Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

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Overview

Capitalizing on recent advances in satellite imaging and geographic information systems, the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas offers Bible readers a comprehensive, up-to-date resource that blends technical sophistication with readability, visual appeal, and historical and biblical accuracy.

All the key methods of presenting Bible geography and history are here, including more than 175 full-color maps, 70 photographs, 3-D re-creations of biblical objects and sites, indexes, timelines, and 65,000 words of narrative description. The atlas uniquely features regional maps detailing biblically significant areas such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Italy, and Greece. It also includes access to online maps and illustrations and a removable, 16.5 x 22-inch map of Palestine.

This carefully crafted reference tool not only sets a new standard in Bible atlases but will help ESV readers more clearly understand the world of the Bible and the meaning of Scripture.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781433519147
Publisher: Crossway
Publication date: 06/10/2010
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
File size: 64 MB
Note: This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

 John D. Currid (PhD, University of Chicago) is the Carl W. McMurray Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary. He  is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies in Jerusalem, Israel , and  serves as p roject d irector of the Bethsaida Excavations Project in Israel (1995-present). He lectures and preaches worldwide. 

 DAVID P. BARRETT,  cartographer for the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas, is a Bible reference editor and the developer of Bible Mapper Software.


 John D. Currid (PhD, University of Chicago) is the Carl W. McMurray Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary. He  is currently an adjunct faculty member at the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies in Jerusalem, Israel , and  serves as p roject d irector of the Bethsaida Excavations Project in Israel (1995-present). He lectures and preaches worldwide. 
 DAVID P. BARRETT,  cartographer for the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas, is a Bible reference editor and the developer of Bible Mapper Software.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

BEFORE ABRAHAM

IN THE BEGINNING

From the beginning, humans have pondered the origin, operation, and meaning of the universe. For example, the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh (c. 2000 B.C.) tells the story of a king named Gilgamesh and his quest to understand the cosmos. The text describes Gilgamesh's struggle with the issue of the death of a friend and his own end as well: "I became afraid of death, so that I now roam over the steppe. The matter of my friend rests heavy upon me, hence far and wide I roam over the steppe. The matter of Enkidu, my friend, rests heavy upon me, hence far and wide I roam over the steppe. How can I be silent? How can I be quiet? My friend, whom I loved, has turned to clay; Enkidu, my friend, whom I loved, has turned to clay. And I, shall I not like unto him lie down and not rise forever?" Gilgamesh travels across the earth in an attempt to discover the significance of the universe, the meaning of life and death, and the secret to immortality. From ancient times until today, people individually and collectively have sought answers to these same questions. Who are we? Where have we come from? Where did the universe come from?

Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." This is a proclamation of the origin of the universe. In the next 11 chapters of Genesis, the author then describes the beginning of many things, such as the human race, sin, agriculture, cities, and so forth. Other cultures of the ancient Near East, in particular Egypt and Mesopotamia, have different accounts of how the universe began. Because much of the time described in Genesis 1 — 11 preceded the invention of writing, historians often refer to it as protohistory or prehistory. Much of our knowledge of this proto-historic period comes from archaeological investigation. It is appropriate at this point to provide the chronology of the prehistoric periods as defined by archaeologists, and then to give a brief description of the relics and ruins of each period as discovered through archaeology.

THE PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (PRE-10,000 B.C.)

According to archaeologists, the Paleolithic period can be defined as one in which people were hunters and gatherers. In other words, they did not produce their own food through either herding or agriculture. The dwelling places of the time were primarily cave settlements, and the tools were stone. By the very end of the period (called the Upper Paleolithic) great transitions were taking place. Base camps for hunting began to appear: one of these, found at Ksar Akil, would have been used by 25 — 30 people. There was a broad spectrum of food use here, many tools, and hearths. Small settlement sites also first appeared during this period, and these contain very simple buildings. Deliberate burial practices also began at this time.

A Garden in Eden

In Genesis 2:8, the writer says that the "LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed." Immediately after the creation of mankind, God plants "a garden in Eden." Note that the text does not say "Garden of Eden." Apparently Eden was a larger geographical area than merely the spot occupied by the garden. Also, "in the east" probably refers to the eastern part of the region called Eden. The meaning of the name "Eden" is uncertain. In Akkadian a similar word meant "plain/wilderness." Canaanite texts used the word to reflect an area that is well watered and fertile. In Hebrew, "Eden" may be related to a term that means "luxury/delight." Because of that possible meaning, the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) rendered the term as paradeison, from which derives our word "paradise."

The means of watering the garden was by irrigation from a river that flowed through it. After feeding the garden, the river flowed out of it and divided into four "rivers" (Gen. 2:10). That word in Hebrew actually means "headstreams," and so when the river separated it broke up into four headwaters that were the sources of the four great rivers identified in the text. The name given to the first river was Pishon, and it flowed around the whole land of Havilah. Its location is uncertain, although many suggestions have been made; various authors argue that it ought to be located either in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, or even Australia! The word "Havilah" is mentioned several times in the Bible. Its next appearance after the Eden account is in Genesis 10:7, where Havilah is listed as one of the sons of Cush. Another Havilah occurs in the same genealogy as a son of Joktan (Gen. 10:29). In two other instances, Havilah is used geographically and probably refers to an area near Egypt (Gen. 25:18; 1 Sam. 15:7). The location of the second river, Gihon, is also unknown. The text says that it flows around the land of Cush. Scholars disagree on whether "the land of Cush" refers to an area of Mesopotamia or a region in Ethiopia. The Bible normally treats "Cush" as an area at the source of the Nile River (Gen. 10:6; Isa. 11:11; 18:1; Ps. 68:31). It may be that the two rivers, the Pishon and the Gihon, represent what we know as the Blue Nile and the White Nile. The problem is that the name "Cush" is also unmistakably tied to Mesopotamia in the Table of Nations (Gen. 10:8 — 12). In that passage, Cush is identified as the father of Nimrod, who is said to have founded numerous cities in Mesopotamia. Some scholars propose that "Cush" is the person who gave his name to the "Kassites," who ruled in Babylonia in the second millennium B.C. If that be the case, some commentators conclude that the River Gihon is to be located in Mesopotamia. The third and fourth rivers flowing out of Eden were the Tigris and Euphrates. These were, of course, the main areas of settlement in Mesopotamia.

So, where was the garden in Eden? No one knows for certain (see map 1-1). Many suggest that it was located in Mesopotamia; some believe it may have been situated in the mountains of Armenia where the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates are located. Others argue that it was in southern Mesopotamia where those two rivers flow into the Persian Gulf. Others offer another alternative, that Eden was in Canaan: the two rivers of Pishon and Gihon were the Blue and White Nile in Ethiopia, and the Tigris and Euphrates were located in Mesopotamia. In between them lay the land of Canaan.

THE EPI-PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (10,000–8000 B.C.)

Although there is debate regarding precisely when the domestication of plants and animals occurred, the evidence seems to argue for the Epi-Paleolithic or "Natufian" period. Life became centered in one place rather than in groups moving from one place to another. For example, at the site of 'Ain Mallaha, the archaeologist determined that 200 — 300 people lived there. He found primitive houses with lime-coated walls and paved flooring. There were elaborate types of burials at the site. During this period, sickle blades made their first appearance, and the people ate a broad spectrum of food, including wild grains. Because of this transition to agriculture and herding, many consider this to be the period in which permanent settlement really began.

THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD (8000–4000 B.C.)

The sedentarization that began at the end of the Natufian period continued into the subsequent Neolithic period. The settlements, however, became larger and more elaborate. A good example of this "urbanization" may be seen at the site of Jericho, in which major excavations unearthed significant remains of the Neolithic period. The Neolithic is normally divided by archaeologists into three periods: Pre-pottery Neolithic A, Pre-pottery Neolithic B, Pottery Neolithic. We will look at the remains found at Jericho in each of these periods.

Pre-pottery Neolithic A

During this first phase of the Neolithic period, Jericho was one of the largest known settlements. A great population increase took place here, and the settlement covered 10 acres. The archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon estimated that 2,000 people lived at Jericho during this period. The first fortification known to man was discovered here: it was a freestanding round stone tower that stood c. 28 feet (9 m) high. It contained an inside stairway with 22 steps leading from a bottom door to an opening on the top of the structure (see photo 1-1). Later in this period the tower was attached to a city wall c. 5 feet (1.5 m) wide and 13 feet (4 m) high. Near the tower were unearthed round houses made of mud-brick; some of these contained postholes for the support of a roof. There is evidence of agriculture at the site, and Kenyon argues that the inhabitants employed irrigation techniques.

Pre-pottery Neolithic B

The Pre-pottery Neolithic B period at Jericho had a less defensive posture than Pre-pottery Neolithic A. There were no fortification walls at the site. The architecture of the buildings during this period, however, was much more elaborate than the earlier period. The houses were now rectangular, rather than circular, and their walls were plastered and highly burnished with red ochre paint. The floors were hard lime plaster. And the houses were built around courtyards containing hearths. There were various rooms in each house, and many of the rooms had pillars and bases to hold up roofs. The buildings were constructed of cigar-shaped bricks that had thumb indentations to hold the mortar together firmly. The tool industry of this time was an improvement on Pre-pottery Neolithic A; the earlier period had a crude assemblage whereas this period had much finer ware. The appearance of turquoise perhaps indicates that there was some kind of trade taking place between Jericho and other areas.

A most interesting find from this period was a series of plastered and modeled skulls sealed beneath the floors of houses. No one knows for certain what purpose they served, but perhaps they reflected some sort of ancestor worship.

Pottery Neolithic

The Pottery Neolithic era was a dark age throughout the ancient Near East. Architectural remains from sites are shabby and primitive. Lots of places that had been settled in the Pre-pottery Neolithic were now unoccupied. Some archaeologists argue that Palestine was generally abandoned at this time due to climatic changes or some other natural force. On the other hand, it may be that there was not an abandonment but rather a shift from the sedentary life back to pastoralism. Jericho was occupied during this time, but the settlement was small and in decline from the previous periods. Although the period was one of general degeneration, it was not devoid of importance. Pottery came into use in this final phase of the Neolithic era, and its importance for the reconstruction of chronology and life in the ancient Near East cannot be overstated.

Pottery

During the Neolithic period, pottery made its first appearance in the ancient Near East. Pottery is a most valuable tool for the archaeologist, and it is the most basic and useful tool for developing chronology. It not only helps to determine the dating of layers of an individual site, but the archaeologist can compare pottery gathered from various sites to establish a relative dating sequence for a region. What is it about pottery that makes it so valuable in this regard?

First, pottery is durable. Although whole vessels are fragile and break easily, potsherds are virtually indestructible. They do not decay, rust, burn, corrode, evaporate, or melt. Pottery is found in every layer of a site because it lasts. Second, pottery is changeable. That is to say, while the features of pottery vessels, such as design and shape, were remarkably standardized during any given period in a region, these traits changed at frequent intervals. In other words, each period had its own distinctive and typical pottery. Archaeologists are able to date any level or stratum in a site by the type of pottery that appears in it. Among the elements of pottery that help to distinguish one period from another are form, decoration, material composition, and method of manufacture.

Sometimes excavations uncover sherds with inscriptions. These are called "ostraca" (singular "ostracon"). The inscriptions are normally written in ink and are short, ranging from a few words to several lines. Some of them appear to have been written in times of crisis when other writing materials were unavailable. Perhaps the most well-known ostraca found in Palestine are the Lachish Letters from the time of the destruction of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. (See "The Lachish Letters," p. 174) The numerous ostraca found at Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, are also of great importance.


THE CHALCOLITHIC PERIOD (4000–3200 B.C.)

Some very important changes occurred in the Chalcolithic period, from the previous "dark age" of the Pottery Neolithic. There was an increase in population throughout the ancient Near East, and there were more and larger settlements. The first known use of metal for tools and weapons occurred at this time; locations for copper smelting have been discovered. Settlements had specialization in various crafts; some were, for example, copper smelting villages, and others worked only in ivory. The pottery of the period was mostly handmade, although there is some evidence for the beginning of slow wheel manufactured ceramic. Trade throughout the ancient Near East became more robust.

In Palestine, most populations of the Chalcolithic era were living in more arid areas. Near Beersheba, three sites have been unearthed from this period that are called the "Beersheba group." The sites are Abu Mater, Khirbet Beitar, and Safadi. They appear to have been typical of the period, with each site having a specialized craft. There was clear evidence of trade with Egypt: beads made of shells from the Nile River were unearthed at Abu Mater. Sacred shrines became more common in this period. Near Engedi, next to the Dead Sea, a long-roomed shrine was found that was surrounded by a sacred enclosure wall. Inside the temple was discovered a favissa, a sacred pit where ritual items used in the temple would be buried. In a cave near the site, a horde of 400 copper objects was found that perhaps went with the temple. This is called the "Cave of the Treasure," and many of the objects were ritual or ceremonial pieces.

THE EARLY BRONZE AGE (320–2200 B.C.)

The Early Bronze Age was characterized by urbanization, a shift from village life to city dwelling. More settlements appeared in this age than at any time previously, and they were fortified. Full-fledged agricultural production, both fruits and vegetables, also became a major part of life in the ancient Near East. A brisk international trade network was in evidence, especially between Palestine and Egypt. This was the time of the first great empire building in the ancient Near East, with grand states formed in Egypt and in Mesopotamia (the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; see map 1-3).

Egypt

Prior to 3100 B.C., the political situation in Egypt is obscure. There appear to have been two separate kingdoms: a northern kingdom in the Delta (at the city of Pe), and a southern kingdom in the Nile River Valley (at Nekhen). This political duality persisted throughout Egyptian history in different political and religious symbols of Egypt: separate northern and southern crowns, the representation of the north by the serpent goddess Wadjit and the south by the vulture goddess Nekhbet. Egypt itself was often called the two lands.

The Archaic period. The first two dynasties of Egypt lasted from 3100 to 2700 B.C., and we know very little about them. We know that it was a period of unification of the two kingdoms. The first king was probably the Scorpion king. A ceremonial mace head of this king has been found, and it commemorates his victories over enemies that may have included native Egyptians of the Delta area. One of the registers on the mace head pictures Scorpion wearing the crown of Upper Egypt and opening an irrigation canal, which was a common duty of the king. The next king was probably Narmer. A palette has been discovered of this king: on one side he is pictured wearing the crown of Upper Egypt, posing in victory over the conquered ones from the Delta, and on the other side he wears the crown of Lower Egypt in procession over his slain enemy. Narmer is often identified with Menes, the traditional founder of the First Dynasty of Egypt.

Apart from unification, virtually nothing of a political nature is known explicitly from these first two dynasties, although the names of the kings are verified on contemporary monuments. However, we do know that nearly all the social, political, religious, and cultural institutions that identify Egyptian civilization originated during this Archaic period. Excavations of tombs from this period at Saqqarah and Abydos provide much of the material remains of the time.

(Continues…)


Excerpted from "Crossway ESV Bible Atlas"
by .
Copyright © 2010 John D. Currid.
Excerpted by permission of Good News Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Preface,
PART 1: Introduction and Overview of the Biblical World,
PART 2: Historical Geography of the Biblical World,
1. Before Abraham,
2. The World of the Patriarchs,
3. The Sojourn in Egypt and the Exodus,
4. The Wilderness Journeys, Conquest, and Settlement,
5. The United Monarchy,
6. The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah,
7. The Assyrian Era,
8. The Babylonian Era,
9. The Persian Era,
10. The Hellenistic Era,
11. The Maccabean Era,
12. The Roman Era,
PART 3: Regional Geography of the Biblical World,
Introduction to Regional Maps,
R-1. Biblical World,
R-2. Mesopotamia, Levant, Media,
R-3. Southern Anatolia, Cyprus, Northern Levant,
R-4. Western Anatolia,
R-5. Macedonia and Achaia,
R-6. Crete,
R-7. Central Italy,
R-8. Italy and North Africa,
R-9. Egypt,
R-10. Sinai,
R-11. Palestine,
R-12. Judea,
R-13. Samaria,
R-14. Galilee, Tyre, Mount Hermon,
R-15. Gilead,
R-16. Moab,
R-17. Edom,
R-18. Philistia,
R-19. Jerusalem in Old Testament Times,
R-20. Jerusalem after the Exile,
R-21. Jerusalem in New Testament Times,
PART 4: Appendixes and Indexes,
Timeline of Biblical History,
Kings of Israel and Judah,
The Herodian Dynasty,
Selected Bibliography,

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“A remarkably beautiful and rich resource for historical, geographical, and archaeological background material that will deepen our understanding of each section of the Bible and increase our appreciation of the Bible's amazing historical accuracy.”
Wayne Grudem, Distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies, Phoenix Seminary

“This Atlas is a wonderfully illustrated tool to aid the layperson, student of the Scripture, or pastor who wants to dig deeper and gain new insights and appreciation of the setting, context, and message of the Bible. The text is easy to follow, pictures are brilliant, and maps are incredibly useful as the reader moves through the related narratives. I highly recommend this marvelous resource.”
James K. Hoffmeier, Former Professor of Old Testament and Near Eastern Archaeology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“During the 44 years I served as a college professor I used many good atlases. However, I have never seen one comparable to this in the breadth of material, the depth of coverage, and the outstanding quality of its impressive and abundantly illustrated maps and photos of Bible lands.”
John McRay, Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Archaeology, Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL

“I had the privilege of being involved in the production of drawings based on the latest research for the ESV Study Bible. It is a joy to see these drawings plus the original ESV Study Bible maps, woven together with numerous new maps, brilliantly evocative photographs and useful indexes to make up the new Crossway Bible Atlas. This volume will become an indispensable companion for Bible students, fulfilling every expectation you might have of such a tool. Particularly innovative is the use of terrain imagery to facilitate the reader’s understanding of such Biblical viewpoints as that of Abraham from Hebron over the cities of the plain or Moses from Mt. Nebo.”
Leen Ritmeyer, Archaeological Consultant

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