Geography in Genesis

       When studying Jerusalem, it is extremely important to understand the part of the world in which the city is located. The book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible alludes to the several things in the part of the world in which Jerusalem is located a few times. Below are listed some of the passages in Genesis and why what they describe matters to the study of Jerusalem.

       The first passage is Genesis 2:8-14. Those verses describe the rivers of the garden of Eden. According to the passage, there is one river in the garden which splits into four branches, which are the Pishon,  Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates rivers. They are some of the largest rivers in the Middle East, and would have been easily recognizable to the people living in Jerusalem in the Ancient world. The rivers described in the passage are important to study because they are important geographical landmarks of the region. Not only does the study of these rivers provide knowledge of the geography surrounding Jerusalem, but their placement in the Bible indicates that these rivers would have been important to the people living in that time period, which can yield a greater historical understanding of the region as well.

     The second passage is Genesis chapter 14, which describes a battle between several kings, and tells the story about how Abram rescued his nephew. This story is relevant to the study of Jerusalem because it provides the names of several notable places in the Ancient Middle East. These named places include Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, Goiim, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and a few others. Knowing the names of these ancient cities and kingdoms is helpful for anyone studying the history of Jerusalem and the surrounding region.

   The third passage is Genesis chapter 22,  and it tells the story of when God tested Abraham by ordering him to sacrifice his own son. This chapter states that Abraham had to sacrifice his son on one of the hills in the land of Moriah. This short line is significant to the subjects studied in this class, as it is commonly believed that Jerusalem is in the land in which Abraham was to sacrifice his son. This demonstrates the spiritual link that the location of Jerusalem has with the scriptures of the Abrahamic religions. Seeing as the location of the city is extremely integral to understanding the political, cultural, and religious environment of Jerusalem, this passage is definitely of interest for those who study the region.

       In short, the three passages of the book of Genesis are important to the study of Jerusalem as they show certain geographic landmarks and historical sites which are all significant to some extent.