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Map of the Gospels: Galilee and Judea

The places of The Chosen and of the Gospels: 22 places from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem, from Capernaum to Emmaus. Tap a place to see what happened there and the Bible references.

Map as a PDF

Illustration (AI)

GALILEESAMARIAJUDEADECAPOLISPEREAMediterraneanDead SeaJordanBy the lake: 5 placesAround Jerusalem: 7 placesCanaNazarethCaesarea PhilippiTyreSycharJerichoBethany by the JordanNainTabor10 milesN
GALILEESea of GalileeJordanCapernaumMagdalaBethsaidaChorazinTiberias3 milesN
JUDEABethanyJerusalemBethlehemEin KaremMount of OlivesBethphageEmmaus (El-Qubeibeh)1 mileN

Map

Choose a place

Tap a dot on the map or a name in the list. For each place you will see what the Gospels tell about it, with the Bible references.

All places

What happened there

The Gospels name the places; archaeology and the tradition of the Church help to find them. Where a location is not certain, we say so. Many of the holy sites are cared for today by the Custody of the Holy Land, the Franciscans in the Holy Land.

Columns and walls of the pale limestone synagogue ruins at Capernaum
The ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum. Photo: Berthold Werner, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Galilee

Capernaum

According to Matthew, Jesus settles in Capernaum. He teaches in the synagogue and, in Simon's house, heals Simon's mother-in-law. (Mt 4:13, Mk 1:21–31)1

Here too are set the healing of the paralytic whom his friends lower through the roof and the discourse on the bread of life. (Mk 2:1–12, Jn 6:59)1

Since 1894 two thirds of the ruins have belonged to the Custody of the Holy Land. From 1968 the Franciscans Virgilio Corbo and Stanislao Loffreda excavated the house venerated as the house of Peter: from the end of the first century part of it served as a meeting place, in the fifth century an octagonal church was built over it, and since June 29, 1990, a memorial church has stood there.23

According to Corbo and Loffreda, the visible synagogue of white limestone dates from the late fourth century. Beneath it they found the basalt pavement of a first-century public building, which they take to be the earlier synagogue.2

Matthew calls Capernaum “his own town”. The centurion of Capernaum had built the synagogue for the community. (Mt 9:1, Lk 7:5)1

Mt 4:13Mk 1:21–28Mk 1:29–31Mk 2:1–12Lk 7:1–10Jn 6:59

People: Simon Peter · Andrew · James, son of Zebedee · John, son of Zebedee · Matthew (Levi) · The centurion of Capernaum

Location from Pleiades4.

Uncovered stone floor with a mosaic band in the ancient synagogue at Magdala
Excavations of the ancient synagogue at Magdala. Photo (cropped): Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Galilee

Magdala

Mary Magdalene, who accompanied Jesus, came from Magdala. (Lk 8:2)1

In 2009 a first-century synagogue was found here; the site's present managers call it the oldest yet discovered in Galilee. The coins found in it date from A.D. 5 to 63. The finds include the Magdala Stone, a warehouse on a stone quay and a market.5

Magdala lies almost 4 miles (6 km) north of Tiberias. The town was known for processing and salting fish; ancient sources call it Tarichea, after the Greek word for salted fish. It was destroyed in the Jewish War (66–70) and never rebuilt.6

Lk 8:1–3Jn 20:1–18

People: Mary Magdalene

Location from Pleiades4.

on the Sea of Galilee

Bethsaida

John calls Bethsaida the town of Andrew and Peter; Philip too came from there. (Jn 1:44)7

Near Bethsaida Jesus heals a blind man. He reproaches Bethsaida and Chorazin, which had seen his mighty deeds and yet had not repented. (Mk 8:22–26, Mt 11:21)1

After the feeding, Jesus sends the disciples ahead by boat to Bethsaida; Luke places the feeding of the five thousand near Bethsaida. (Mk 6:45, Lk 9:10)1

Jn 1:44Mk 6:45Mk 8:22–26Lk 9:10Mt 11:21

People: Simon Peter · Andrew · Philip

Location from Pleiades4.

Galilee

Tiberias

Herod Antipas built the city on the west shore of the lake, named it after Emperor Tiberius and made it the capital of his territory.8

John mentions boats from Tiberias after the feeding of the five thousand. (Jn 6:23)1

Jn 6:1Jn 6:23Jn 21:1

Location from Pleiades4.

The sun rises over the hills by the Sea of Galilee, a boat on the water
Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. Photo (cropped): Grant Barclay, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lake of Gennesaret, Sea of Tiberias

Sea of Galilee

The Gospels call it the Sea of Galilee, the Lake of Gennesaret and the Sea of Tiberias. (Mt 4:18, Lk 5:1, Jn 21:1)1

By the lake Jesus calls the first disciples. Here take place the great catch of fish, the calming of the storm and the walking on the water. (Mt 4:18–22, Lk 5:1–11, Mk 4:35–41, Mt 14:22–33)1

After Easter the risen Lord appears to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. (Jn 21:1–14)1

At Tabgha on the northwest shore, tradition remembers three events: the multiplication of the loaves, the appearance of the risen Lord to the apostles and the Sermon on the Mount. The name comes from the Greek Heptapegon, “seven springs”.9

In the Church of the Multiplication, excavated in 1932 by the Benedictine E. Mader, ancient mosaics show loaves and fish in front of the rock beneath the altar. Nearby, the Chapel of the Primacy recalls the meeting of the risen Lord with the apostles and his charge to Peter. (Jn 21:15–17)9

Mt 4:18–22Lk 5:1–11Mk 4:35–41Mt 14:22–33Jn 21:1–14

People: Simon Peter · Andrew · James, son of Zebedee · John, son of Zebedee · Thomas · Mary Magdalene

Location from Pleiades4.

Church with domes and a bell tower among cypresses in Kafr Kanna
The Orthodox Wedding Church in Kafr Kanna. Photo (cropped): Chris06, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Galilee

Cana

According to John, Jesus works his first sign here: at a wedding he changes water into wine. (Jn 2:1–11)1

At Cana Jesus heals from a distance the son of a royal official from Capernaum. Nathanael too came from Cana. (Jn 4:46–54, Jn 21:2)1

Christian tradition locates Cana at today's Kafr Kanna, about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Nazareth. The Franciscans built the Wedding Church there in 1881 and enlarged it from 1897 to 1905. Every year married couples renew their wedding vows there.10

Jn 2:1–11Jn 4:46–54Jn 21:2

People: Nathanael (Bartholomew) · Mary, the mother of Jesus

Location: Kafr Kanna, from OpenStreetMap11.

The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth with its tall dome
The Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Photo (cropped): Larry Koester, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Galilee

Nazareth

In Nazareth Mary receives the message of the angel; here Jesus grows up. (Lk 1:26–38, Lk 2:39–40, Lk 2:51–52)1

In the synagogue of Nazareth Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah; his hearers reject him. (Lk 4:16–30)12

The Franciscan Basilica of the Annunciation was built from 1960 to 1969 to plans by Giovanni Muzio, consecrated on Sunday, March 23, 1969, and solemnly opened on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, March 25. In the lower church is the grotto where, according to tradition, the Holy Family lived.1314

Nathanael asks doubtfully whether anything good can come from Nazareth. The Franciscan Church of St. Joseph was built in 1914 over the remains of an older church. (Jn 1:46)1516

Lk 1:26–38Lk 2:39–40Lk 2:51–52Mt 2:23Lk 4:16–30

People: Nathanael (Bartholomew) · Mary, the mother of Jesus · Joseph of Nazareth

Location from Pleiades4.

Jordan Valley

Jericho

In Jericho Jesus stays with the chief tax collector Zacchaeus; outside the town he heals blind Bartimaeus. (Lk 19:1–10, Mk 10:46–52)1

In the parable of the Good Samaritan a man goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho. (Lk 10:30–37)1

The Catholic church of Jericho is dedicated to the Good Shepherd, in memory of Bartimaeus and Zacchaeus. Jericho is considered the oldest fortified city of the Near East.17

Lk 19:1–10Mk 10:46–52Lk 10:30–37

People: Zacchaeus

Location from Pleiades4.

Pool with stone steps and wooden roofs at the baptism site on the Jordan
The baptism site east of the Jordan, where tradition places the baptism of Jesus. Photo (cropped): Producer, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

on the Jordan

Bethany across the Jordan

John the Baptist baptizes in Bethany across the Jordan; there the first disciples follow Jesus. (Jn 1:28, Jn 1:35–40)1

At the beginning of his public life, Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan. (Mk 1:9–11)18

Pleiades lists the site as Bethabara, associated with John the Baptist and attested on the sixth-century mosaic map of Madaba.4

On the west bank of the Jordan, at Qasr al-Yahud near Jericho, a site recalls the baptism of Jesus; the Franciscans have gone there on pilgrimage since at least 1641.19

Jn 1:28Jn 1:35–40Mt 3:13–17Mk 1:9–11

People: Andrew · John the Baptist

Location from Pleiades4.

Facade of the Church of St. Lazarus with a round window and three images of saints
The Church of St. Lazarus in Bethany (al-Eizariya). Photo (cropped): Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Judea

Bethany

Bethany lies on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 3 miles (5 km) from Jerusalem; today the town is called al-Eizariya.20

Martha, Mary and Lazarus live here; Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. (Jn 11:1–44, Jn 12:1–8)1

The Franciscans care for the tomb of Lazarus and a church rebuilt in 1952–53 to plans by Antonio Barluzzi.20

Jn 11:1–44Jn 12:1–8Mk 11:11

People: Thomas · Martha, Mary and Lazarus

Location from Pleiades4.

Courtyard and facade of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with its bell tower
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Photo (cropped): Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Judea

Jerusalem

At twelve, Jesus stays behind in the temple; later he enters the city for Passover. (Lk 2:41–52, Mt 21:1–11)1

Jesus showed the deepest respect for the temple and went up to it as the privileged place of encounter with God.2122

In Jerusalem Jesus celebrates the Last Supper, here he dies on the cross, and here Mary of Magdala meets the risen Lord. (Mk 14:12–25, Jn 19:16–30, Jn 20:11–18)1

At Pentecost the disciples receive the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. (Acts 2:1–13)1

Gethsemane lies at the foot of the Mount of Olives. There the Franciscans care for a garden with eight very old olive trees and for the Basilica of the Agony, consecrated in 1924 and built by Antonio Barluzzi on the plan of a Byzantine church. (Mk 14:32–42)23

In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the Church venerates Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus. Excavations here revealed a quarry outside the city wall of the time, with tombs cut into the rock; Emperor Constantine's buildings were dedicated on September 13, 335. (Jn 19:17–20, Jn 19:41–42)24

Since the first centuries, the Upper Room on Mount Zion has been held to be the place of the Last Supper; in 1333 it became the first seat of the Custody of the Holy Land. (Mk 14:15)25

Lk 2:41–52Jn 2:13–22Mt 21:1–11Mk 14:12–25Mk 14:32–42Jn 19:16–30Jn 20:1–18Acts 2:1–13

People: Simon Peter · John, son of Zebedee · Thomas · Judas Iscariot · Matthias · Mary Magdalene · Nicodemus · Joseph of Arimathea · Zechariah and Elizabeth · Mary, the mother of Jesus · Joseph of Nazareth · Simon of Cyrene

Location from Pleiades4.

Light stone walls of the Church of the Nativity against a blue sky
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Photo (cropped): Immanuel Giel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Judea

Bethlehem

Jesus is born in Bethlehem; shepherds and magi come to him. (Lk 2:1–20, Mt 2:1–12)1

Joseph, of the house of David, went there with Mary from Nazareth. (Lk 2:4–5)15

At the Shepherds' Field near Beit Sahour, where tradition places the angel's message to the shepherds, the Franciscans built a chapel in the shape of a shepherds' tent in 1953, designed by Antonio Barluzzi. (Lk 2:8–20)26

Lk 2:1–20Mt 2:1–12

People: Mary, the mother of Jesus · Joseph of Nazareth

Location from Pleiades4.

More places

Nain, Tabor, Ein Karem, the Mount of Olives, Bethphage, Emmaus

The map shows these places too; the Mount of Olives, Bethphage, Ein Karem and Emmaus in the close-up “Around Jerusalem”. For some of them the Bible knows the name, but only tradition knows the exact location; we say so each time.

Galilee

Nain

At the gate of Nain Jesus meets a funeral procession: the only son of a widow is being carried out. Moved with pity for the mother, Jesus touches the coffin and raises the young man. (Lk 7:11–17)1

Eusebius attests the memory of the place in the fourth century. The simple Franciscan church was built in 1881 on the remains of an ancient church; west of the village are tombs cut into the rock.27

Lk 7:11–17

Location: Nein, from OpenStreetMap28.

Galilee, east of Nazareth

Mount Tabor

The Gospels do not name the mountain of the Transfiguration. The first Christian pilgrims already venerated Tabor as this place; Bishop Cyril of Jerusalem attests the tradition in 348. (Mt 17:1–8, Lk 9:28–36)29

The mountain rises about 1,480 feet (450 m) above the plain and 1,929 feet (588 m) above sea level, about 5 miles (8 km) east of Nazareth. The Franciscans built today's Basilica of the Transfiguration from 1921 to 1924; it was the first work of the architect Antonio Barluzzi.29

Mt 17:1–8Mk 9:2–8Lk 9:28–36

Location from Pleiades4.

Judea, west of Jerusalem

Ein Karem

Tradition venerates the village as the place where Mary visited Elizabeth and as the birthplace of John the Baptist. (Lk 1:39–45, Lk 1:57–66)3031

A Georgian lectionary of the seventh or eighth century already mentions a church here in memory of Elizabeth. Today the Franciscans care for the Church of the Visitation and the Church of St. John the Baptist.3130

Lk 1:39–56Lk 1:57–80

Location from Pleiades4.

Facade of the Church of All Nations with a portico of columns and a golden mosaic
The Church of All Nations at the Garden of Gethsemane. Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

east of Jerusalem

Mount of Olives

From the Mount of Olives Jesus sees the city and weeps over it. The church of Dominus Flevit, “the Lord wept”, recalls this; its memory is attested from the end of the thirteenth century. (Lk 19:41–44)32

After the Supper Jesus goes as usual to the Mount of Olives and prays; after the Ascension the apostles return from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. (Lk 22:39–46, Acts 1:12)1

Lk 19:41–44Lk 22:39–46Acts 1:12

Location: the summit of the Mount of Olives, from OpenStreetMap28.

on the Mount of Olives

Bethphage

Near Bethphage on the Mount of Olives Jesus sends two disciples ahead to fetch the colt on which he rides into Jerusalem. (Mt 21:1–3, Lk 19:29–31)1

At the end of the fourth century the pilgrim Egeria already describes the procession with palms from the Mount of Olives into the city. Since 1933 the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has again led it solemnly.33

Mt 21:1–11Mk 11:1–10Lk 19:28–40

Location: the sanctuary of Bethphage, from OpenStreetMap28.

Judea

Emmaus

Luke calls Emmaus a village seven miles from Jerusalem (sixty stadia in the Greek); there two disciples, one of them Cleopas, recognize the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread. (Lk 24:13–35)1

Where the village lay is not certain. The early Church thought of Emmaus-Nicopolis; since the fourteenth century the Franciscans have followed the tradition of El-Qubeibeh. According to the Custody, sixty stadia are about seven miles (11 km).34

Lk 24:13–35

Location: El-Qubeibeh, following the Franciscan tradition, from OpenStreetMap28.

Sources

  1. New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.: book abbreviations, verse numbers and names follow this edition; links go to the text on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
  2. Vatican News: Following in Jesus' footsteps. Capernaum, the town of Jesus (August 2026)
  3. Custodia Terrae Sanctae (Custody of the Holy Land): Capernaum, place of the Eucharistic promise
  4. Pleiades, a gazetteer of ancient places (CC BY 3.0): locations of the places
  5. Magdala (New Gate to Peace Foundation): Archaeology
  6. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Magdala
  7. Benedict XVI, General Audience, September 6, 2006: Philip, the Apostle
  8. Catholic Encyclopedia: Herod (J. Tierney, 1910)
  9. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Tabgha
  10. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Cana in Galilee, January 20, 2013
  11. OpenStreetMap: Kafr Kanna (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
  12. Catholic Encyclopedia: Synagogue (W. Drum, 1912)
  13. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Nazareth, the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
  14. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Nazareth – Basilica of the Annunciation (sanctuary page, history)
  15. Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter Patris corde on the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, December 8, 2020
  16. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Nazareth, Saint Joseph
  17. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Jericho, Church of the Good Shepherd
  18. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 535
  19. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: River Jordan, Site of the Baptism of Jesus
  20. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Traces of history in Bethany, where Lazarus was resurrected
  21. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 583
  22. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 584
  23. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Gethsemane, Basilica of the Agony
  24. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre
  25. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: St. Francis ad Coenaculum
  26. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Bethlehem, The Shepherds’ Field and Grotto
  27. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Nain
  28. OpenStreetMap: locations of Nain, the Mount of Olives, Bethphage and Emmaus (El-Qubeibeh) (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
  29. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Mount Tabor, Basilica of the Transfiguration
  30. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Ain Karem, The Visitation
  31. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Ain Karem, Saint John the Baptist
  32. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Dominus Flevit
  33. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Bethphage
  34. Custodia Terrae Sanctae: Emmaus – El Qubeibeh
  35. Natural Earth: coastlines, lakes and rivers at 1:10 million (public domain)

Checked on October 21, 2026. Bible references follow the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), the Catholic Bible translation of the U.S. bishops. We give the references and sum up the passages in our own words; each reference links to the full text on the bishops' website. Map base: Natural Earth (public domain); locations of the places from Pleiades (CC BY 3.0); Cana, Nain, the Mount of Olives, Bethphage and Emmaus from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). Found a mistake? Write to us at hello@biblebehindthescreen.com.

To print

Map: places of the Gospels

Galilee and Judea on one page, with close-ups of the Sea of Galilee and the area around Jerusalem and a list of all the places with their Bible references. For reading along while you watch, at home or in your parish group.

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