The Places of 1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees names 125 places; Jerusalem, Judea and Ptolemais most often. 96 of them can be put on a map, 90 with confidence. They are read from the Septuagint in Brenton’s translation and each is matched to OpenBible.info or Pleiades, or left unlocated when neither knows where it stood.
- Located with confidence
- Location uncertain
- Mountain
Every place in 1 Maccabees
The most often named first. Each place is set where its source puts it, and nowhere else; a place no source locates is listed and not drawn.
| Place | References | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem | 1:14, 1:20, 1:29, 1:35, 1:38, 1:44, 2:1, 2:6, 2:18, 2:31, 3:34, 3:35 and 45 more | OpenBible.info | High |
| Judea (Judea, Juda) | 1:29, 1:44, 1:51, 1:54, 2:6, 2:18, 3:8, 3:34, 3:39, 4:35, 5:8, 5:18 and 42 more | OpenBible.info | High |
| Ptolemais | 5:15, 5:22, 5:55, 10:1, 10:39, 10:56, 10:57, 10:58, 10:60, 11:22, 11:24, 12:45 and 2 more | OpenBible.info | High |
| Beth-zur (Bethsura) | 4:29, 4:61, 6:7, 6:26, 6:31, 6:49, 6:50, 9:52, 10:14, 11:65, 14:7, 14:33 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Egypt | 1:16, 1:17, 1:18, 1:19, 1:20, 2:53, 3:32, 10:51, 10:57, 11:1, 11:13, 11:59 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Galilee | 5:14, 5:15, 5:17, 5:20, 5:21, 5:23, 5:55, 10:30, 11:63, 12:47, 12:49 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Gezer (Gazara, Gazera) | 4:15, 7:45, 9:52, 13:53, 14:7, 14:34, 15:28, 15:35, 16:1, 16:19, 16:21 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Mount Zion (Sion, mountain of the temple, hill of the temple) | 4:37, 4:46, 4:60, 5:54, 6:48, 6:62, 7:33, 10:11, 13:52, 14:27, 16:20 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Ashdod (Azotus) | 4:15, 5:68, 9:15, 10:77, 10:78, 10:83, 10:84, 11:4, 14:34, 16:10 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Gilead (Galaad) | 5:9, 5:17, 5:20, 5:25, 5:27, 5:36, 5:45, 5:55, 13:22 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Joppa (Joppe) | 10:75, 10:76, 11:6, 12:33, 13:11, 14:5, 14:34, 15:28, 15:35 | OpenBible.info | High |
| RomeBeyond this plate. | 1:10, 7:1, 8:17, 8:19, 12:1, 12:3, 14:16, 14:24, 15:15 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Modin | 2:1, 2:15, 2:23, 2:70, 9:19, 13:25, 13:30, 16:4 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Antioch (Antioch, Antiochia) | 3:37, 4:35, 6:63, 10:68, 11:13, 11:44, 11:56 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Jordan | 5:24, 5:52, 9:34, 9:42, 9:43, 9:45, 9:48 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Samaria | 3:10, 5:66, 10:30, 10:38, 11:28, 11:34 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Idumea | 4:15, 4:29, 4:61, 5:3, 6:31 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Persia | 3:31, 6:1, 6:5, 6:56, 14:2 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Syria | 3:13, 3:41, 7:39, 11:2, 11:60 | OpenBible.info | High |
| AsiaSeleucid 'Asia' (kingdom of Asia, 8:6, 11:13, 12:39, 13:32), not the Roman province; no record fits. | 8:6, 11:13, 12:39, 13:32 | None | Not located |
| Beth-horon (Bethhoron) | 3:16, 3:24, 7:39, 9:50 | OpenBible.info | High |
| City of David (city of David) | 1:33, 2:31, 7:32, 14:36 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Emmaus | 3:40, 3:57, 4:3, 9:50 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Jabneel (Jamnia) | 4:15, 5:58, 10:69, 15:40 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Media | 6:56, 8:8, 14:1, 14:2 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Philistia (land of the Philistines) | 3:24, 3:41, 5:66, 5:68 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Ashkelon (Ascalon) | 10:86, 11:60, 12:33 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Beth-shan (Bethsan) | 5:52, 12:40, 12:41 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Cedron | 15:39, 15:41, 16:9 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Dor (Dora) | 15:11, 15:13, 15:25 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Gaza | 11:61, 11:62, 13:43 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Jericho | 9:50, 16:11, 16:14 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Karnaim (Carnaim) | 5:26, 5:43, 5:44 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Adasa | 7:40, 7:45 | OpenBible.info | Uncertain (score 327) |
| BethbasiFort in the wilderness (9:62); no gazetteer record found. | 9:62, 9:64 | None | Not located |
| BethzachariasBeth-zechariah, south of Jerusalem near Beth-zur; no gazetteer record found. | 6:32, 6:33 | None | Not located |
| Beyond the River (beyond the river) | 5:41, 7:8 | OpenBible.info | High |
| BosorCity in Gilead (5:26, 5:36), possibly the same as Bosora or Bezer; unmatched. | 5:26, 5:36 | None | Not located |
| Bosora | 5:26, 5:28 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Damascus | 11:62, 12:32 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Eleutherus | 11:7, 12:30 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Euphrates | 3:32, 3:37 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Hadid (Adida) | 12:38, 13:13 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Kedesh (Cades) | 11:63, 11:73 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Macedonia (Chettiim, Citims)Beyond this plate. | 1:1, 8:5 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Sparta (Sparta, Lacedemonians)Beyond this plate. | 14:16, 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| AcrabattineAkrabattene in Idumea (5:3); OpenBible Akrabbim and the Samaritan Akrabatta are both plausible, so unmatched. | 5:3 | None | Not located |
| Adoraim (Adora) | 13:20 | OpenBible.info | High |
| AlemaGilead city (5:26), unlocated. | 5:26 | None | Not located |
| Ammon | 5:6 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Arabia | 11:16 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Aradus | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| ArbattisUnlocated district of Galilee (5:23). | 5:23 | None | Not located |
| Arbela | 9:2 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Babylon | 6:4 | OpenBible.info | High |
| BascamaWhere Jonathan was killed (13:23), unlocated. | 13:23 | None | Not located |
| BereaBacchides' camp (9:4); OpenBible and Pleiades Berea/Beroea are in Macedonia and Syria, not this one. | 9:4 | None | Not located |
| Bethel | 9:50 | OpenBible.info | High |
| BezethNear Jerusalem (7:19); unlocated. | 7:19 | None | Not located |
| Canaan (Chanaan) | 9:37 | OpenBible.info | High |
| CapharsalamaPlace of a battle (7:31), unlocated. | 7:31 | None | Not located |
| CaphenathaA stretch of Jerusalem's wall (12:37), not a separate map place. | 12:37 | None | Not located |
| Caria | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| CasphonGilead city (5:36), unlocated. | 5:36 | None | Not located |
| CasphorGilead city (5:26), unlocated. | 5:26 | None | Not located |
| Cilicia | 11:14 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Cnidus | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Coele-Syria (Celosyria) | 10:69 | Pleiades | Certain |
| CosBeyond this plate. | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| CreteBeyond this plate. | 10:67 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Cyprus | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| CyreneBeyond this plate. | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| DathemaFortress in Gilead (5:9), unlocated. | 5:9 | None | Not located |
| Delos (Delus)Beyond this plate. | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Docus | 16:15 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Ekron (Accaron) | 10:89 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Elam (Elymais) | 6:1 | OpenBible.info | High |
| EleasaElasa, Judas's last camp (9:5); no gazetteer record found. | 9:5 | None | Not located |
| Ephraim (Apherema) | 11:34 | OpenBible.info | Uncertain (score 276) |
| EphronGreat fortified city on the road to Bethsan (5:46); OpenBible Ephron records are in Benjamin or Judah, not this one. | 5:46 | None | Not located |
| GalgalaGilgal on Bacchides' road towards Galilee (9:2); several Gilgals, not clear which. | 9:2 | None | Not located |
| GortynaBeyond this plate. | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| GreeceUsed for Alexander's Greek empire (1:1), not a defined territory; no single record fits. | 1:1 | None | Not located |
| Halicarnassus | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Hamath (Amathis) | 12:25 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Hazor (Nasor) | 11:67 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Hebron | 5:65 | OpenBible.info | High |
| IndiaBeyond this plate. | 8:8 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Jazer | 5:8 | OpenBible.info | Uncertain (score 179) |
| Ladder of Tyre (The ladder of Tyrus)Named coastal ascent south of Tyre marking a border (11:59); no gazetteer record found. | 11:59 | None | Not located |
| Lod (Lydda) | 11:34 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Lycia | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Lydia | 8:8 | OpenBible.info | High |
| MagedGilead city (5:36), unlocated. | 5:36 | None | Not located |
| MakedGilead city (5:26), unlocated. | 5:26 | None | Not located |
| MasalothIn Arbela (9:2); no gazetteer record found. | 9:2 | None | Not located |
| Medeba (Medaba) | 9:36 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Michmash (Machmas) | 9:73 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Mizpah (Maspha) | 3:46 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Mizpah (Maspha) | 5:35 | OpenBible.info | Uncertain (score 150) |
| MyndusBeyond this plate. | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| NadabathaHome of the bride in the Jambri incident (9:37), unlocated. | 9:37 | None | Not located |
| Orthosias | 15:37 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Pamphylia | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Phaselis | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Pirathon (Pharathoni) | 9:50 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Pool of Asphar (pool Asphar)Pool in the wilderness of Tekoa (9:33), unlocated. | 9:33 | None | Not located |
| Ramathaim-zophim (Ramathem) | 11:34 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Raphon | 5:37 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Red Sea (Red sea) | 4:9 | OpenBible.info | Uncertain (score 164) |
| Rhodes (Rhodus) | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | Uncertain (score 378) |
| SamosBeyond this plate. | 15:23 | OpenBible.info | High |
| SampsamesUnidentified (15:23); possibly Amisos/Samsun but not securely. | 15:23 | None | Not located |
| SaramelPlace of the assembly (14:28), unidentified. | 14:28 | None | Not located |
| Sea of Galilee (water of Gennesar) | 11:67 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Seleucia | 11:8 | OpenBible.info | High |
| Shephelah (Sephela) | 12:38 | OpenBible.info | High |
| SicyonBeyond this plate. | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Side | 15:23 | Pleiades | Certain |
| Sidon | 5:15 | OpenBible.info | High |
| SpainBeyond this plate. | 8:3 | OpenBible.info | High |
| TaphonFortified by Bacchides (9:50); unlocated. | 9:50 | None | Not located |
| Tekoa (Thecoe) | 9:33 | OpenBible.info | High |
| ThamnathaTimnath fortified by Bacchides (9:50); Timnath-heres and Timnah are both plausible. | 9:50 | None | Not located |
| Tyre (Tyrus) | 5:15 | OpenBible.info | High |
Places from OpenBible.info’s Bible Geocoding Data, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, and from Pleiades, © the Pleiades contributors, under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Coastlines, lakes and rivers from Natural Earth; relief from SRTM and ETOPO1 elevation data by way of the AWS Terrain Tiles; all public domain. Scripture and the spellings of names from Brenton’s English translation of the Septuagint (1851), public domain.