Jerusalem and cities of Israel

Jerusalem and cities in the northern Jewish nation of Israel.

Jerusalem and cities of Israel

Jerusalem and northward

Kings ruled the Jewish people for about 400 years, from the time of King Saul in roughly 1000 BC until Babylonians leveled Jerusalem in 586 BC and deported the survivors as slaves. During those 400 years, ancient Israel produced intriguing history: battles, coups, assassinations, allies betraying each other. By the end of the stories in 1-2 Chronicles and 1-2 Kings, none of that seemed to matter to the Jewish people. Their nation was erased. Kings were captives. Citizens were slaves in another land: today's Iraq and Iran. Yet 1-2 Chronicles seems written to assure the scattered Jewish people that this isn't the end of the story. During the 400 years of Jewish rule, first as the united kingdom of Israel and later as the divided kingdoms of Israel in the north and Judah in the south, these are some of the most cities looking north from Jerusalem.

Key cities of the north

Jerusalem

Located in the southern central part of Israel, Jerusalem became the political and spiritual heart of the kingdom. Its elevation on a plateau made it a strategic stronghold and a good location as a religious center. People often built shrines and altars on hilltops. Jerusalem became home to the Temple of the LORD, a pivotal site for Jewish worship and national identity. Jews could sacrifice only at the Temple. It was their worship center.

Bethel

North of Jerusalem, Bethel was a key religious site, famous because it's where the patriarch Jacob had a vision of a ladder reaching to heaven. It's where God promised to give him the land known as Canaan, now the nation of Israel and the Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This city was important for its cultic practices and was a focal point in the northern tribes of Israel.

Shechem

Shechem was a crossroads town on a caravan trail nestled between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. It's where Jacob's daughter was raped by the town's prince. Some of her brothers retaliated by killing all the men in the town and taking their herds. Years later, Jacob settled there. Centuries later, this is where Joshua rallied the Israelites for war. They had to drive out local Canaanites and take back the land they lost during the years their ancestors spent in Egypt as slaves.

Samaria

King Ahab's father, King Omri, found this city as capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. Samaria was strategically located on a hill that provided both defense and a central position for regional control over the trade routes passing by the city. Samaria became an important urban center and political hub.

Dan

Nestled near the base of Mount Hermon, the beautiful oasis town of Dan was located at the northernmost part of Israel. It was crucial for defense and as a gateway to the northern territories. It also became a place where Israelites came to worship at a golden calf shrine. Northern kings didn't want their people going to Jerusalem to worship. They feared the nations might reunite under the rightful kings—descendants of King David. If that happened, northern kings would face execution. These cities, strategically positioned across ancient Israel, were central to the region's historical development and played pivotal roles in its political, religious, and economic life.

Where to find more Bible maps

The Casual English Bible® has more than 900 Bible maps, many in 3D style. You can search for maps by place name, such as "Sea of Galilee."

Dedicated Bible map search engine

But you can also search for maps by Bible book, such as searching for all the maps in the book of Joshua. In addition, you can search by country, region, or era on a timeline, such as when Israel had kings or when Jesus was on earth. Here's a link to the dedicated Map Search Engine.