Wayne Jackson is the author of this article which appeared in the December 1986 edition of the Christian Courier. The paper was published by the Church of Christ in Stockton, California. Jackson was also the editor.
Jehovah appeared to Abraham in Chaldea and said, "Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you" (Acts 7:3). That charge was later renewed (Genesis 12:1-3); thus did the patriarch finally arrive at his appointed destination, the land of Canaan.
It was not by accident that this parcel of earth was chosen by the Lord to be the homeland of the Hebrew people. It was a part of the divine plan in preparation for the coming of the Savior of the world. Four reasons can be suggested for the uniqueness of Palestine as a contributor to Heaven's redemptive plan.
First, Canaan was isolated by natural barriers from its regional neighbors. To the north are the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. In the east and south lie the burning sands of the Arabian and Nabatean deserts and to the west is the great Mediterranean Sea. Had the Israelites driven out the pagan tribes of Canaan as they were commissioned by Jehovah to do, they would have been fairly secure from the surrounding influences of paganism that eventually corrupted them.
Second, Palestine was a corridor of land trade routes connecting Europe, Asia Minor and the East (Mesopotamia, etc.) with Egypt. The antique caravans that passed through were thus touched with Israel's concept of the true God and the hope of the coming Messiah.
Third, the lush productivity of the land (cf. Numbers 13:23) permitted the Hebrews more leisure time for the development of the unique elements of their religion which was also a contributing factor in preparing humanity for the coming of Christ (cf. Galatians 3:24).
Fourth, the great variety of geographical features characteristic of Canaan, together with its plants, animals, etc., made this land an ideal place from whence to produce much of the Bible, thus accommodating the language forms of the Holy Writings to the understanding of people in all parts of the earth. It is well to remember that the Bible borrows much of its imagery from the land.
This small parcel of Middle Eastern real estate, which has been so important in world history, is variously designated in the Bible as the land of Canaan (Genesis 10:15), the land of Israel (Matthew 2:20), the land of Jehovah (Deuteronomy 30:20), the land of Promise (Hebrews 11:9), the holy land (Zechariah 2:12) and Palestine (Exodus 15:14); the latter term being a corrupted form of "Philistia."
The Size of the Land - Canaan (the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean) is about 150 miles from north to south and on an average, some 50 miles from east to west. It is smaller than the state of Massachusetts. The land of the twelve tribes, the region on both sides of the Jordan, is about 80 miles in breadth or about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined. Eventually, Solomon's empire (the land of "Promise") spanned the territory from the river of Egypt in the west to the Euphrates in the east (I Kings 4:21).
Natural Divisions of the Land - Palestine naturally falls into four physical sections. From the Mediterranean Sean inland, are these areas: (1) The Maritime Plains are a lowland coastal region extending from Mt. Carmel in the north to Gaza in the south. This section averages about 9 to 16 miles in width. (2) The Western Highlands are a mountainous area extending from Galilee in the north, through Samaria and into Judea in the south. (3) The Jordan Valley is a deep cleavage which severs the land, dropping dramatically as it proceeds southward. it is some 1,700 feet above sea level at the source of the Jordan River (near Caesarea/Philippi) and almost 1,300 feet below sea level at the Dead Sea in the south. (4) The Eastern Tableland is a lofty plateau east of the Jordan. On an average its elevation is higher than the region west of the river.
Waters of Canaan - It is important that the Bible student have some knowledge of the major waters that are a part of this country. (1) The Mediterranean Sea, known as "the Great Sea" (Joshua 1:4), "the uttermost sea" (Deuteronomy 11:24), and the "sea of the Philistines" (Exodus 13:18) is the world's largest inland body of water. It is 2,300 miles from east to west and 1,200 miles from north to south. (2) The Jordan River (from the Hebrew word Yarden, "the descender") commences from several springs near Caesarea/Philippi in the north and winds some 200 miles southward (about 134 miles direct) on its journey to the Dead Sea. It averages 80 to 180 feet wide and from 5 to 12 feet deep and overall, drops some 3,000 feet in elevation. (3) The Sea of Galilee is about 55 miles south of the Jordan's source. It is designated in the Scriptures as: Chinnereth (Numbers 34:11), Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1) and the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18). This body of water, so famous because of its association with Christ, is about 13 miles (N-S) by 7 miles (E-W). It is 695 feet below sea level and has a maximum depth of 165 feet. (4) The Dead Sea, called the Salt Sea (Genesis 14:3), the Eastern Sea (Ezekiel (47:18) and the Sea of Arabah (Deuteronomy 3:17), is the lowest body of water on earth. It is 1,296 feet below sea level and has a maximum depth of 1,300 feet. The Sea is 48 miles long and 6 to 9 miles wide. Its evaporation rate is so great that its depth remains constant despite the continuous inflow of the Jordan River. It is about 25% solids.
Cities of the Land - It is not possible in a presentation this brief to discuss many of the communities of Canaan. However, we will mention a few.
Along the Mediterranean coast one should note the following.Gaza was the most southern of five Philistine cities. It was situated about 3 miles inland on the southwest coast of Philistia. Samson once carried off its city gates (Judges 16:1-3). Joppa is 45 miles up the coast from Gaza. It is the only natural harbor between Acco north of Mt. Carmel and the Egyptian frontier. Simon the tanner lived there (Acts 10:6). Caesarea is 23 miles south of Mt. Carmel (54 miles form Jerusalem). It was the Roman capital of Palestine and the home of Cornelius (Acts 10:1). Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician coastal cities about 35 and 60 miles respectively, north of Carmel. Jesus once visited this region (Matthew 15:21).
In the Western Highlands are several significant towns. Hebron is 19 miles SSW of Jerusalem, the highest community in the land at 3, 040 feet above sea level. Abraham's home was near this place (Genesis 13:18) and he was buried there. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (Matthew 2:1), is located 5 miles south of Jerusalem. Famous Jerusalem is situated approximately 20 miles due west of the northern end of the Dead Sea and 33 miles to the east of the Mediterranean. It is also 133 miles from Damascus in Syria. It was David's capital city. Bethel was located about 11 miles north of Jerusalem. It was here that Jeroboam set up one of his golden calves (I Kings 12:29ff). Sycar was a small village on the main road from Jerusalem through Samaria, near Mt. Gerizim, a half mile north of Jacob's well (cf. John 4:5). Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, was located 42 miles north of Jerusalem. Nazareth, the boyhood home of the Lord (Luke 4:16) is located about 18 miles due west from the southern end of the Sea of Galilee (88 miles north of Jerusalem). Caesarea/Philippi lay at the base of Mt. Hermon, 120 miles north of Jerusalem (Matthew 16:13ff).
In the Jordan Valley, there are several cities of note. Sodom and Gomorrah were two of the cities of the plain destroyed for their vile wickedness (Genesis 13:12). It is believed that these towns were located in the region now covered by the shallow waters of the southern end of the Dead Sea. En-gedi, where David hid from Saul (I Samuel 23:29), is on the west shore of the Dead Sea (about midway). Less than a mile from the NW corner of the Sea is Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Jericho was located about 5 miles from the north end of the Dead Sea, some 5 miles west of the Jordan River. It lies about 3,200 feet below Jerusalem, which is 17 miles to the southwest. Capernaum is located on the NW coast of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus used this town as the center for His Galilean ministry (cf. Matthew 9:1).
Many other communities could be mentioned but these will suffice for the present. The diligent Bible student should learn the basic features and places of the land of Jesus if he wants to really appreciate the great story of redemption as such unfolds in ancient history.
The Land and the Book - There are many ways in which a knowledge of the lands of the Bible can enhance one's understanding of the events of sacred history. Let us consider a few of these.
1. After his great victory over the prophet Baal, Elijah ascended to the top of Mt. Carmel, bowed himself before the Lord and prayed for rain to end the parching 3 1/2 year drought (I Kings 18:42; James 5:8). The prophet informed King Ahab that he should leave the region of the mountain before the rain commenced. The king immediately departed for Jezreel, the place of his summer palace (I Kings 21:1). The Bible notes however, that Elijah, "girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel" (I Kings 18:46). The distance from Carmel to Jezreel at the eastern end of the plain of Esdraelon, is some 16 miles. That is quite a distance to run ahead of a chariot. It is an interesting commentary on the rugged physical strength of God's prophet!
2. On the other hand, Elijah's spiritual stamina at this point was not so great. When Ahab told his evil wife Jezebel about how Elijah had slain the prophets of Baal, she vowed to take his life within a day. Accordingly, in a moment of panic, the prophet fled southward all the way to Beersheba, a distance of some 90 miles (possibly some 150 miles by the winding roads). At Beersheba, he left his servant and went another day's journey into the wilderness. After being refreshed by an angel, he pushed on another 200 miles until he finally came to Sinai where he lodged in a cave. God confronted him asking, "What are you doing here?" The point here is this: the intensity of Elijah's fear of Jezebel can only be appreciated in light of the distance he put between himself and that bloody woman!
3. Consider the case of Jonah. This prophet lived in the city of Gath-hepher (II Kings 14:25), located about 4 miles north of Nazareth. He was instructed of the Lord, "Arise, go to Nineveh..." (Jonah 1:2). Jehovah wanted the wickedness of that great city rebuked. Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. It was situated on the bank of the Tigris River, some 500 miles east of Palestine. But Jonah did not want to do the Lord's bidding. It was not that he was afraid. Rather, as a patriot, he wanted to see Nineveh destroyed, not saved. So he journeyed 50 miles down to Joppa and from thence took a ship bound for Tarshish. Tarshish was an ancient Phoenician colony on the southwest coast of Spain, 2,000 miles west of Palestine. It was the farthest city to the west known at that time. The prophet thus intended to put some 2,500 miles between himself and Nineveh. But as know, God prepared a great fish and Jonah's itinerary was changed!
3. One recalls the Old Testament narrative concerning the twelve spies who surveyed the land of Canaan. While Israel was encamped at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran, the spies went through Palestine as far north at the, "entrance of Hamath" (Numbers 13:21). Look at a map which contains the region of Sinai and Canaan. From Kadesh to the entrance of Hamath is about 250 miles. Since the spies were gone for forty days, this means that they must have averaged 12.5 miles per day on this 500 mile round trip journey. If they traveled as much as twelve hours per day, they would have covered more than one mile per hour each day and remember, that involved mountainous terrain and spying activity along the way.
4. Can you imagine the reaction of a modern obstetrician if one of his patients in her ninth month of pregnancy should tell him that she planned to take a 93 mile trip, either walking or by means of a donkey? That is precisely what Mary did, "being great with child" (Luke 2:5) when she traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Joseph for the taxation enrollment. Then, within a couple of weeks after the Lord's birth, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were forced to fell into Egypt 200 miles to the southwest in order to escape the wrath of Herod (Matthew 2:13ff). Consider the strength of that magnificent woman! Reflect upon the providential care of Almighty God!
There are countless ways in which an understanding of Biblical geography enhances one's appreciation for the text of the Scriptures. A study of such matters will pay rich dividends for the student of sacred history.
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