical land with John, this narrative felt like sitting at the feet of one of the elders and hearing our family story of salvation. John helps us ponder our deep roots in the land, reminding us that the God who forgives us and is with us, is also the one who writes the beginning and end of our story. In my own role as a pastor who desires to make the Bible come alive for people, John assists me in explaining how the land God gave his people became an intersection of influence to the world and the place from which to broadcast his glory. The reader will be able to ground historical theology in the actual soil on which so much of the Bible unfolds and will better understand the complete story from Genesis to Revelation.

Jim Halbert, lead pastor, Crossroads Community Church, Nampa, ID

© 2020 by John A. Beck

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakerbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2020

Ebook corrections 11.24.2020, 06.21.2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-3018-5

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™\

All maps and illustrations are copyright © Baker Publishing Group.

To Marmy—

my soul mate,

co-adventurer,

and

backpacking bride

ded-fig

Contents

Cover    1

Endorsements    2

Half Title Page    3

Title Page    5

Copyright Page    6

Dedication    7

Map and Illustration List    11

Acknowledgments    15

Part 1:  Introduction to Geography    17

1. Introduction to the Atlas    19

2. Introduction to the Biblical World    23

Part 2:  Putting the Story in Its Place    37

3. Creation, Fall, and Rescue Plan Stories    39

The Garden of Eden    39

Looking for Eden outside the Garden    42

Canaan, the Promised Land    47

4. Exodus, Wilderness, and Transjordan Stories    55

Egypt    55

Wilderness    59

Transjordan    63

5. Conquest, Division, and Crisis Stories    71

Promised Land Received and Divided    71

Promised Land in Crisis    77

6. United Kingdom Stories    85

Israel as One Kingdom    85

7. Divided Kingdom Stories    95

Israel as Two Kingdoms    95

8. Exile and Return Stories    105

Exile from the Promised Land    105

Return to the Promised Land    111

9. Jesus Stories    117

Jesus in Galilee    117

Jesus beyond Galilee    125

Jesus Confronts Opposing Voices in Judea    130

Jesus’s Passion: A Jerusalem Story    135

10. Church Stories    141

The Early Church in Jerusalem    141

The Early Church in Judea and Samaria    146

The Early Church to the Ends of the Earth    151

The Church Returns to the Garden of Eden    158

Notes    163

Scripture Index    167

Index of Place Names    170

About the Author    172

Back Ads    173

Back Cover    177

Map and Illustration List

Part 1:  Introduction to Geography

1. Introduction to the Atlas    

1.1 Modern Mediterranean World    19

1.2 Modern Israel    20

2. Introduction to the Biblical World

2.1 The Ancient Near East    22

2.2 Old Testament Regions    24

2.3 New Testament Regions    25

2.4 Major Cities and Towns of Israel    27

2.5 Roads in Israel    28

2.6 Geographical Zones    30

2.7 Rainfall in Israel    32

2.8 Seasons and Culture    34

2.9 Soils and Products of Ancient Israel    35

Part 2:  Putting the Story in Its Place

3. Creation, Fall, and Rescue Plan Stories

3.1 First Stories    43

3.2 Abram, Ur, Shechem, and Egypt    47

3.3 Abraham in Canaan    48

3.4 Isaac and Jacob in Canaan    51

3.5 Joseph Taken to Egypt    52

4. Exodus, Wilderness, and Transjordan Stories

4.1 The Exodus and the Great Detour    54

4.2 The Exploration of Canaan    60

4.3 The Transjordan Conquest    64

4.4 The Tabernacle    67

5. Conquest, Division, and Crisis Stories

5.1 Campaigns of Joshua    72

5.2 Tribal Land Allotments    76

5.3 Deborah and Barak’s Campaign against the Canaanites    79

5.4 The Life of Samson   80

5.5 The Time of the Judges    82

6. United Kingdom Stories

6.1 The Life of Samuel    86

6.2 Travels of the Ark    87

6.3 David and Goliath    88

6.4 Saul’s Final Battle    89

6.5 David: From Wilderness Fugitive to King of Israel    90

6.6 David’s Military Campaigns    91

6.7 The United Kingdom    92

6.8 Jerusalem of David    93

6.9 Jerusalem of Solomon    94

6.10 Solomon’s Temple    94

7. Divided Kingdom Stories

7.1 Schism at Shechem    96

7.2 The Divided Kingdom    98

7.3 Elijah and Elisha    100

7.4 Jehu’s Purge    101

7.5 The Assyrian Empire    102

7.6 Southern Kingdom Conflicts    103

7.7 Jerusalem of Hezekiah    104

8. Exile and Return Stories

8.1 The Babylonian Empire    106

8.2 The Persian Empire    107

8.3 Exiles and Returns    108

8.4 Judah and Idumea    114

9. Jesus Stories

9.1 The Roman Empire    116

9.2 Herod’s Kingdom    119

9.3 The Ministry of John the Baptist    120

9.4 Jesus’s Early Years    121

9.5 Jesus Moves to Capernaum    122

9.6 Jesus in Galilee    123

9.7 Jesus among Samaritans and Gentiles    126

9.8 Jesus in Jerusalem    131

9.9 Jesus after the Resurrection    137

10. Church Stories

10.1 Pentecost    143

10.2 Philip, Peter, and Paul    147

10.3 Paul’s First Missionary Journey    152

10.4 Paul’s Second Missionary Journey    153

10.5 Paul’s Third Missionary Journey    154

10.6 Paul’s Journey to Rome    155

10.7 The Seven Churches of Revelation    159

Acknowledgments

I wish to gratefully acknowledge those whom the Lord has used to shape my thinking on the relationship between geography and the Bible. First, my thanks to Dr. Paul Wright, president of Jerusalem University College. I have grown with each conversation and each shared step we have taken in the Lord’s own land.

I am grateful for each of the students from across the world who have matched steps with me during our field-study treks in the Middle East. Your thoughtful questions and gentle challenges have matured both how I think and how I speak. You have truly helped me make Bible geography meaningful.

And I am grateful for Brian Vos, senior acquisitions editor for Baker Books. Thank you for inviting me to partner with you in this project and for your insightful suggestions that make its pages come to life. I pray that the Lord will use all the tools we have cocreated to grow his kingdom.

Part 1

Introduction to Geography

1

Introduction to the Atlas

From beginning to end, the Bible tells a story that is geographically grounded. The story begins when the Lord provides Adam and Eve with a home in the garden of Eden, and it will end when the Lord provides the descendants of Adam and Eve with an eternal home in the new Jerusalem. In between, the Bible tells a story that is always somewhere.

fig019

1.1 Modern Mediterranean World

But that somewhere is not our somewhere. Like people throughout history, we are shaped by place. Who we are, how we think, and how we communicate are intimately bound to where we are from. No one fully understands our story unless they understand where we are from.

The same is true of the story told in the Bible. It is the story of God meeting real people in a real time and place. And we will not fully understand this story unless we understand the place from which it has come. That is why you need an atlas. Because some of what the Lord has to say to us, he has said using geography.

fig020

1.2 Modern Israel

⬛ Why Do I Need This Basic Bible Atlas?

Of course, there are many Bible atlases available. If you are just getting started with biblical geography, this is the right atlas for you. It focuses on the basics and the big picture.

Here in part 1 we begin with a clear and concise introduction to the basic geography of the biblical world, big-picture geography that informs the entire story. We explore questions such as: Where is the promised land located? How large is it? What are the most important things I need to know about this land? Why did the Lord select Israel as the promised land?

In part 2 we will move through the story of salvation from Genesis through Revelation, identifying each major shift in the geography and making that geography meaningful. Each time there’s a significant change in location or we observe a change in the nature of the location, we will pause to consider where we are, what has changed, and how that shift impacts the story.

In the end, you will know the lands of the Bible better, as well as the roles that geography plays in shaping the message of the Bible. But the greatest reward will be the joy of hearing the Lord speak more clearly. I hope the story that once hovered above the ground will settle to earth, and that you will see and feel the vital connections between the story, the land, the lesson, and you.

2

Introduction to the Biblical World

⬛ The Fertile Crescent

Ancient Israel was part of the Fertile Crescent, a sweeping arch of land that stretches for 1,800 miles from Egypt to the shore of the Persian Gulf (see map 2.1). Life and culture blossomed in the Fertile Crescent for several reasons.

The Fertile Crescent was food-producing land. Ancient economies were built on grain products because grains were a staple of the ancient diet. Throughout the Fertile Crescent, sufficient rainfall—or its equivalent redirected by irrigation canals from rivers to farm fields—allowed farmers to grow barley and wheat.

The Fertile Crescent was empire-building land. The latitude of the Fertile Crescent made it possible for its inhabitants to grow a storable surplus of grain and to domesticate livestock, including sheep, goats, and camels. This meant residents of the Fertile Crescent could exchange a hunter-gatherer lifestyle that isolated people from one another for a more settled agrarian-pastoral lifestyle that permitted people to live near one another. As a result, villages, towns, cities, and empires took root in the land. The Bible mentions

Reviews for The Basic Bible Atlas

[fcplcataloger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great new book for people longing to know more about the geography of the places that they read about in the Bible. The Basic Bible Atlas has maps to show the geography of the lands mentioned in both the Old Testament and New Testament and these colored maps are both beautiful and very detailed. From the Creation to Paul's missionary journeys, readers are given a glimpse of both the geography and the history of the different eras. I especially like that the travels of Jesus and his disciples are shown in detail and that all of the journeys are shown in red. I also appreciate that there is a Scripture Index.The Basic Bible Index is perfect for both new and veteran Christians and I highly recommend it. I believe that it would be a wonderful resource for both home and church libraries.I received a copy of this book from Baker Books Publishing Group. I was not obligated to post a positive review and these are my own thoughts.

[mizroady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a fantastic Bible reference book for study and just reading! The book isn’t big or long, but what it packs into 171 pages is incredible. I liked the way the book was arranged. I know the Bible is true and real without a doubt, but the author brought it to life for me. The Bible history, eye-catching, clear map illustrations and the wonderful word descriptions that went with them gave me a greater picture of the events I have read about so many times. I know from now on when I read my Bible what I have learned will come to mind and add to my time in the Word. Mr. Beck covered from Genesis to Revelations! Some thing that impressed me was the many scriptural references on every page. The scripture index and place names index at the back of the book make it simple to look up specific books, scriptures, locations you might be studying. A treasure to have! I know I will be using it often.I received this book from Baker Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I stated are my own.

[beautyinthebinding · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed reading The Basic Bible Atlas by John A. Beck. I’ve read the Bible through many times, but I never considered its geography beyond knowing general whereabouts of events. As expected, The Basic Bible Atlas provided many maps with illustrations and explanations. However, the spiritual insights from studying the land stood out most to me. At one point, the author discussed Abraham’s story and the “strain between the land promise and the reality of everyday life.” (Pg. 50) I see the parallels in my own present-day realities and the future promises of God. Chapter nine, Jesus Stories, rated as my favorite section of the book. It included insights into the land, people, and socioeconomic status of Galilee that gave me a new perspective on the Beatitudes. I recommend The Basic Bible Atlas: A Fascinating Guide to the Land of the Bible by John A. Beck to any Christian with an interest in Biblical history. Even those who have studied the Bible for years may find new insights by studying it from a geographical standpoint.Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Have you ever wondered where places are in the Bible? The Basic Bible Atlas by John A. Beck has the maps that allows us to see where places are in the Bible. I especially liked that we can see where the place was in biblical times and where the location is now in modern times. This is a great beginner book for those new to biblical geography. We get the events of the Bible told through places. This allows you to get a better understanding of the locations mentioned in the Holy Bible. The maps are in color with good details (terrain, rivers, etc.). The book is divided into two sections: Introduction to Geography and Putting the Story in its Place. The first introduces you to the geography of biblical world. It gives you an overview or the big picture. The second section takes you through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation identifying the geography. It identifies each shift in location, its impact and meaning. The Basic Bible Atlas will help you to know the lands of the Bible and the role geography played in shaping the Lord’s message. This would be a great book for parents who are homeschooling. I found this book helpful in allowing me to visualize the locations in the Bible. This is a great book to add to my home Bible reference library (with my Bible, concordance, study Bible).