The Places of Isaiah

Jerusalem: the Temple Mount and the ridge to its south.

Zion and Ariel are Isaiah’s other names for the city.

The hill country from Jerusalem south past Hebron (southern West Bank and Israel).

Tel Lachish, southern Israel.

Probably Ai (et-Tell), north of Jerusalem.

Location uncertain.

Anata, just north-east of Jerusalem.

Near Gibeah, north of Jerusalem.

Location uncertain.

Jabaʿ, north of Jerusalem.

Near Jerusalem’s northern approach.

Location uncertain.

Tell el-Ful, on the northern edge of Jerusalem.

El-Jib, north-west of Jerusalem.

North of Jerusalem, near Anathoth.

Location uncertain.

Probably Tel Burna in the Judean foothills, southern Israel.

Location uncertain.

Near Jerusalem’s northern approach.

Location uncertain.

Mukhmas, north-east of Jerusalem.

Somewhere between Ai and Michmash, north of Jerusalem.

Location uncertain; plotted between Aiath and Michmash.

Traditionally Mount Scopus, looking down on Jerusalem.

Location uncertain; Mount Scopus is the traditional guess.

Er-Ram, north of Jerusalem.

Sebastia, the northern West Bank. Ephraim is Isaiah’s name for the northern kingdom.

The Mount Lebanon range, Lebanon.

Mount Carmel, Haifa, northern Israel.

The coastal plain of Israel between Tel Aviv and Mount Carmel.

The Golan Heights and the Hauran plain (Syria, Israel, Jordan).

Northern Israel; the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali.

The Jordan River, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.

Tartessos in southern Spain (near Cadiz), far off the west edge of this map.

Location debated; some place Tarshish at Sardinia or Tarsus.

The southern coastal plain: Gaza to Ashkelon.

The King James text reads “Palestina” in 14:29, 31.

Tyre (Sur), southern Lebanon.

Sidon (Saida), Lebanon.

Spelled Zidon in the King James text.

Cyprus.

Spelled Chittim in the King James text.

Ashdod, on Israel’s southern coast.

Ionia, the Greek-speaking coast of western Turkey.

Lydia, western Turkey (Sardis).

Identification with Lydia is the common view, not certain.

Tabal, in central Turkey (Cappadocia).

Aram, the kingdom of Damascus and its neighbours; modern Syria.

Damascus, Syria.

Hama, Syria.

Tell Rifaat, north of Aleppo, Syria.

Spelled Arphad in 36:19 and 37:13.

The highlands around Mount Ararat and Lake Van, eastern Turkey and Armenia.

The King James text’s “land of Armenia” renders the land of Ararat (Urartu).

Tell Tayinat on the Orontes, southern Turkey.

Jerablus, on the Syria–Turkey border.

Tell Halaf on the Khabur, north-eastern Syria.

Harran, south-eastern Turkey.

Resafa, northern Syria.

Probably Til Barsip (Tell Ahmar) on the Euphrates, northern Syria.

Location uncertain.

Northern Iraq; plotted at Ashur, the old capital.

Near Hillah, central Iraq.

Southern Iraq, around Ur; the Chaldeans ruled Babylon.

South-western Iran; plotted at Susa.

North-western Iran; plotted at the Median plateau near modern Tehran.

Mosul, northern Iraq.

Southern Mesopotamia between the rivers, Iraq.

Egypt; plotted at the apex of the Nile delta.

Nubia, along the Nile in southern Egypt and Sudan.

The King James text reads Ethiopia for Cush in all but one place.

Tanis (San el-Hagar) in the north-eastern Nile delta.

Often placed at Meroe on the Nile in Sudan.

Location uncertain.

Heracleopolis (Ihnasya el-Medina), Middle Egypt.

Memphis, south of Cairo.

Upper Egypt, the Nile valley around Luxor.

The Nile, or its eastern branch in the delta.

Possibly Syene (Aswan) on the Nile; some propose China.

Debated. The Great Isaiah Scroll reads Syene; this dot follows that reading.

The Gulf of Suez, the western arm of the Red Sea.

The desert of north-western Arabia and eastern Jordan.

North-western Arabia, east of the Gulf of Aqaba.

The north Arabian desert, Saudi Arabia.

Al-Ula, north-western Saudi Arabia.

The King James text reads “Dedanim”, the people of Dedan.

Dumat al-Jandal, Al Jawf, Saudi Arabia.

Marib, Yemen.

Tayma, north-western Saudi Arabia.

The plateau east of the Dead Sea, central Jordan.

South-western Jordan.

Idumea and Seir are other names for Edom (34:5–6; 21:11).

Near the south-eastern shore of the Dead Sea.

Location debated; Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira on the Dead Sea’s south-eastern plain are the usual candidates.

Tell Hesban, Jordan.

Kerak, Jordan.

Isaiah 15:1 says “Kir of Moab”. The Kir of 22:6 is another place.

Buseirah, Jordan.

Dhiban, Jordan.

Isaiah 15:9 reads Dimon, a play on Dibon.

El-Al, Jordan.

North of Heshbon, near Amman, Jordan.

Location uncertain.

Near Heshbon, Jordan.

Location uncertain.

Amman, Jordan (ancient Rabbah).

On the Arnon, Jordan.

Location uncertain.

Wadi Mujib, Jordan: the boundary of Moab.

In southern Moab, Jordan.

Location uncertain.

On the plateau east of Dibon, Jordan.

Location uncertain.

Madaba, Jordan.

Mount Nebo above the Dead Sea, Jordan.

Isaiah 46:1 names the Babylonian god Nebo, which is not this place.

The waters of Nimrim: a stream in south-western Moab.

Location uncertain.

Petra, Jordan, on the traditional reading.

Location uncertain; “Sela” means “rock”.

Ghor es-Safi, at the south end of the Dead Sea, Jordan.