Torah & Travel
Biblical Sites
Every place in Israel mentioned in the Tanakh — with the original Hebrew text, English translation, and a guide to visiting today.
Jerusalem
ירושלים
The eternal capital and spiritual heart of Israel. Jerusalem is mentioned more than any other city in the Tanakh — as Salem in Genesis, as the Jebusite city conquered by David, as the site of Solomon's Temple, and as the prophetic center of God's kingdom. For three thousand years, Jews have turned toward Jerusalem in prayer.
Bronze Age – Present
Hebron
חברון
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the four holy cities of Judaism. Hebron is the burial place of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs in the Cave of Machpelah. Abraham purchased this cave as a family burial site — the first recorded land purchase in the Torah. David reigned from Hebron for seven years before conquering Jerusalem.
Bronze Age – Present
Beer Sheva
באר שבע
The traditional southern boundary of the Land of Israel, as in the phrase 'from Dan to Beer Sheva.' Abraham dug a well here and made a covenant with Abimelech, naming the place Beer Sheva — the 'Well of the Oath.' The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all passed through or lived in Beer Sheva, making it one of the most significant sites in the patriarchal narratives.
Chalcolithic – Present
Shechem
שכם
The first place Abraham visited when he entered the land of Canaan, and the site where God first promised the land to his descendants. Shechem lies in the valley between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, where Joshua renewed the covenant and where the tribes later split into the northern and southern kingdoms. Today the site is near Nablus in the West Bank.
Bronze Age – Iron Age
Bethel
בית אל
The place where Jacob dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. He named it Bethel — 'House of God.' Abraham had earlier built an altar here. After the split of the kingdom, Jeroboam set up a golden calf at Bethel, making it a rival worship site to Jerusalem. The prophets later condemned this as idolatry.
Bronze Age – Iron Age
Jericho
יריחו
One of the oldest cities in the world, Jericho was the first city the Israelites conquered upon entering the Promised Land. The dramatic fall of its walls — after the Israelites marched around them for seven days — is one of the most iconic stories in the Tanakh. Situated near the Jordan River in the desert, Jericho is also associated with Elijah and Elisha.
Neolithic – Present
Bethlehem
בית לחם
The birthplace of King David and the setting of the Book of Ruth. Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, was buried on the road to Bethlehem — her tomb remains a pilgrimage site today. The prophet Samuel journeyed to Bethlehem to anoint the young shepherd David as future king of Israel, choosing him from among the sons of Jesse.
Bronze Age – Present
Shiloh
שילה
Before the Temple was built in Jerusalem, Shiloh served as the spiritual center of Israel for nearly 400 years. The Tabernacle — the portable sanctuary that traveled with the Israelites through the desert — was set up here after the conquest of Canaan. It was at Shiloh that Hannah prayed for a son, and where the young Samuel first heard the voice of God.
Bronze Age – Iron Age
Dan
דן
The northernmost city of ancient Israel, marking the upper boundary in the expression 'from Dan to Beer Sheva.' Originally called Laish, it was conquered by the tribe of Dan and renamed. Abraham pursued the kings who captured Lot all the way to Dan. The site contains one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Israel — the 'House of David' inscription, the first extra-biblical reference to King David.
Bronze Age – Iron Age
Megiddo
מגידו
A strategic fortress city controlling the Jezreel Valley trade route. Megiddo was the site of multiple decisive battles throughout biblical history. Solomon rebuilt it as one of his chariot cities, and King Josiah was tragically killed here fighting Pharaoh Necho. The name Megiddo gave rise to 'Armageddon' (Har Megiddo — the Mount of Megiddo), the prophetic site of the final battle.
Chalcolithic – Iron Age
Sea of Galilee
כנרת
Known in the Tanakh as the Sea of Chinnereth (Kinnereth), this freshwater lake in the Galilee is Israel's primary water source. The region surrounding the lake was allotted to the tribe of Naphtali. The prophet Isaiah spoke of the 'way of the sea' — the great trade route that passed along its shores, connecting Egypt to Mesopotamia.
Bronze Age – Present
Mount Carmel
הר הכרמל
The dramatic stage for one of the Tanakh's most spectacular confrontations — Elijah's showdown with 450 prophets of Baal. On this mountain overlooking the Mediterranean, Elijah challenged the false prophets, and fire from heaven consumed his offering. The name Carmel means 'vineyard of God,' and the prophets use it as a symbol of beauty and abundance.
Bronze Age – Present
Jaffa
יפו
The ancient port city from which Jonah tried to flee from God's command. Jaffa (Joppa) served as the main seaport for Jerusalem throughout biblical times. Cedar logs from Lebanon were floated to Jaffa for the construction of both Solomon's Temple and the Second Temple. Today it is part of Tel Aviv-Yafo, blending ancient history with modern life.
Bronze Age – Present
Dead Sea
ים המלח
Called the 'Salt Sea' in the Tanakh, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth. Its shores were the setting for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The prophet Ezekiel had a powerful vision of living waters flowing from the Temple to the Dead Sea, turning its salt water fresh — a messianic prophecy of ultimate renewal and healing.
Biblical – Present
Jordan River
נהר הירדן
The river that the Israelites miraculously crossed to enter the Promised Land. Like the parting of the Red Sea, the Jordan's waters stopped flowing to allow the people to pass on dry ground. The Jordan also figures in the stories of Elijah (who parted its waters) and Naaman the Syrian (who was healed by washing in it). It remains the symbolic threshold between wilderness and promise.
Biblical – Present
Ein Gedi
עין גדי
A desert oasis near the Dead Sea where David hid from King Saul in the wilderness caves. The dramatic story of David sparing Saul's life in the cave at Ein Gedi is one of the most poignant episodes of mercy in the Tanakh. The Song of Songs compares the beloved to a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Ein Gedi — a place of unexpected beauty in a barren landscape.
Chalcolithic – Present
Mount Tabor
הר תבור
The mountain where the prophetess Deborah sent Barak to assemble 10,000 warriors against the Canaanite general Sisera. The battle that followed, with a sudden rainstorm turning the Kishon River into a flood that swept away Sisera's chariots, is celebrated in the Song of Deborah — one of the oldest poems in the Tanakh. Mount Tabor's distinctive dome shape rises 575 meters above the Jezreel Valley.
Bronze Age – Present
Mount Hermon
הר חרמון
The highest peak in Israel at 2,814 meters, Mount Hermon marks the northern boundary of the Promised Land. Its snow-capped summit is visible from much of northern Israel, and its melting snows feed the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. The psalmist uses the dew of Hermon as a metaphor for the blessing of unity among brothers.
Biblical – Present
Lachish
לכיש
The second most important city in the Kingdom of Judah after Jerusalem, Lachish was a major fortified city guarding the approach to Jerusalem from the southwest. Its dramatic siege by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 BCE is depicted in famous reliefs now in the British Museum. The Lachish Letters, found during excavations, are among the oldest Hebrew texts ever discovered.
Bronze Age – Iron Age
Ashkelon
אשקלון
One of the five Philistine city-states, Ashkelon appears in the Tanakh as a powerful coastal city that often clashed with Israel. The strongman Samson traveled to Ashkelon after his riddle was betrayed. David's lament over Saul and Jonathan includes the famous line: 'Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon.' Today Ashkelon is a thriving Israeli beach city.
Bronze Age – Present
Hazor
חצור
The largest and most important Canaanite city in the north of Israel. When Joshua conquered Canaan, Hazor's king Jabin organized a coalition of northern kings against Israel — but Joshua defeated them and burned Hazor. Centuries later, another King Jabin of Hazor oppressed Israel until the prophetess Deborah led the people to victory. Solomon later rebuilt Hazor as a fortified city.
Bronze Age – Iron Age
Gilgal
גלגל
The first camp of the Israelites after crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land. At Gilgal, Joshua set up twelve stones from the Jordan riverbed as a memorial and circumcised the new generation. The name means 'rolling' — God said 'Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.' Gilgal later became the site where Saul was proclaimed king.
Iron Age
Mount Gilboa
הר גלבוע
The mountain where King Saul and his son Jonathan fell in battle against the Philistines — the tragic end of Israel's first royal dynasty. David's lament over their deaths is one of the most moving poems in the Tanakh: 'How the mighty have fallen!' David cursed the mountains of Gilboa, saying 'Let there be no dew or rain upon you.'
Iron Age
Gaza
עזה
One of the five major Philistine cities, Gaza is most famously associated with the story of Samson. It was here that Samson carried off the city gates on his shoulders and was later captured and imprisoned. The dramatic final scene of Samson pulling down the pillars of the Philistine temple remains one of the most vivid stories in the Tanakh.
Bronze Age – Present