In the ancient Cardo Street in Jerusalem, a replica of the Madaba Map shows us how the value of maps. Even though we don't have a GPS for our Bibles, we do have some great maps and atlases that provide us significant insight into God's Word.
Choose an Atlas
Good atlases provide more than maps. They show you the importance of geography as it relates to history, archaeology, topography, and climate. There are a number of excellent atlases available today. Although I could suggest more than these, I’ll recommend three—covering various levels of study. I own and enjoy all three.
Zondervan Essential Atlas of the Bible, by Carl Rasmussen
This is a condensed version of Dr. Rasmussen’s excellent comprehensive atlas—the first atlas I seriously read and used—and its text is excellent (I still reference it almost daily). Dr. Rasmussen served as Dean of the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem for years. This “essential” atlas is ideal for beginners, as it introduces readers to the biblical terrain, roads, and climate—as well as to the benefits of geography in Bible study and in particular biblical events. You can pick it up here.
The Satellite Bible Atlas, by Bill Schlegel
Produced by a Christian professor who has lived in Israel for many years, this new Bible atlas has 85 full-page color maps with biblical events marked on enhanced satellite imagery, accompanied by geographical and historical commentary (see the image above). I'm amazed at the detail of these maps, as well as how they inform every significant biblical event. You can pick it up here. The atlas also comes with digital versions of the map, perfect if you want to search your atlas in Evernote. (That’s what I do.)
The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World, by Anson F Rainey and R. Steven Notley
This atlas is pretty dense and scholarly, but it makes excellent use of maps, original sources, and biblical languages. It’s also expensive, but I always appreciate the detail and insights it gives me every time I open it. There is enough in this atlas to give you a lifetime of beneficial study. You can pick it up here.
How to Use Google Street View to Tour Israel
Many of us use Google Maps to find directions or to estimate the time a trip will take. But its potential goes beyond that. In this bonus video, I'll show you how to take a virtual tour of Israel sites.
Sites: Amman, Armenian Quarter, Christian Quarter, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Dead Sea, Jericho, Jerusalem, Jewish Quarter, Jordan River, Madaba, Muslim Quarter
Characters: Eusebius, Hadrian (Emperor), Justinian (Emperor)
Join the Conversation
Question: Do you regularly use a Bible atlas with your Bible reading? If so, how has it helped? Leave a comment.