From Creation to Babel
The Origins
This period covers the first eleven chapters of Genesis: the Creation, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, then…
- 5 periods
- 26 places to visit
The Old Testament in Israel: from the Patriarchs to the Return from Exile
Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets: the stories of the Hebrew Bible grouped into 5 periods, each linked to the places where you can visit them.
Credit: Mboesch · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The Old Testament covers more than a thousand years of history. We have divided it into 5 great periods, from the Creation to the return from exile, each leading to the places where archaeology sheds light on the story, such as Hebron or Tel Dan. The story continues in the New Testament.
Timeline of the periods
2000–1500 BCE
The Patriarchs
This period covers the stories of the patriarchs — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel) and Joseph — and their journeys: from the first divine promises in…
14 places to visit
1500–1200 BCE
The Exodus
This era focuses on the exodus from Egypt under Moses' leadership, the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, the wandering in the wilderness and the…
12 places to visit
1200–586 BCE
Judges and Kings
After the conquest of Canaan, this period explores the era of the Judges, charismatic leaders who guided Israel, followed by the unification of the…
5 places to visit
586–332 BCE
Exile and Return
This period marks the Babylonian exile and the return of the Jewish people to the Promised Land. It is a major turning point in the history of…
1 places to visitAll the places on the map
Shechem (Tel Balata) – Abraham's First Altar in Canaan
Between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, the place of God's first promise and Abraham's first altar in the Promised Land (Genesis 12:6-7).
Bethel – Abraham's Altar Between Bethel and Ai
After Shechem, Abraham builds an altar "between Bethel and Ai" and calls on the name of the LORD, then returns there after his stay in Egypt (Genesis 12:8; 13:1-4).
Tomb of the Patriarchs – Hebron
A sacred site venerated by the three monotheistic religions, the traditional burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Tel Dan (Laish): On the Trail of Abraham's Pursuit
From Genesis 14 to the "House of David" stele: archaeology, nature and biblical history at the springs of the Jordan.
Sodom and Gomorrah: the Cities of the Plain and the Valley of Siddim
From the Genesis narrative to the excavations at Bab edh-Dhra and Tall el-Hammam: what we know — and what we do not — about the cities destroyed near the Dead Sea.
Beersheba: the Well of the Oath and Abraham's Tamarisk
At Beersheba, Abraham seals a covenant with Abimelech over a well, plants a tamarisk and calls on the name of the Everlasting God.
Mount Moriah: Abraham's Test, from the Biblical Story to the Temple Mount
Where tradition places Abraham's test now stands the Temple Mount, one of the holiest sites in Judaism and Islam.
The Binding of Isaac on Mount Moriah: the Silent Faith of the Son
On Mount Moriah, Isaac, the son of the promise, climbs with his father towards the altar: a story of trust, substitution and mercy.
Beersheba: Isaac's Home and the Renewal of the Promise
In the heart of the Negev, Beersheba becomes Isaac's main home, a symbol of stability and blessing.
Hebron: Isaac, Rebecca and the Promise Carried On
The peaceful patriarch at rest in the cave of his ancestors, beside Rebecca, Abraham and Sarah.
Bethel: Jacob's Dream Between Heaven and Earth
At Bethel, Jacob has one of the Bible's greatest spiritual experiences: a dream in which a ladder joins earth to heaven.
Peniel: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel
At the ford of the Jabbok, Jacob wrestles all night with a mysterious opponent. He comes away wounded, blessed and bearing a new name: Israel.
Shechem: Jacob Builds an Altar to the God of Israel
Back from Paddan-aram, Jacob camps before Shechem, buys a field and builds an altar there: a place of faith, covenant and transmission between generations.
Dothan: Joseph Sold by His Brothers
At Dothan, Joseph is thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers and then sold to a caravan bound for Egypt: a turning point in Genesis that seals his destiny.
Mount Sinai – Jebel Musa and Saint Catherine's Monastery
In the heart of the South Sinai mountains, a Christian tradition sixteen centuries old places the burning bush and the giving of the Law here. Yet the identification of biblical Sinai is still debated.
Serabit el-Khadim: the Temple of Hathor and the origins of the alphabet
On a plateau in south-western Sinai, a shrine of Egyptian miners where Semitic workers left some of the oldest known alphabetic inscriptions.
Timna Park: copper mines, the Temple of Hathor and the Exodus desert
In the Arava Valley, a red sandstone landscape where the Egypt of the Ramesside pharaohs mined copper: a context site for understanding the desert of the Exodus story.
Mount Nebo – Moses' Last View of the Promised Land
On a spur of the mountains of Moab, Deuteronomy has Moses gaze at the land he will never enter. Since the 4th century, a Christian sanctuary has kept that memory alive.
Jericho (Tell es-Sultan): the walls of Joshua
Rahab, the Jordan crossing and the falling walls: the Book of Joshua set against a century of excavation at one of the oldest towns in the world.
Tel Azekah: The Pursuit of the Amorite Kings (Joshua 10)
On a wooded hill commanding the Valley of Elah, Azekah marks the end of the pursuit of the Amorite kings. Excavations there have revealed a Canaanite city destroyed by fire.
Tel Lachish: The Canaanite City Taken by Joshua
A royal Canaanite city under Egyptian rule, Lachish is one of the southern cities Joshua is said to have taken. Its excavations tell a more complex, and longer, story.
Tel Gezer: The Canaanite City from Joshua to Solomon
A powerful Canaanite city that the Book of Joshua says was never taken, named by the pharaohs of the Amarna age and by Merneptah, then rebuilt under Solomon.
Tel Hazor: the Canaanite capital of Joshua 11
"The head of all those kingdoms": the largest Canaanite city in the land, its destruction by fire and an archaeological debate that is still open.
Tel Megiddo: a Canaanite city in the time of Joshua
A Canaanite city the Bible says was defeated but never dispossessed: four thousand years of history at the crossroads of Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Shiloh (Tel Shiloh): sanctuary of the Tent of Meeting
Israel's first great sanctuary according to the Bible: Joshua sets up the Tent of Meeting here, Hannah prays for a son, and Samuel grows up beside the priest Eli.
Shechem: Joshua Renews the Covenant
Between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, Joshua has the Law read aloud, then gathers the tribes at Shechem and asks them to choose whom they will serve.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main Old Testament sites to visit in Israel?
Hebron and the Tomb of the Patriarchs, Beersheba, Shechem and Bethel for the Patriarchs; Tel Dan, Megiddo, Hazor and the City of David for the Judges and Kings; Lachish and the Temple Mount for the end of the monarchy and the return from exile.
How many periods does the Old Testament have on IsraBible?
Five: the Origins (Genesis 1-11), the Patriarchs, the Exodus, the Judges and Kings, the Exile and Return. The Second Temple period then links it to the New Testament.
Are the Old Testament stories confirmed by archaeology?
For the period of the kings, several finds echo the text, such as the Tel Dan stele mentioning the "House of David". For earlier periods the evidence is scarcer and debated. Each page separates what the text says, what excavations show and what belongs to tradition.
How many days do you need to visit the Old Testament sites?
Allow 5 to 8 days to cover Jerusalem, Judea, the Negev and the north of the country. The Plan my trip tool suggests a programme suited to the number of days you have.
What is the difference between the Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible?
The content is essentially the same: the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Christian Old Testament contain the same books, in a different order. Some Catholic and Orthodox Bibles add a few books, such as those of the Maccabees.