Important Cities of
Ancient Israel Large Map

Second city conquered by Joshua and the children of Israel as they entered the Promised Land. (Joshua 7:2-5, 8:1-29)

City of the Philistines where Samson pushed on the main pillars of a pagan temple and killed himself along with several thousand Philistines. (Judges 16:21-31)

A city from which Samuel judged Israel and one of two places Saul declared King of Israel. Place Israelites met during great national emergencies. (Judges 20:1-3; 1Samuel 7:5-16, 10:17-25)

City where the Philistines temporarily stored the Ark of the Covenant after they beat Israel in battle. (1Samuel 5)

Saul lived in Gibeah before becoming king over a united Israel. City where David retrieved the Ark of the Covenant to take to Jerusalem. (1Samuel 7:1, 10:26; 2Samuel 22:6 )

In Nain Jesus miraculously resurrects the only son of a widow. (Luke 7:11-17)

A Philistine city where Samson slew thirty men. (Judges 14:19)

The first place, west of the Jordan river, that the children of Israel camped to prepare to take their inheritance in the Promised Land. Gilgal is also where Saul made the first King over Israel. (Joshua 4:19, 1Samuel 11:15)

Jesus lived in Nazareth until he moved to Capernaum at the beginning of his ministry. (Matthew 2:23)

City named by Abraham, where he, Issac and Jacob lived. (Genesis 21:31, 22:19, 26:23, 28:10)

Royal city of the Canaanites. City burnt to the ground and all inhabitants killed by Joshua. (Joshua 11)

The place where Jacob wrestled all night with a man (Jesus?), after which his name was changed to Israel. Years later the city and its men were destroyed by Gideon because they refused his request for help. (Genesis 32:24-30; Judges 8)

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived in village, place where Lazarus raised from the dead by Jesus. (Luke10:38-41, John 11)

Abraham's wife Sarah died in Hebron. David crowned King of Judah and Israel in city. (Genesis 23:2; 2Samuel 2:1-11, 5:1-5)

Place where King Ahab died in battle and where Elisha the prophet anointed Jehu King over Israel. (1Kings 22:29-36, 2Kings 9:1-6)

Jacob sees vision of a ladder and names city. The school of prophets was located in Bethel. (Genesis 28:10-22; 2Kings 2:3)

First city conquered by the children of Israel entering the Promised Land. Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan based on man robbed and beaten as he traveled to Jericho. (Deuteronomy 34:3, Joshua 6; Luke 10:30-37)

City was bought by King Omri of Israel. Became the capital of the northern ten tribes of Israel after the kingdom split up right after the death of Solomon. (1Kings 16:24)

Place where Jesus was born. (Matthew 2)

King David conquered the city, after which it was known as the city of David. He also moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. Was capital of a united Israel under Kings David and Solomon. The place where Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected and where the New Testament church started. (1Chronicles 11, 2Samuel 6:12-19; 1Kings 3:1; Matthew 27-28; John 19-20; Acts 2)

Jacob (Israel) was buried in Shechem. The bones of Joseph, who died in Egypt, were taken by the children of Israel to Shechem and buried. (Genesis 50:13; Joshua 24:32)

City where Jesus' disciples Philip, Andrew and Peter lived and where Jesus healed a blind man. (John 1:44, Mark 8:22-26)

Place of Gideon's battle with Midianites. Jezebel arranges murder of Jezreel vineyard owner so her husband King Ahab could own land. Jezebel and all the house of Ahab killed in city. (Judges 6:33, 1Kings 21; 2Kings 10)

Joshua moved the ark of the covenant, along with its tabernacle, to the city. The prophet Samuel lived in the city. (Joshua 18:1; 1Samuel 3:20-21)

Philip the evangelist, King Herod and Roman governor Felix lived in Caesarea. The apostle Paul spent more than two years in a Caesarea jail. (Acts 8:40, 12:19-23, 23:23-24, 24, 25)

Chief seaport of Judea. Place where Peter raised Dorcas from the dead and had vision of sheet full of unclean animals. (Acts 9:36-43, 10:9-18)

In Sidon Elijah brings back to life the dead son of a widow. Near Sidon Jesus casts a demon out of a young women whose mother, a Gentile, begged him to help her. (1Kings 5:6, 17:8-23; Ezra 3:7; Matthew 15:21-28)

Place where Jesus, attending a wedding feast with his mother, performs his first public miracle---turning water in wine. (John 2:1-11)

Abraham lived near city. Children of Israel camped near city after leaving Egyptian slavery. Location where Joshua defeated the Canaanites. (Genesis 20:1, Numbers 13:26, Joshua 10:41)

First place the children of Israel camped after leaving Rameses in Egypt. (Exodus 12:37)

Jesus lived in city during his entire public ministry. Four or five of his disciples also lived there. (Matthew 4:13-16, 9:9; Mark 1:21-29)

Also known as Kedeshnaphtali. Barak, a judge of Israel, lived in city where he also gathered troops to battle the Canaanites led by Sisera. (Joshua 12:22, Judges 4)

Place of residence for many of the kings the Israel. (1Kings 14:17, 15:21, 33, 16:6-24)

Considered the northern most border of the land of Israel.

Canaanite city captured by Joshua. Amaziah, King of Judah, murdered in city. (Joshua 10:31-32; 2Kings 14:19)

Wealthy city whose merchants were the first to navigate the Mediterranean sea. Tyre was attacked by Alexander the Great who killed all the men and sold the women and children into slavery. (Isaiah 23:8; Zechariah 9:3)

David used location as a stronghold to evade capture by King Saul. (1Samuel 23:29)

In Mamre Abraham told by two men he will have a son in his old age then told by a third man of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 13:18, 18)

Lot and his daughters fled to Zoar from Sodom in order to avoid its utter destruction by God. (Genesis 19:20-23, 30)

City of the Philistines where Goliath, and a race of giants, lived. (Joshua 11:22, 1Samuel 6:17, 17:4)

Megiddo, part of the valley of Jezreel, is the great battlefield of Palestine. Egypt's army fought and killed Judah's King Josiah in Megiddo. Also called Armageddon, it is the general location of the final battle between good (Jesus at his second coming) and evil (Antichrist). (Revelation 16:12,14,16)