Eden

This transcontinental map stitches together three primeval touchpoints of Scripture—Eden, Babylonia, and Cush—to orient readers to the cradle, crossroads, and outer reaches of the ancient Near East. At its center lie the headwaters of Eden, where a single river divides into “Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates” (Genesis 2:10-14); the cartography traces their courses from the misty foothills of the Taurus—Zagros range down to the Persian Gulf, illustrating how geography nurtured humanity’s first garden and later gave rise to irrigation cities. Southeast along the Euphrates, the map highlights Babylonia with its ziggurat—crowned Babylon—“that mighty city” whose tower once knit rebel tongues (Genesis 11:4-9) and whose exile later refined Israel’s hope (Jeremiah 29). Sweeping southwest, color shading follows the Nile south of Elephantine into the land the Hebrews called Cush, reminding viewers that “Cush and Seba” will one day offer tribute to the Lord (Isaiah 43:3; Psalm 68:31). Trade caravans are sketched in ochre—spanning the Arabian Desert and Red Sea ports—revealing how river basins and desert corridors linked these regions long before modern borders. By visualizing lush river valleys against stark wilderness, the map underscores Scripture’s narrative arc: from Eden’s lost intimacy, through Babylonia’s proud ambitions, to Cush’s distant promise, all beckoning the reader to trace redemption’s widening ripple across the ancient world.

Credit: Thanks to BibleMapper.com for this free—to—use map.