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Back to Bible Study special issue contents
AS A COMMUNITY, Christadelphians have a keen interest in the land of Israel. Many have travelled there to walk through the land promised to the fathers. For those who have not been to Israel, Bible maps must replace the experience of walking through the land.
An understanding of the geography and topography of the land greatly enhances one’s appreciation of the record of Scripture, placing events and comments into a context based on the environment. Without such knowledge our understanding of Scripture is lacking. We would never consider making a journey without first knowing whether the journey was feasible in the time we had with the transportation to hand. Nor would we leave without knowing which way to go.
However, our perception of locations within the land of Israel often leaves a lot to be desired. Could you place on a map the following locations: Hebron; Bethlehem; Carmel (the town); Jezreel (the town); Shiloh; the Valley of Elah; the King’s Dale? Do you have a picture of the terrain as one travels from Gaza to Hebron, the journey Samson took with the gates of Gaza? Answers to the above questions can all be easily established by recourse to a good Bible atlas or the maps in the backs of Bibles.
The boundaries of the tribes
The towns and rivers which mark the border of the territory of Ephraim are recorded in Joshua 16:5-8:
"And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Ataroth-addar, unto Beth-horon the upper; and the border went out toward the sea to Michmethah on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanath-shiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah; and it went down from Janohah to Ataroth, and to Naarath, and came to Jericho, and went out at Jordan. The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the river Kanah; and the goings out thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families".
It is a simple matter to place most of these locations on a map using Bible maps with their index.
Having located the towns and rivers, it is easy to see the area of the land of Israel that was promised to Ephraim. The same can be done for the other tribes. When one appreciates that there is a direction that the traveller takes as he follows the place names, it is easy to appreciate that towns and features that cannot be located on a map must lie between the places mentioned either side of it. Thus, regarding the territory of Ephraim, it can be appreciated that Ataroth must lie between Janohah and Jericho.
A place in time
The Bible records history over a long period of time. Place names and locations occur and recur throughout the record. Events which took place earlier in time are often relevant when considering later events.
Abraham met Melchizedek in the "king’s dale", and Melchizedek "brought forth bread and wine" (Gen. 14:17,18). The King’s Dale is in the Kidron Valley at the southeast corner of what used to be the City of David. When David brought the ark to Zion he "dealt to every one... bread, and... wine" (1 Chron. 16:3). A third occasion when bread and wine were given together was in the upper room at the Last Supper. Although we do not know for sure where the Last Supper took place, it must have been within the city of Jerusalem. Thus three events in which bread and wine were used took place in very close proximity to each other. This information should cause us to look for links between the events and their contexts.
The death of Saul and his sons
1 Samuel 31 records the death of Saul and his sons whilst in battle with the Philistines. The bodies of Saul and his sons were hung on the wall of the city of Beth-shan. Once we have located the site of Beth-shan, and appreciated how far the Philistines were from their home territory of the southern coastal strip, we should ask ourselves, Why were the Philistines so far north? How did they get there? How much of the land of Israel did they control?
The map shows how far the Philistines were from home. Yet the coast of Israel and the Jezreel Valley are large flat plains joined by a wide valley at Megiddo, so one can understand how the Philistines, who had chariots (1 Sam. 13:5), took control of these areas. Once we appreciate the extent of the dominion of the Philistines at this point in Saul’s reign, we realise that Saul’s kingdom was confined to the hill country—an area not suitable for chariot warfare. As we pass on into the reign of David, the magnitude of his exploits in recovering and extending the kingdom will also be appreciated. All this is gained simply from using a Bible atlas to locate two places on the map of Israel, and considering the topography of the land of Israel.
A plea
Maybe we should have an open Bible atlas by us whenever we read geographical details in Scripture. Our Bible class talks and studies would benefit from the use of maps. A well-produced map, with the relevant detail clearly shown, will enhance the audience’s understanding of many Bible class talks. Likewise those of us in the audience would benefit from marking relevant data on our own Bible maps in ways similar to the way in which we might mark points in the margins of our Bibles. In this way the details we have heard will not be lost in the mists of time.
Conclusions
A Bible atlas is a must for those who do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the land of Israel and other Bible lands. With map in hand much Bible narrative springs into vivid clarity. Our appreciation of the record will increase dramatically. The interested reader will pick up a map and look up places he is unfamiliar with in order to get a better feel for the text of Scripture and the events recorded therein. If we are serious about our interest in the land on which the Father has His eye from the beginning to the end of the year (Deut. 11:12) we must use Bible maps.
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