Biblical History & Geography
Walk the ancient paths of Scripture — from Eden to Rome, from Abraham's call to Paul's journeys. Explore the lands, cities, and timelines of God's unfolding plan.
History & Geography LessonsReal Places
Every city, mountain, and river in Scripture is a real place. Understanding geography brings the Bible to life in powerful ways.
Living Timeline
From Creation to the early Church — trace God's redemptive plan through 4,000+ years of recorded history.
Ancient Journeys
Walk with Abraham from Ur to Canaan, with Israel through the wilderness, and with Paul across the Roman Empire.
God's Faithfulness
Every historical event and geographical detail points to the faithfulness of God and His sovereign plan of redemption.
The Course
Select your difficulty level and work through the exercises. Your progress is saved automatically.
Guided Challenges
Follow multi-step journeys through Scripture's most significant geographical and historical events.
Abraham's Journey from Ur to Canaan
Genesis 11:31 – 13:18Scripture Connection
Abram's journey from Ur to Canaan — over 1,000 miles — was a walk of faith. He left everything familiar, trusting God's promise: "I will make you a great nation" (Genesis 12:2). Hebrews 11:8 tells us he "went out, not knowing where he was going." This journey laid the geographical foundation for all of Israel's history.
The Exodus: Egypt to the Promised Land
Exodus 12–14; Joshua 3Scripture Connection
The Exodus is the central redemptive event of the Old Testament. God demonstrated His power over Egypt's gods, parted the sea, provided manna in the wilderness, and gave His Law at Sinai. The 40-year journey that should have taken 11 days became a testing ground for faith — and a picture of God's patient faithfulness.
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Acts 13–14Scripture Connection
Paul's first missionary journey (c. AD 47–49) covered roughly 1,400 miles. It began and ended in Antioch of Syria — the church that became the launchpad for Gentile missions. Along the way, Paul and Barnabas faced opposition, persecution, and even stoning at Lystra, yet they "strengthened the souls of the disciples" (Acts 14:22).
Jerusalem: Fall, Exile, and Return
2 Kings 25; Ezra 1; Nehemiah 2Scripture Connection
The fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the subsequent return from exile demonstrate God's faithfulness to both His warnings and His promises. He judged sin but preserved a remnant. The rebuilt temple and walls were less glorious than Solomon's — but they pointed forward to a greater restoration in Christ, who would declare, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19).
Visual Aids & Maps
Interactive SVG maps of key biblical regions, journeys, and landmarks.
The Holy Land — Key Cities
Genesis through RevelationKey Cities
Paul's Missionary Journeys
Acts 13–28Paul's Journey Highlights
The Exodus Route
Exodus 12–19; Numbers 33; Joshua 3Key Stops
Reference Tables
Quick-reference tables for biblical timelines, cities, empires, and key figures.
Biblical Timeline of Major Events
Chronology Note: Dates from Creation through Solomon's Temple are calculated from the KJ3 (Literal Translation) genealogies of Genesis 5, 11, and key dated events — using the Masoretic Hebrew text. The chain spans 3,148 years from Adam to Solomon's 4th year, anchored to ~966 BC (the widely accepted date for the Temple's construction, based on Assyrian and Babylonian records). All genealogical numbers are quoted directly from the KJ3 text. See Reading A / Reading B note below for the Terah–Abram ambiguity.
| Approximate Date | Event | Scripture Reference | Key Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~4,114 BC | Creation | Genesis 1:1 | Eden |
| ~2,458 BC | The Great Flood (Noah age 600) | Genesis 7:6 | Mountains of Ararat |
| ~2,357 BC | Tower of Babel (era of Peleg) | Genesis 11:4 | Shinar (Babylon) |
| ~2,091 BC * | Call of Abraham (Abram enters Canaan, age 75) | Genesis 12:1–4 | Ur → Haran → Canaan |
| ~1,898 BC | Joseph sold into Egypt | Genesis 37:28 | Dothan → Egypt |
| ~1,876 BC | Jacob's family moves to Egypt (Jacob age 130) | Genesis 47:9 | Canaan → Goshen |
| ~1,446 BC | The Exodus (after 430 years in Egypt) | Exodus 12:40–41 | Egypt → Sinai |
| ~1,406 BC | Conquest of Canaan begins | Joshua 6:20 | Jericho |
| ~1,010 BC | David becomes King of Israel | 2 Samuel 5:3 | Hebron → Jerusalem |
| ~966 BC | Solomon's Temple begun (480 yrs after Exodus) | 1 Kings 6:1 | Jerusalem |
| ~930 BC | Kingdom divides (Israel/Judah) | 1 Kings 12:20 | Shechem / Jerusalem |
| 722 BC | Fall of Northern Kingdom (Israel) | 2 Kings 17:6 | Samaria → Assyria |
| 586 BC | Fall of Jerusalem (Judah) | 2 Kings 25:1 | Jerusalem → Babylon |
| 538 BC | Decree of Cyrus — Jews return | 2 Chronicles 36:22 | Babylon → Jerusalem |
| 516 BC | Second Temple completed | Ezra 6:15 | Jerusalem |
| ~445 BC | Nehemiah rebuilds walls | Nehemiah 2:11 | Jerusalem |
| ~5 BC | Birth of Jesus Christ | Matthew 2:1 | Bethlehem |
| ~AD 30 | Crucifixion & Resurrection | Matthew 27:33 | Jerusalem (Golgotha) |
| ~AD 33 | Pentecost — Church begins | Acts 2:1 | Jerusalem |
| ~AD 47–49 | Paul's 1st Missionary Journey | Acts 13:4 | Antioch → Cyprus → Asia Minor |
| ~AD 60 | Paul arrives in Rome | Acts 28:16 | Rome |
* Terah–Abram Ambiguity (±60 years before Abraham): Genesis 11:26 says Terah was 70 when he fathered Abram (Reading A), placing Abram's birth at ~2,166 BC. However, Genesis 11:32 and 12:4 together imply Terah was 130 when Abram was born (Reading B), placing Abram's birth at ~2,106 BC. Reading A is used above. This 60-year difference affects all dates before Abraham (Creation becomes ~4,174 BC under Reading B). Remarkably, dates from Abraham forward are identical under both readings because both use the same historical anchor (966 BC). Both readings use only KJ3 text.
Key Biblical Cities
| City | Significance | Notable Events |
|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | Capital of Israel; site of the Temple | David's capital, Solomon's Temple, Crucifixion, Pentecost |
| Bethlehem | City of David; birthplace of Jesus | Ruth gleaned here; Jesus born here (Matthew 2:1) |
| Nazareth | Hometown of Jesus | Annunciation; Jesus grew up here (Luke 2:51) |
| Capernaum | Jesus' ministry headquarters | Many miracles performed; teaching in synagogue |
| Hebron | Abraham's dwelling; David's first capital | Burial place of patriarchs (Genesis 23) |
| Jericho | First city conquered in Canaan | Walls fell (Joshua 6); Zacchaeus (Luke 19) |
| Antioch (Syria) | First Gentile church; missions hub | Believers first called "Christians" (Acts 11:26) |
| Corinth | Major Greek trade city | Paul lived 18 months; wrote letters (Acts 18:1) |
| Ephesus | Major city in Asia Minor | Paul taught 2 years; riot of silversmiths (Acts 19) |
| Rome | Capital of the Roman Empire | Paul imprisoned; wrote prison epistles (Acts 28:16) |
| Babylon | Capital of Neo-Babylonian Empire | Exile of Judah; Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) |
| Ur | Abraham's original homeland | Abraham called to leave (Genesis 11:31) |
Empires in Biblical History
| Empire | Period | Biblical Significance | Key Scripture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egyptian | ~3100–1070 BC | Israel enslaved 430 years; the Exodus | Exodus 1:11 |
| Assyrian | ~911–609 BC | Conquered Northern Kingdom (Israel) in 722 BC | 2 Kings 17:6 |
| Neo-Babylonian | ~626–539 BC | Destroyed Jerusalem & Temple in 586 BC; Judah exiled | 2 Kings 25:9 |
| Medo-Persian | ~539–331 BC | Cyrus decreed return from exile; temple rebuilt | Ezra 1:1 |
| Greek (Macedonian) | ~331–63 BC | Alexander's conquests; Greek language spreads (intertestamental) | Daniel 8:21 |
| Roman | 63 BC – AD 476 | Jesus born under Augustus; Paul traveled Roman roads | Luke 2:1 |
Key Biblical Figures & Geography
| Person | Key Location(s) | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham | Ur → Haran → Canaan → Egypt → Hebron | Father of the faithful; covenant with God (Genesis 12–25) |
| Moses | Egypt → Midian → Sinai → Moab | Led the Exodus; received the Law (Exodus–Deuteronomy) |
| Joshua | Jordan → Jericho → Canaan | Led conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 1–24) |
| David | Bethlehem → Hebron → Jerusalem | Shepherd-king; united Israel; established Jerusalem as capital |
| Solomon | Jerusalem | Built the Temple; wisest king (1 Kings 1–11) |
| Elijah | Gilead → Cherith → Zarephath → Carmel → Horeb | Prophet who challenged Baal worship (1 Kings 17–19) |
| Daniel | Jerusalem → Babylon | Prophet in exile; interpreted dreams; lion's den (Daniel 1–12) |
| Jesus Christ | Bethlehem → Nazareth → Capernaum → Jerusalem | The Messiah; ministry across Galilee and Judea |
| Paul | Tarsus → Damascus → Antioch → Asia Minor → Greece → Rome | Apostle to the Gentiles; 3 missionary journeys (Acts 9–28) |
Interactive Games
Test your knowledge of biblical history and geography through interactive games.
Timeline Builder
Drag and drop major biblical events into the correct chronological order. How well do you know when things happened?
Map the Journey
Identify cities and locations on an interactive map of the biblical world. Click the correct city for each question!
⏳ Timeline Builder
Drag the events into the correct chronological order (earliest at top). Click Check Order when done!