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Madaba Map
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St. George's Church
The modern Arab village of Medeba (Madaba) is built on the ruins of
biblical Medeba. During construction of the Church of St. George, the
beautiful "Madaba Map" was found. This map was originally part of the floor
of a Byzantine church, built during the reign of emperor Justinian, 527-565
A.D. It is the oldest map of the Holy Land that is still extant. Five other
Byzantine churches have been discovered in Madaba, all with nice mosaics.
This has led to Madaba’s designation as "the city of mosaics."
Madaba
is 20 miles (32 km) south of Jordan's capital city of Amman. |
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Preservation
The map is in the center of the modern church, with the crowds gathered
around it in the picture at right. The current remains are 34.5 ft x
16.5 ft (10.5 m x 5 m, but patchy and not entirely square), only about
one-third the original size. There are currently 750,000 cubes remaining.
The original size of the map was approximately 51 ft x 19.5 ft (15.5 m x 6 m), although no borders are visible. The map is made of various colors. It
has 150 Greek inscriptions in various sizes, and covers the area from Tyre
in the north to the Egyptian Delta in the south. |
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Bible Places
Most of the labels are in Cisjordan (modern Israel), and are concerned with
Biblical locales, regional names, and events. For example, the map marks
Jericho with palm trees, 12 stones at Gilgal, Jacob’s well in Shechem,
tribal allotments, the Oak of Mamre at Hebron, John's baptism of Jesus in the
Jordan River, Benjamin, Judah, and Bethlehem. The map was restored in 1965
under the direction of H. Donner. |
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Dead Sea
The map has an east orientation
(east is at the top) and was probably based on Eusebius' Onomasticon
(with some corrections) and road networks. It is interesting to note
that there is no "tongue" (land mass) protruding in the Dead Sea;
possibly there was a higher water level at this time. In the Jordan
River, the fish are swimming away from the (deadly waters of the) sea,
there is boat traffic, and on the banks are gazelles and lions. |
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Jerusalem
Walls are visible around the big cities, including Jerusalem, Jericho, and
Ashdod. Jerusalem is the focus of the map. Clearly visible are the
north-south Cardo and valley streets (lined with columns), the Damascus
Gate plaza and pillar, the city walls, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,
the Church of Holy Zion (Hagia Sion), and Justinian's "Nea" Church. |
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Related Websites |
The Madaba
Mosaic Map (Franciscan Cyberspot) An excellent and detailed website
listing each of the sites on the map, with explanations of each.
Expanded from a chapter in M. Piccirillo and E. Alliata, The Medeba Map
Centenary 1897-1997.
Madaba Map - 100 years (Franciscan Archaeological Institute) Compiled
for the 100 year anniversary of the map's discovery, this site offers
discussions about various sections of the map with a few pictures. It also
discusses the town's history and its other archaeological sites.
Medeba (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., 2001) Brief encyclopedia
article on Madaba providing basic information about the site.
Madaba and Mt. Nebo (Petra Moon Tourism Services) Introduces the sites
of Madaba and Mt. Nebo.
Medeba (Eastons Bible Dictionary) Briefly summarizes the biblical
significance of Madaba and the archaeological discoveries made there.
Jerusalem on the Madaba Map (The New Jerusalem Mosaic) Details the map
of Jerusalem. Has helpful links which highlight various sections (such as
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher) and discusses them more fully.
Madaba Map (Genesis Jerusalem Institute) Fascinating presentation of the
Jerusalem portion of the map. Highlights the various features on the map,
provides a unique 3D presentation of some of the buildings and streets, and
overlays a more modern style map on the 3D model.
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