Regions

The five lands

The broadest view: five lands that hold every region and city on the site.

Tribal territories

• AsherCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Asher received the northern coast, with a border reaching toward Sidon and Tyre.
• BenjaminCanaan & Israel · 2 citiesThe tribe of Benjamin received a small area between Judah to the south and the tribes of Joseph to the north. Jericho and Gibeah were among its towns.
• DanCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Dan received land west of Benjamin, toward the coast. Later the Danites moved north, took the city of Laish, and renamed it Dan.
• EphraimCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Ephraim, one of Joseph’s two sons, received the central hill country. The phrase “the hill country of Ephraim” comes from it.
• GadCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Gad received land east of the Jordan from Moses, beside Reuben.
• IssacharCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Issachar received land in the north, around Jezreel and Shunem.
• JudahCanaan & Israel · 2 citiesThe tribe of Judah received the southern hill country by lot. After the kingdom split, Judah was the southern kingdom, with Jerusalem as its capital. In the Gospels the area is called Judea.
• ManassehCanaan & IsraelManasseh was given land on both sides of the Jordan: half the tribe in Bashan to the east, and the other half west of the Jordan, north of Ephraim.
• NaphtaliCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Naphtali received land in the far north, west of the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Kedesh “in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali” was one of its towns.
• ReubenCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Reuben received land east of the Jordan from Moses, before Israel crossed into Canaan.
• SimeonCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Simeon received towns inside Judah’s land, because Judah’s share was too large for Judah alone.
• ZebulunCanaan & IsraelThe tribe of Zebulun received land in the north, in the area later called Galilee.

Kingdoms

• Israel (northern kingdom)Canaan & Israel · 1 cityWhen the kingdom split after Solomon, the northern tribes made Jeroboam king over Israel. Omri later built Samaria as the capital. Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away.

Districts in Jesus’ day

• GalileeCanaan & Israel · 1 cityThe northern district where Jesus grew up in Nazareth and did much of his teaching. Isaiah calls it “Galilee of the nations.”
• JudeaCanaan & Israel · 3 citiesThe name used in the Gospels and Acts for the southern district around Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the old land of Judah.
• SamariaCanaan & Israel · 1 cityThe central hill country named after the city of Samaria. In Jesus’ day it lay between Judea and Galilee.

Roman provinces

• AchaiaMediterranean World · 2 citiesThe Roman province of southern Greece. Corinth was an important city of Achaia. Gallio, its proconsul, heard the case against Paul at Corinth.
• Asia (Roman province)Mediterranean World · 1 cityThe Roman province in the west of what is now Turkey. Paul taught at Ephesus for over two years, “so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word,” and Revelation is sent to seven assemblies in Asia. Mysia and Troas were also in this province.
• MacedoniaMediterranean World · 2 citiesThe Roman province of northern Greece, with Thessalonica as its capital. Paul crossed into it after a vision of a man of Macedonia.
• Syria (Roman province)Mediterranean World · 2 citiesThe Roman province north of Judea. Antioch on the Orontes was its capital. Acts and Galatians name it together with Cilicia.

Nations

• Aram (Syria)Neighboring Nations · 1 cityThe Aramean kingdom north-east of Israel, with Damascus as its capital. The World English Bible calls it Syria. It is not the same as the later Roman province of Syria.
• AssyriaMesopotamia · 1 cityThe kingdom in northern Mesopotamia whose cities included Nineveh. Its king took Samaria and carried Israel away.
• BabyloniaMesopotamia · 1 citySouthern Mesopotamia, which the Bible calls the land of the Chaldeans and, in Genesis, the land of Shinar. Babylon was its chief city.

Other areas

• ItalyMediterranean World · 1 cityRome’s home land. It was not a Roman province. Paul sailed for Italy as a prisoner and reached Rome.