Digital Resources for Biblical Mapping
Mark Vitalis Hoffman
Presentations / Blog Posts / Reviews
Links, Listings, and Further Information
The links I provide are simply links and do not necessarily imply
endorsement. All maps and resources should be used with discernment. Please let
me know if there are important corrections or additions. Remember to observe copyright restrictions. Thanks
to Todd Bolen at BiblePlaces for
helpful advice and OpenBible.info for
the data they share.
* indicates recommended, free programs/sites
Mapping Programs (i.e., allow for creation, customization, or manipulation of
and interactivity with maps)
- Accordance
Bible Atlas
- BibleMapper - An
outstanding program that is now available for free (free key is necessary).
Check out the BibleMapper Wiki
for support, tutorials, and map sharing.
- BibleWorks7 - Mapping module
included with program
- *GoogleEarth - start here to
download the program
- Bible
Places with info from ISBE and Eastons
- Complete list of
Bible Places (OpenBible.info) with listing of every biblical mention
and links to the online ESV Bible
- Biblical Rivers
and Bodies of Water (OpenBible.info)
- Jerusalem Overlays
(OpenBible.info)
- Bible
Mountains addins
- Sacred
Destinations addins
- Herod's
Second Temple Jerusalem Overlay
- Sites
of Jesus addin
- 3D Models - go to
location in GE, then click the 3D Warehouse network link
- NT Israel Routes.kmz overlay (mgvh)
used in Luke 24.13 demo
- Gerasa
(Stephen Langfur) - great example of using GoogleEarth to demonstrate
city geometry
- Blog
posting on creating your own overlays
- In the sidebar, expand the Layers section. Under the Primary Database
heading, be sure to check some of the options you can toggle on/off. In
particular:
- Under Geographic Web, check: Google Earth Community, Panoramio,
Wikipedia.
- Under 3D Buildings, look at places like Athens or Jerusalem.
- Under Gallery, check the Gigapan Photos in Istanbul, GoogleEarth
Community links, National Geographic Magazine, Rumsey Historical
Maps (try Middle East 1861 and note that transparency is
adjustable), and YouTube!
- *GoogleMaps
- lacks many features of GoogleEarth, but do note "Terrain" view
- HolyLand 3D - A bit
like GoogleEarth optimized for biblical work; KJV and NET Bibles, Eerdman's Dictionary of the Bible & IVP New Bible Dictionary
(check spreadsheet for more info)
- Logos Bible Atlas '99
- Designed for Win95/8 (does not work well on WinXP); serviceable but dated
- World Wind - Less developed
than GoogleEarth, but it is an open source earth viewer with lots of
potential
Online/Downloadable maps or maps within Bible software programs
- Accordance
Bible Atlas (also cf. above)
- Higgaion blog
- Samples of maps made using Accordance
- Bible Atlas
- some simple but quick maps
- *Bible
Atlas Online (by Access Foundation) NB: This is a link to the
archive.org listing. Not all the maps are available. Permission
for these maps was granted in 2002.
- *BibleMap.org - uses Google date but
linked with KJV/ESV text; chapters return locations on map; places linked to
ISBE
- *BibleWalks -
links sites, maps, information
- BibleWorks7 - Mapping module
included with program (cf. above) but also includes NET Bible maps
- eBibleTeacher.com
has a collection of maps, many available for PowerPoint, that are free to
use; OT and NT Maps as well as images of places and biblically related
objects.
- *e-Sword is a fine Bible
study program, and it's probably the best free one available. (e-Sword also
offers a nice, free PocketPC
version.) Once you've downloaded the basic program, you can start to add
a variety of Bibles (many free, others for a very reasonable price) and
other resources. Among these resources are the "Graphics"
which work in the "Graphics Viewer," and include: very nice maps
from the American Bible Society, Classic Maps (I can't determine the date or
source), Mediterranean maps which are useful overview maps of the NT world,
and a collection of NASA satellite photo-maps. For teaching purposes, the
ABS maps are probably the most helpful.
- Historical
& Cultural Atlas Resource (Univ. of Oregon): Collection of maps
reflecting aspects of ancient world
- iLumina Gold
includes the Tyndale Handbook of Bible
Charts and Maps along with over 200 interactive charts and maps and
1000 Holyland photos. Cost: ~$65.
- *Interactive Satellite Map of the
Holy Land - Free download; runs in Internet browser; not a comprehensive
collection of sites but still helpful; links to KJV, reference articles, and
pictures
- Laridian PocketBible
Bible Maps - Silver/Gold libraries include 13 Bible maps and from Manna
Bible maps; site articles with links to/from Bible text, references, map
sites
- Logos Bible Software 3
- Manna Bible Maps
- Somewhat of an older program, but not the following:
- *Stephen Langfur has been putting together an excellent study resource for
biblical sites connected with the Near
East Tourist Agency. The maps on that page will get you started.
- *NET Bible online--now
upgraded online as the *NeXt Bible--is
also available as a free
download and includes their fine collection of maps. Many of the maps
are linked to the text in the NeXt Bible, but you can view them all
individually online here.
- Olive Tree Bible
Map Atlas - for Palm or PocketPC
- "Online Bible"
This is a bit of a misnomer since it is intended to be downloaded and run on
your computer. It is another useful free tool that can be expanded with a
wide variety of resources which include the "Maps"
module found on this linked page. There are 25+ maps, and most of them are
identical to the ones found in the Logos
Deluxe Map set (which, however, has over 200 maps). Nothing
extraordinary but all the basic maps one would most often need.
- *OpenBible.info - Great site to
use online or in conjunction with GoogleEarth
- SansBlogue:
Maps for teaching - A fine example of using maps by Tim Bulkeley
- The Virtual World Project:
Focuses on the ancient eastern Mediterranean with resources for Greece,
Turkey, Israel, and Jordan. Search by map location, features (e.g.,
churches, synagogues, temples), or periods (Paleolithic through Crusader).
Excellent collection of notes and pictures, including many 360 degree views.
- Walking in Their Sandals
looks to be a great Bible study resource that includes maps and location
information and pictures. Cost: $30.
- Comparison
review with Manna Bible Atlas and Logos Bible Atlas
- Mapping metasites (i.e., pages with links to biblical maps)
- *NT Gateway Listing of Maps:
Start here. This is Mark Goodacre's extensive list of links to map
sites, most of which are simply collections of maps.
- *Bible Maps and
Pictures: Another collection of links to online maps. Especially note
the site's own Bible
Maps with very helpful 'topical' maps (i.e., maps reflecting a
particular event, period, or person).
- Today's
Bible
- Perry-Castaņeda Library Map Collection - Historical Maps of the Middle East
- Historic Jesus:
17 maps related to Jesus
- Bible
History Online - Maps and Geography
- Jerusalem 3000:
Maps and views of Jerusalem
- Maps
and Atlases (Univ. of MN) linking to other mapping sites
- Maps for
Students (UNC-CH and AWMC): Tend to be oriented to interests of
classical studies
- Geography and the Bible
page at Bible-History.com has a large collection of maps. Especially
note the Clickable
Map of Ancient Israel of the 1st century CE.
- GodWeb Bible Atlas
links: Some maps and links to other mapping sites; does include
older public domain maps from ABS and the Smith Bible Atlas
- worldmap.org - Not
really for biblical research but does have data on the status of Bible
translation around the world
- The American Bible Society has some very useful maps on their Interactive
Maps page. (I could not get the interactive feature to work very
well in IE and not at all using FireFox, but the standard maps work
fine.) These are the maps that are part of ABS's The
Learning Bible available both as a book
or CD.
(These maps are also available within the eSword program.)
- Links to maps associated with Jerusalem are found HERE
about 2/3 of the way down the page.
- Another collection of maps is available at the Jewish Virtual Library HERE.
- Maps, mostly from 15th-early 20th century of the Holy Land HERE.
(The site is part of the Jewish National and University Library. I found
the link on Rick Brannan's Supakoo
site.)
- Maps of the
Middle East - Most are biblically related maps with some comments.