About this project

Methodology, scope and editorial criteria

What this is

The Interactive Bible Atlas is a map with a timeline of the biblical locations mentioned in the King James Version (KJV), from the time of the Patriarchs to the end of the New Testament. Moving the timeline bar changes both the places visible on the map and the nations, kingdoms and borders shown.

Dataset scope

Over 240 locations with significant narrative presence throughout the Bible were prioritized (patriarchs, exodus, conquest, monarchy, exile, return, gospels, Paul's journeys, Revelation), not the full ~1,500 place names that appear at least once in the biblical text. Expanding coverage to minor names is a natural next step. You can browse the full index of places, each with its own page and references.

Territory polygons are illustrative approximations for study purposes, not academically precise historical cartography. Ancient borders are rarely known with exactness; simple shapes were chosen to convey the relative location and extent of each kingdom/nation in each era, not archaeologically verified boundary lines.

Certainty levels

Every location in the dataset carries an honest label about how much is actually known about it:

• Confirmed — a widely accepted archaeological identification.
• Probable — a reasonable identification, but not unanimous among specialists.
• Disputed — at least two candidate sites compete without consensus.
• Unknown — no identifiable geographic location; sometimes not even shown on the map.

The "Unconfirmed or disputed locations" panel in the app lists each case with the note explaining the specific uncertainty.

Perspective on disputed borders and names

Where the extent of a territory or its name is a matter of debate (modern or historiographical), this project deliberately represents the biblical / Israelite perspective:

• The United Kingdom of Israel (Saul–David–Solomon) is drawn according to the extent described in 1 Kings 4:21 ("from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt"), rather than minimalist reconstructions that reduce its scope to a small local kingdom.
• The Hasmonean Kingdom is shown at its maximum extent (including Samaria, Galilee, Idumea and part of Transjordan), per the traditional Jewish claim to the territory.
• In the Roman/New Testament era, the Transjordanian region is called "Perea" (biblical/Jewish nomenclature) rather than modern political terminology.

Every territory marked with this badge includes a note explaining the criterion. This is an explicit editorial decision, appropriate to a Bible-study project, and is not intended to represent a position on contemporary borders, sovereignty or territorial conflicts.

Next steps

• Expand the dataset with minor locations (genealogies, lists of Levitical cities, detailed tribal boundaries from Joshua 13–21).
• Refine the territory polygons with specialized historical cartographic sources if greater precision is needed.
• Keep expanding the "journeys" layer (there are already 17, from Abraham to Paul's journeys) with new routes and more precise dates.

More information

See also the legal notice (data credits and third-party licenses) and the privacy policy.