The Promised Land, engraved by Liébaux

Mapmaker: Liebaux · Year: c. 1720

A tall, narrow map of the Promised Land from Antioch down to the edge of Egypt, made for a French commentary on the Book of Joshua and engraved by the geographer Liébaux. It marks the territory of each tribe and gives many places two names, the biblical one and a later one.

The map at the Library of Congress

Old maps of the Holy Land, 1600–1881: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division (public domain; item numbers found through Wikimedia Commons, images from the library’s own server); the texts are ours

Passages

Josh 13:1–7Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed. This is the land that remains: All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites, from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites; to the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites; the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Places on the map

Old maps

More old maps

Old maps