The Suez Canal is a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea (the large body of water in the image) to the Mediterranean Sea, barely visible at the top. The Suez Canal is on the top left side of the Sinai Peninsula. The Canal was originally designed in 1854 by the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps. It was strongly opposed by the British for the possible negative effects it would have on British global trade. The British, however, eventually bought a 44% share in the canal in 1875 from Egypt. The Suez Canal was a major point of contention in the 1956 conflict, known as the “Suez Crisis” (or “Sinai War”), when the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Canal and seized its waterways, leading to a series of military conflicts, culminating in the 1967 Six-Day war.
Rahat (Arabic for “desert dwellers”) is a well-known Bedouin city, home to people of mostly semi-nomadic Arab descent. The city is north of Be’er Sheva, in the northern Negev, between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It holds about 60,000 people the majority of whom are Muslim, as evident in this image from the minarets (“beacons”) of the mosques that are visible along the skyline. In modern Israel, the Bedouins are a recognized minority with equal rights of Israeli Jewish citizens—they vote in Israeli elections and enroll in the Israeli army. Still, many problems remain as to their integration into Israeli society.
Modern Be’er Sheva is in southern Israel, where the climate is arid. It is the largest city in the Negev, and home to many global Jewish cultural traditions, represented especially by Sephardic (Spanish), Mizrahi (Egyptian, Iraqi), as well as Jews of Indian decent. Today, Be’er Sheva is a flourishing city with a top university and prosperous soccer team. The archaeological evidence for Be’er Sheva dates back to the Iron Age, where it appears to have been the first planned town in the Negev. It was also one of the earliest sites to develop an elaborate man-made water system.
This image looks east over the Dead Sea towards the Jordanian hills. The Dead Sea is 31 miles long and 9 miles wide. It is situated along the Syrian-African Rift, and is the lowest place on earth, about 1,400 feet below sea level. The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan river at its northern end, but the high banks at the southern end cordon off the water so that it cannot flow out. The fresh water mixes with the sediments of the ground resulting in the extreme salinity of the water, estimated to be over 9 times saltier than the ocean. Fish and plant life is thus impossible. The Dead Sea, however, is rich in mineral resources, such as potash, salt, and fertilizers, which are used for cosmetic products that are exported throughout the world.
This picture shows a portion of the Central Hill rising up from the Seashore plaines, looking east. Over the Hill is the Dead Sea and the Jordan River. The Central Hill is a rectangular topographic feature that runs north and south through central Israel. It comprises a series of interconnected hills, and roughly corresponds to the area known as the West Bank. At the front of the picture are the archaeological remains of the Iron Age town Beit Shemesh, located in a region called the Shefelah, a narrow area of lowland foothills between the Central Hill and the Seashore plains.
Pictured here, looking west towards the Mediterranean, are the modern neighborhoods of Gaza city [population of over 515,000], the largest city in the Palestinian Territories. Gaza is historically significant as a nexus of ancient Mediterranean culture and a major hub of seafaring trade throughout the 1st millennia BCE. The city is located along the Gaza Strip, a small parcel of Palestinian territory about 25 miles long and ranging from 3 to 7 miles wide (at various points).
Tel-Aviv has become today the most important economic center of Israel. Jewish immigrants began settling in the area in the 1880’s, but the city was not officially established until the early 1900’s. It is outlined in this image by the high-rise buildings in the center and north of the city, where global businesses and luxury residences are found. The southern part of the city, known as Jaffa (Yafo), is a famous ancient port city that played a vital role in the economic prosperity of the region in antiquity. The red-roofed buildings, behind the green seaside park, and east of the modern wave-breaker, show this area. Jews live primarily in the north, while Jaffa is home mostly to Arabs. In 1950 Tel-Aviv and Yafo merged into one Israeli municipality, with one elected mayor governing both; it offers a system of dual existence with mixed neighborhoods and even a mixed school, but tensions between the populations still simmer beneath the surface and erupt from time to time.
The land of Israel (circled in red) though small in size, occupies one of the great crossroads of the ancient world. The global superpowers of the ancient Near East (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia) coveted this area, either as a buffer between warring empires (e.g., Egypt and Assyria) or for its access to important trade routes running through an area that resembles a bottleneck in northern Israel.
How should one define the geographic entity known as the “Middle East”? Scholars have diverging views based on political, demographic, and historical factors. The natural topographic and geological features of the region provide a helpful starting point, in particular, the major bodies of water. The “Middle East” can be drawn by tracing the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, down to the Nile River, and then continuing south to include the Red Sea, then east to the Persian Gulf, then north to the southern part of the Caspian Sea. Lastly, this demarcation continues west towards Turkey and the Mediterranean.
The areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have played a pivotal role in the history of the ancient world. On the northern coast, from west to east, we encounter the regions of Spain, France, Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, and the Black Sea. On the southern coast we find Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. The land of Israel/Palestine is on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean.
This map shows an aerial view of the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding regions. The Black Sea is directly above the eastern part of the Mediterranean and the Caspian Sea is further east. The European continent is north of the Mediterranean, with North Africa to the south and the Middle East to the east, covering the regions between Egypt and Iran.
This aerial photograph, looking north, shows the modern city of Tiberias. Tiberias was founded by Herod Antipas in 20 CE and has been continuously occupied since then. It is located on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee. At the top of the picture one sees the modern city of Tiberias which sits on the ruins of the Arab town. At the bottom of the picture is the Tiberian neighborhood known as Hammat Tiberias, which developed around the mineral springs that are located there. Between Hammat Tiberias and the modern city one can see an open, green space. That was the location of the Roman and then Byzantine cities. In 1033 CE an earthquake destroyed the Byzantine city and the Arab rulers rebuilt it to the north. The hills of Upper Galilee are visible at the top of the photo.
This view, looking from the ancient city of Gamla in the Golan Heights southwest toward the Sea of Galilee (visible in the background) illustrates just how quickly the high plateau that makes up the Golan Heights drops down to the Sea of Galilee. The deep ravine in the picture is a wadi, or seasonal riverbed.
This photograph of a waterfall was taken near the modern town of Metulla, at the northernmost reaches of the Huleh Valley (where the Huleh begins to climb up toward Mt. Hermon and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range). It illustrates the lush, watery nature of Upper Galilee in the winter months - in excess of 36 inches per winter.
The Yarmuk River, which is barely visible in the bottom right corner of this picture, marks the southern boundary of the Golan Heights, separating it from the region that is the modern country of Jordan. It flows west out of the Golan Heights and into the Jordan River just south of the Sea of Galilee.
This photograph shows the Jezreel Valley, which separates the central hills from Lower Galilee. The Via Maris (the road that runs north from Egypt along the coast) cuts through the Jezreel Valley on its way to Damascus. Southern Galilee, known as 'Lower Galilee' in antiquity because it was of lower elevation than the northern half of Galilee, is the most fertile part of Israel/Palestine, good for both farming and shepherding. The mountain in the background is Mt. Tabor.
This is a view of the Upper Jordan River, North of the Sea of Galilee. The main source of the Jordan River is located near Banias (Caesarea Philippi), 1,312 feet above sea level. It drops down into the Huleh Valley and then down to the Sea of Galilee, and from there down to the Dead Sea (1,300 feet below sea level). This view of the upper Jordan River (above the Sea of Galilee) shows both the size of the river and the turbulence of the water, as well as the more mountainous terrain of this part of the country.
This is a view of the Jordan River, south of the Sea of Galilee. The River flows from north to south on the eastern edge of Israel/Palestine. It is neither wide nor deep, and so provides no defensive advantages. The River flows through the Jordan valley, with modern Israel/West Bank to the west and Jordan to the east. The Jordan Valley is part of the Syrian African Rift, a geological that characterizes the landscape from northern Syria all the way south to Mozambique, southeast Africa.
This view, looking east toward the Mt. of Olives, shows the modern Seven Arches Hotel on its summit and the Jewish cemetery that has been built on its western slope. At the base of the Mt. of Olives is the steep Kidron Valley, which cuts dramatically between the Temple Mount (and the Old City to the west) and the Mt. of Olives (to the east).
This aerial view of Tel Be'er Sheva shows the 8th century BCE outline of the Israelite city and gives an idea of the aridity of the Negev desert. The city was built in the 10th-9th century BCE by first constructing a platform surrounded by a moat. The city was then built on top of this rampart and a wall was built around the city. It was destroyed in the 8th century BCE, probably as a result of the campaign of the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 BCE. Note that, rather than the Hippodamian plan of Graeco-Roman cities (i.e., perpendicular streets), this Israelite city had a circular street plan.
This aerial view towards Jerusalem from the east shows just how arid the Central Hill becomes as one passes the watershed line from west to east into the rain shadow on its east side. This is the beginning of the Judaean Desert.
The Dead Sea, which is the lowest place on earth (1,388 feet below sea level), received its name from the fact that its high salinity precludes almost anything from living in it. Water flows into it from various sources, including the Jordan River, and cannot flow out. As a result the water absorbs many minerals from the ground before it evaporates, leaving salt and mineral formations behind.
The city of Jericho sits in the Jordan River Valley, in the Judaean Desert. It has been continuously inhabited since at least 9,000 BCE. Though the Jordan River is nearby (ca. 5 miles away), the city of Jericho gets its water from a prolific local spring. In the foreground is the Hasmonaean fortress of Doq. In the background, in the upper right of the photo, is the northern edge of the Dead Sea.
The Judaean Desert is located east of Jerusalem (which is in the distance, at the top of the hill) and is formed by the topography of the Central Hill descending toward the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea (the lowest place on earth). It is very dry, as a result of being in the rain shadow that is created by the prevailing weather patterns that arrive at the Central Hill from the west. In addition, the soil is comprised mostly of Senonian limestone that erodes easily and does not retain moisture well.
Northern Galilee was known as 'Upper Galilee' in antiquity because its elevation was higher than Southern Galilee. Today its central portion, called the Huleh Valley (visible in the foreground of this picture), is a rich agricultural valley surrounded by steep heights to the east and west; however, in antiquity this valley was a swamp. In the background is Mt. Hermon, the northernmost and highest point in modern Israel/Palestine, rising to over 7,200 feet.
This aerial photograph of Jerusalem, looking north, shows the hilly character of the area. The Old City, including the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, can be seen in the center of the picture, and the skyscrapers of the new city are in the background. The shadow to the right of the Temple Mount covers the western slope of the Kidron Valley (biblical Valley of Jehoshaphat). The Hinnom Valley runs perpendicular, then curves around the southwestern edge of the Old City. The shadow to the left of the Temple Mount is the Tyropoean Valley ("Valley of the Cheesemakers"). The City of David sits between these two shadows, below the southern wall of the Temple Mount. At the top right of the photo you can see the water tower of the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus.
The Sinai Desert is bounded by the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. The region names on this map (Moab, Edom, Midian, Goshen, and Egypt), as well as the names and locations of the cities, are those of the Biblical period (Bronze and Iron Ages). The map shows the main transportation routes (in black lines) of the ancient Near East, especially the Via Maris, starting in Egypt and going north along the Mediterranean coast, and the so-called 'Kings Highway' that begins at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba and runs north along the Syrian-African Rift. The red lines plot conjectured routes from the stories of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt.
Israel is located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, between the Sinai Peninsula, the Arabian Peninsula, and Syria. Other important regions include Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor, which make up the northern edge of the Mediterranean, and the inland region of Mesopotamia, which is bounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Mesopotamia and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean constitute the 'Fertile Crescent' around the arid desert that makes up most of the Arabian Peninsula. To the south of the Mediterranean (the bottom left of the picture) is the region of North Africa, the territory of modern countries such as Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria.
This landscape is typical of many parts of the Central Hill. To the right one can trace the valley that descends from the peak of the central hills and runs west toward the Mediterranean. The steep slopes on the left are man-made terracing (known in Arabic as terrasa, steps) necessary for agriculture; the rainfall on the western slope of the Central Hill provides water.
This photo of the northern Sinai Desert shows the geography, topography, and sparse vegetation that is characteristic of southern Israel/Palestine and the area to its south. Much of its topography is created by sand dunes that are created around rocky hills and mountains (as can be seen in at the top of the photograph).
This view of Tel Beit Shemesh (the archaeological ruins in the foreground), an Israelite town during the Iron Age, gives a feel of the transition from the Coastal plain to the Central Hill. The peaks of the Central Hill, running from north to south (left to right), are seen rising in background. This region between the hills and the seashore plains (which are not seen the photograph) is called the Shephelah.
These hills are part of the northern Central Hill of Palestine. This view shows the valley of Liban, which is in the region that was Samaria in antiquity, and the modern village of Sawiya (on the far hill). The modern road follows the ancient route to Shechem. The valley in the center of the photograph creates an open flat space between the mountains, which is naturally used for agriculture (note that the village is located on the ridge of the hill, not to take away from the valuable and rare agricultural land).
A view of Mt. Zion (in the Old City of Jerusalem) from the Hinnom Valley. The Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu is visible on the upper slope and the Dormition Abbey is visible on the ridge at the upper right corner of the photo. The photograph represents architecture typical of the Central Hill where houses need to accommodate the terraces and rising nature of the slopes.
This view of the fields below the Central Hill shows the lush nature of the Coastal Plain between Tel Aviv and Caesarea Maritima. The blue line in the background is the Mediterranean.
This aerial view of the area just south of the harbor at Caesarea Maritima shows the Roman theater (approx. 4,000 seats in its final stage) and the remains of the Promontory Palace (in the lower left corner of the photo), both built in the 1st century BCE. On the right are some of the modern buildings of the town of Sdot Yam.
Land of Israel/Palestine: satellite photo
This satellite photograph of Israel/Palestine shows the main geographical markers that define the borders of the country. The two bodies of water are the Sea of Galilee (in the north) and the Dead Sea (in the south). Flowing between them from north to south is the Jordan River, which flows through the Jordan Valley (part of the Syrian-African Rift, also known as The Great Rift Valley). Between the Jordan Valley and the Mediterranean Sea is the Central Hill region, and between the Central Hill and the Mediterranean Sea to the west is the Coastal Plain. In the bottom of the photograph, marked by the light yellow colors are the desert regions – the so-called Judaean Desert to the left of the Dead Sea, which is an extension of the Negev desert (covering the entire bottom right of the picture).
This aerial view of the ancient harbor of Caesarea Maritima, looking from the Mediterranean sea toward the northeast, gives a feel of what the Coastal Plains are like. They are relatively flat and fertile from the rain runoff. The ports and cities that dot the coastline thrived on maritime trade and made control of the Coastal Plain strategically important. The city in this picture was built by Herod the Great in the 1st century BCE. Protruding from the coast into the sea is an artificial wave breaker that Herod's engineers devised to allow the ships to set anchor. On the coast to the right are the ancient ruins of the city of Caesarea.
The Sinai Peninsula is nowadays part of the modern State of Egypt. The Gulf of Suez, on the left, divides it from the rest of Egypt. The Gulf of Aqaba, on the right, separates it from Saudi Arabia. The southernmost tip of Israel is at the northernmost tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, there sits the modern city of Eilat. These two gulfs are fingers of the Red Sea, to the south, which is, in turn, an extension of the Indian Ocean. The Mediterranean Sea is visible in the background and so is the Dead Sea at the top right corner.