Cities & Towns

by Richard W. LaFountain

JUDEA

1. Bethlehem: (Matt. 2:1).
Lies Southwest of Jerusalem on the main north-south road connecting to Hebron. It is 2300 feet above sea level in the fertile rolling hills of Judea. It is called the "City of David" as it was his home town. Rachel's tomb is near there. Ruth made her home there with Boaz her second husband. Once it was called Ephraim and even in the Old Testament was long held the place where the messiah was to be born. It was the birthplace of Jesus. (Micah 5:2) It is about 80 miles from Nazareth.

2. Bethany: (John 12:1).
A village just 2 miles from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho at the Mount of Olives. It is near Bethphage. Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived there. It was there that Lazarus was buried and raised from the dead. (Jn 11:17ff) It was a place where Jesus often lived when in Judea. It was also the home of Simon the Leper (Mk 14:3-9; Lk 7:36-50; Jn 12:1-8) where a woman anointed Jesus with an alabaster box of ointment.

3. Emmaus: (Luke 24:13).
The location is uncertain but according to Luke two disciples journeyed on the road to Emmaus when the resurrected Jesus joined them. It was called a village, not a city. It was about 7 miles northwest of Jerusalem. The disciples invited Jesus in at dusk and he revealed himself to them in the breaking of bread. They arose and went immediately to Jerusalem that very night. This would indicate that Emmaus was not very far from Jerusalem. Josephus identifies such a place (War VII. Vi. 6), as did the Crusaders, as El Kubeibeh.

4. Jericho: (Mark 10:46).
Jericho of Jesus time was not the same as that of Old Testament times. The Jericho of Jesus day was built as a winter capital by Herod the Great because the climate was better there than in Jerusalem. It became the winter retreat where rich balsam groves were grown. Zacchaeus was a tax collector at Jericho (Luke 19:1-10) There are references to blind beggars at the gate (Mt 20:29-34; Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:35-43). Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging there. Huge crowds followed Jesus there. The road to Jericho was "down" from Jerusalem, referring to the decent to the floor of the Jordan River area.

5. Jerusalem: (Luke 2:41).
Situated 33 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea and 14 miles west of the Dead Sea. It stands at 2,500 feet above sea level and is surrounded by hills and mountains and steep ledges. It is a naturally protected area. The City of God, the City of the King. It was the center of Jewish worship. It consists of five easily distinguished hills of limestone.

6. Bethphage: (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29)
Near the village of Bethany on the road to Jericho. It was from here that Jesus instructed his disciple to find a colt tied on which no one ever sat.

7. Bethany beyond Jordan: (John 1:28)
Also Bethabara in the KJV but that is a misnomer. It stood on the other side (east) of the Jordan opposite Jericho. A monastery of St. John now stands there.

SAMARIA.

1. Sychar: (John 4:5, 6).
A city in Samaria. Samaria stood between Judea and Galilee therefore on the way to Narareth and Galilee. Jacob's well is there. It is about a half mile from east of town on the pass between Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim. Jesus met the woman at the well there who declared, "The well is deep." The well is deep, about 50 meters.

GALILEE.

1. Bethsaida: (John 1:44).
Hometown of Philip the disciple and the town of Andrew and Peter. John 12:21 calls it Bethsaida of Galilee. It was the scene of the feeding of the 5,000. Mentioned in Mark 6:45 as a place Jesus traveled to by boat across from, so it must have been across the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum, which we know was the home of Peter's house where Jesus healed his mother-in-law. (Mark 8:22 we see Jesus there again after visiting Tyre and Sidon and returning to feed the 4,000.

2. Cana: (John 2:11).
Place of Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine. He visited there again in Jn 4:46 right after passing through Samaria and visiting the woman at the well. There he healed the nobleman's'son who was at the point of death. It was also the home of Nathaniel (Jn 21:2), note Nathaniel's disdain for people of Nazareth. (Jn

3. Capernaum: (Matt. 4:13).
Located at the northwest corner on the Sea of Galilee about 5 miles from the place where the Jordan enters the sea. It was an important place where Jesus ministered and lived. Jesus called fishermen to follow him (Mt 4:18, Mk 1:16, Lk 5:1) Matthew was found at the seat of customs at the gate, probably taxing fish caught on the lake. A Roman centurion lived there with a detachment of soldiers. He was responsible for providing a synagogue for the Jews there. Jesus healed his servant and commended his faith. (Mt 8:5-13, Lk 7:1-10). Peter lived there and his mother-in-law was healed in his house. (Mt 8:14,-15; Mk 1:29-31; Lk 4:38-39) Jesus healed a paralytic (Mt 9:2-8; Mk 2:1-12; Lk 5:17-26), Jairus' daughter, cast our unclean spirits, and taught children. Jesus condemned the city for it's pride and having experience so many miracles yet did not receive him. (Mt 11:23; Lk 10:15)

4. Chorazin: (Matt. 11:21).
Town is located near the Sea of Galilee about 2 miles north of Capernaum and was denounced by Jesus (Lk 10:13) Little else is known of the town.

5. Magdala: (Matt. 15:39).
Village on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee. It may have been Dalmanutha (Mk 8:10) The name is derived from Migdal or tower. It is located along a busy crossroads. Mary Magdalene was apparently from this village. (Mt 27:56,61; 28:1; Mark 15:40, 47; 16:1; Luke 8:2; 24:10; Jn 19:25; 20:1,18)

6. Nazareth: (Luke 4:16).
Halfway between the Sea of Galilee toward Mt Carmel. It is located in the hill country and has a view of ancient battlegrounds. To the north one can see snowcapped Mt Hermon and to the west the Mediterranean. It was a small town in Jesus day and insignificant compared to the city of Sepphoris. Thus helps us understand Nathaniel'd disdain for "anything good coming out of Nazareth." (Jn 1:46) Jesus was known and referred to as a Nazarene, not a Nazarite, which is another thing altogether. It is the hometown of the Lord and the town of Mary and Joseph. There was a synagogue there for Jesus initiated his ministry reading from Isaiah 61:1-3). Luke makes a special point of announcing Jesus' rejection at Nazareth. They immediately tried to throw him off a cliff near there. From there he made his headquarters in Capernaum. Jesus marveled at their unbelief and could do no mighty miracles there because of it. (Mk 6:4)

7. Nain: (Luke 7:12).
A small town 10 miles sought of Nazareth. Shortly after healing a Centurion's servant in Capernaum Jesus arrived in Nain to the sight of a funeral procession of a only son of a widow. Jesus raise the boy to life prompting the comment today that "Jesus never attended a funeral without ruining it."

8. Tiberias: (John 6:1).
Located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee halfway down the coast. It was founded by Herod Antipas. He named the town after the reigning emperor Tiberias Caesar. There were hot springs there. Jesus actually avoided the place since his intent was to ministry to the lost sheep of Israel and Tiberias was on the Gentile side of the sea.

PEREA.

1. Bethabara: (John 1:28).
Also Betany beyond Jordan. Called Bethabara in the KJV but that is a misnomer. It stood on the other side (east) of the Jordan opposite Jericho. A monastery of St. John now stands there.

2. Machaerus: Not named in the Bible.
The location of Herod's prison where John the Baptist was incarcerated and later beheaded.

DECAPOLIS.

1. Bethsaida: (Luke 9:10-17).
Hometown of Philip the disciple and the town of Andrew and Peter. John 12:21 calls it Bethsaida of Galilee. It was the scene of the feeding of the 5,000. Mentioned in Mark 6:45 as a place Jesus traveled to by boat across from, so it must have been across the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum, which we know was the home of Peter's house where Jesus healed his mother-in-law. (Mark 8:22 we see Jesus there again after visiting Tyre and Sidon and returning to feed the 4,000.

2. Gadara: (Mark 5:1).
Situated 6 miles southeast of the southern end of the Sea of Galilee. It is the place of the account of the demoniac(s), Legion, and the drowning of the pigs. (Mt 8:28; Mk 5:1, Lk 8:26, 37) The name is confusing Matthew calls it Gadarenes, and Mark and Luke call it Gerasenes, but the reference is to the same place. Gadara was a small city in the area. Topographical maps show hills along the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee which agrees with the steep embankment where the pigs precipiced to their deaths. Reference to pigs in Palestine is awkward for Bible students who are unfamiliar with the Provinces of Palestine at the time of Christ. East of the Sea of Galilee was the Province of Decapolis, which was Gentile, not Jewish.

3. Gergesa: (Matt. 8:28-34).
Refers to the same area as Gadara but being the larger area around that city. Most scholars agree the Gergesa is the precise location of the healing of the demoniac named Legion. The location provides the tombs referred to in the passages (Mark 5:1; Lk 8:26) and also is the only site that provides steep hills coming down to the shoreline. See Gadara.

PHOENICIA.

1. Tyre: (Matt. 15:21-28).
Tyre is in the Gentile realm of Phoenicia. It is a famous port on the Mediterranean Sea Jesus visited there. (Mk 7:31) Usually the name appears with its sister city Sidon just 25 miles to the north. Jesus met a Syro-Phoenician woman there who begged crumbs from his table as a dog (gentile). Jesus compared Chorazin and Bethsida to Tyre and Sidon.

2. Sidon: (Mark 7:24).
Located 25 miles north of its sister city Tyre on the Mediterranean Sea. See Tyre.