Biblical Geography: Cities and Towns in the Region of Judea

by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.


Map of Ancient JudeaBethlehem (8x in NT; 45x in OT; a.k.a. Ephrath, 4s in OT)

Bethlehem may be most famous as the birthpace of Jesus, but the city already existed in the time of the Canaanites (14th cent. BC) and is also identified with the town of Ephrath in the Book of Genesis (ca. 1700 NC). Located about 6 miles (10 km) south of Jerusalem, it was also the birthplace of King David (ca. 1030 BC), which is easy to remember, since Jesus is called often "son of David" (not that "David" was the name of Jesus' legal father, the husband of Mary of Nazareth, since Jesus lived more than 1000 years after David). Bethlehem was part of the territory assigned to the tribe of Judah, when the Israelites settled in the Holy Land during the days of Joshua. Today it is part of the "West Bank" of the Palenstinian Authoriy.

Bethany (1x OT; 12x NT); Bethphage (3x NT); Mount of Olives (3x OT; 12x NT); Kidron Valley (11x OT; 1x NT); Gethsemane (2x NT)

Arimathea (4x NT) and Emmaus (1x NT; 4x OT)

Azotus (1x NT; 11x OT; a.k.a. Ashdod, 21x OT); Caesarea (15x NT; C. Maritimae)

Joppa/Jaffa (10x NT; 18x OT) and Lydda (3x NT; 1x OT; a.k.a. Lod, 4x OT)

 

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