How to Add New Dimensions to Your Study with Bible Maps
Today, we’re going to look at a familiar, but not often well-used tool: Bible Maps!
We’ll dig into this coming resource, and look at:
- Why Bible maps can be a powerful tool for understanding more than just geography.
- How to utilize a map alongside other approaches to Bible study.
- Where and how to find good FREE Bible map resources.
Making the Colorful Pages in Your Bible Useful
By learning how to use Bible maps as a part of your approach to Bible study, you will definitely broaden and deepen the paths and approaches to exploring what you read. You’ll be able to connect more and more holistically to the passages AND begin to intuitively understand contextual ideas without even needing to dig for them.
At the end, I’ll give you a bunch of FREE resources so that you can be equipped for studying with maps beyond whatever you may have in your printed Bible.
So, let’s get started.
The Big Ideas and Helpful Highlights
Why Bible Maps?
This parallel, from Wayne Stiles, is our starting point for understanding the usefulness of maps:
- When traveling, road maps give you insight into the distance between locations, which roads to take, and what points of interest to look for.
- Topographical maps use contour lines in which each line represents the same elevation. This representation gives you an understanding of the “lay of the land”—the topography of a given terrain. It’s much more informative to see a topographical map than a flat map with no contours and curves.
- A physical map reveals locations of rivers, mountains, lakes, seas—basically the physical features of an area.
These same things have an impact on our understanding of what we read in the Bible. (These examples continue the parallel and are also from Wayne Stiles.)
- Highways—There was a major highway that ran the full length of Israel; this is the primary reason Israel had interactions with surrounding nations. HUGE importance.
- Topography—Jerusalem, Megiddo, and many other sites had a significant military advantage because of their topography.
- Physical Barriers—Rivers, seas, and lakes—and climate—all played a major role in shaping biblical events. Understanding their significance gives a greater understanding into the biblical narrative than you would have otherwise. [sic]
How This Helps You Read the Bible Better
When we walk through specific passages, we’re able to consider the real-life setting and implications of the physical places when we have a map reference as a part of our study.
I walk through an example from Colossians in the recorded teaching. Follow along with the recording for the most benefit.
My Best Map-Related Advice
When it comes to maps, the best advice I can give is: slow down and think!
When we start to think about the maps in front of us and consider what we might learn from them, the exploration gains momentum on its own. Looking at a place on a map, what might to you be able to guess about its inhabitants. Is it mountainous? Near the ocean? Remote? What deductions might you make with that kind of information?
Don’t forget to be general and cautious. And, of course, challenge your conclusions. Bible Maps can teach us a lot that is concrete. Another value is in sparking questions and interest. We might assume that people near the ocean ate a lot of fish, but we can’t be sure of that without a little more digging. Let the ideas generated when you explore Bible Maps be starting places, not conclusions.
Where to Find Useful Bible Maps
First, your Bible! Don’t miss my FREE resource, a “Guide to Your Study Bible.” You’ll learn key features (in addition to maps!) that will help you learn to make the most of your Study Bible. Sign up below to download your FREE copy today.
Other Bible Maps Resources
- Google Maps! – this ubiquitous resource has more than you might imagine for Bible study. Many places mentioned in the Bible can be located simply by typing them into the search bar in Google Maps. The specific map links below are also built using features I didn’t even know Google Maps had before I started researching this teaching.
- The specific maps I used in this teaching are both accessed through Google Maps. Here are there specific links:
- A Map of Paul’s Missionary Journeys (I did not create this resource, but was unable to identify its source. Thank you anonymous map-maker!)
- Colossians Key Locations
- Other Websites – here are several websites that provide free map resources. As with all things online, be mindful of your sources. (However, with maps, you’re likely in less danger of encountering strange influences.)
- Bible.ca Maps Page
- BibleStudy.org Maps Resources
- KnowingTheBible.net Maps Pages
- Blue-History.com Maps and Guide
- OpenBible.info Maps Resources
- Other Websites – here are several websites that provide free map resources. As with all things online, be mindful of your sources. (However, with maps, you’re likely in less danger of encountering strange influences.)
- Bible.ca Maps Page
- BibleStudy.org Maps Resources
- KnowingTheBible.net Maps Pages
- Blue-History.com Maps and Guide
- OpenBible.info Maps Resources
- Just for fun, here’s a neat map resource, showing all the cities the Bible records Paul visiting.
- Apps – there are several apps specifically designed around Bible Maps. I’ve not used these personally, but I’m sure there are some helpful gems among them. Let me know if you’ve got a Bible Map app you like!
I had no idea I’d be so excited about the Bible maps available in so many places. It’s another one of those new unexpected discoveries that seem to be the hallmark of Bible study. Make sure you are subscribed to be notified of new teachings so that you can find the doorways to exploration and connection that matter most to you!
And please share any questions or valuable map resources in the comments!