1942 Mathesy Historical and Biblical Map of the Holy Land

A colorful 1942 map rich with historical and biblical information, this is Th. F. Mathesy's map of the Holy Land in the time of Jesus. It constitutes a comprehensive biblical reference map incorporating research from a wide range of sources.

A Closer Look

Coverage ranges from Sidon in modern-day Lebanon to Gaza, Beer-Sheba, and the Dead Sea, and from the eastern edge of the Mediterranean inland to Golan, Ramoth Gilead, and other settlements beyond the Jordan River. Territorial divisions at the time of Jesus' life are color-coded. Ancient towns, ruins, castles, and other places mentioned in the Bible (including 'Sodom and Gomorrah?' at bottom of Dead Sea) are noted throughout, usually with notation afterwards indicating the books in which they appear. Towns visited by Jesus are recorded with a white cross within a red circle (a previous owner has made marks next to some of these, perhaps representing where they had traveled).

Despite the title, events and features subsequent to the life of Jesus are indicated, including battles of the Crusades era and modern roads and railways. Concentric circles appear at ten-mile intervals from Jerusalem. To the right of the map is a list of 'journeys and gospels' of Jesus with their location in the Four Gospels. Further right is an index of placenames and their coordinates according to an alphanumeric grid surrounding the map.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Th. F. Mathesy and published by the Carpenter's Workshop Nazareth. No further information is available about the author (even his given name) or the publisher, who's only known work is this map. This is the first edition of the map, which was reissued for several decades afterwards, including in French, German, Russian, and Hebrew. This edition is held by twenty-four institutions worldwide.