As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD.” So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.
Joshua 18:8-10
I’ve continued to slowly digest my experiences in Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. As part of that, I’ve been placing dots in Google Maps for each place I visited. Like Joshua sending out the surveyors after they had conquered the land, I’ve been pouring over the map, searching for those little details that defined where I went. Some places like Jerusalem are obvious. Others are less distinct and have required me to make a best guess. This exercise helped me better track where we went.
In the 19th century, various explorers came to what is today Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank to map it out. Place names that we take for granted now were not all known to these intrepid pioneers. Among the first, Edward Robinson, accompanied by Eli Smith, journeyed to the land in 1838 (before archeology), asking the locals what they called the places they lived. Place names often stick, although they may gradually change over time. For instance, ancient Shechem is today known as Nablus. That doesn’t sound similar. However, we know that Shechem was renamed in New Testament times to Neapolis, which is not too different, especially as it shifted languages.
Needless to say, I have a lot of dots on my map. Enjoy exploring around!
View JUC Fall 2011 in a larger map