I Put a Scale Map of Bible Lands Over the Top of the United States. Here's What I Noticed

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

I want to pin a comment here to explain a little more about how I came at making this to account for the curvature of the earth, the scale and the crop. I measured things out on the Bible Lands map and discovered that the middle point of the story was roughly in modern-day Lebanon, so I marked that and then went to find the middle point of the continental United States, which I discovered is in Lebanon, Kansas. That is wild. That approach helped me get the scale as well as the projection to match very closely. After that, I measured and marked the same distance in each cardinal direction from each of those two locations and then laid the Bible land map (with those markings) over the top of the same markings on the U.S. map. After that I did a bunch of spot checking by measuring straight line distances from corresponding points of alignment between the two maps to verify that the overlay was more or less accurate. Then I nudged the two maps around a tiny bit to make the alignment between the two as interesting and memorable as possible and then did the measurements again. Then I made the video. I hope you enjoy it, and I'd love to hear what other map overlays you think might be interesting for the next video like this. Thanks!

[@iamdigory]

If you scoot the holy lands east a bit you can put Jerusalem on Cahokia, the ancient native american city.

[@jeffcarlson3269]

not sure how I got involved in any of this... I do not recall leaving any comment,,,,, did I...?..

[@Elurin]

@@MeMe-qc6ow Not anymore.

[@SteliosMusic]

​@@Elurin What do you mean by "not anymore"? Surely we'd notice if it suddenly became round?

[@lorrainemoraine3061]

Thanks Matt! I really appreciate the work you put in on TMBH. I also enjoy sitting in the third chair listening to the friendship between you and Destin on NDQ. The topics often go right over my head but the camaraderie is obvious and a joy to hear.

[@duichersie1]

As a european, who is much more accustomed to the scale of the mediterranean region, this illustrates very well for me how huge the US is. I mean, it’s HUGE.

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

It is huge indeed, but our sense of distance relative to travel time is skewed here because our Interstate highway system is so wide open and fast that you can cover a lot of ground in a hurry.

[@MiscMitz]

Yeah, in more than 1 state, you can drive for 10 hours and stay in the same state... lol

[@goofygrandlouis6296]

As a European also, I'm impressed this American man knows his geography ! 😋 Well.. except for Naples.. 😉

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

Dang it. I deserved that. At least I caught it as I was going along, but embarrassing none-the-less.

[@JC-yz4ki]

Lol!

[@microharman]

Paul did the Oregon trail 5 times! That's a lot of dysentery.

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

Well played

[@mercyotiswarren7994]

As an 80s kid, I thank you for the laugh😂

[@mattfromeurope]

@@MattWhitmanTMBHI don't know if that was a pun or not 😂

[@Beyondthe5thPanel]

😂 brilliant

[@livewireOrourke]

@@mercyotiswarren7994 Down memory lane...to ford the river.

[@dimesonhiseyes9134]

My great great great grandma walked on the Trail of Tears. From apx Georgia to Oklahoma. She was 4 years old and was the only one that survived the trip from her family. That part kinda hit home a bit.

[@belight6280]

My family too survived the trail.... burns deep

[@SaltyPancakesJrThe2nd]

Crazy to think you almost didn’t exist you know? Life is so amazing

[@denisestarr2314]

So sad . Part of the trail crossed my old home place . I would think sad of an event . Just horrible how evil men can be to other men .

[@nargozot8043]

very similar story with my own great great great grandpa, but so fortunate that a few of our family managed to make the dawes rolls. Then my great great grandpa was an indentured servant, and married their daughter and became a citizen who could own property. He had to change his name, become catholic, and pretend to be white in order to do that, so he did…the way our ancestors managed to survive colonialism is insane. My great grandma made sure to not let anyone forget who we really were for all that was given up to survive to today. RIP great grandma laura 💕

[@angelicamonk7058]

Thank the Christians for the pain and atrocities

[@mnlizzi]

I've been looking at the maps in the back of my Bible for over 30 years 😅 and never realized the actual scale of said maps. Super helpful comparison

[@druminlaawd7173]

Brother, I really appreciate the illustration of Paul's travels in comparison to Lewis and Clark. That is rad.

[@microharman]

This also puts Abrams/Abrahams migration roughly on par with the great Texan cattle trails of the 1800s.

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

Yes! Good take Joe!

[@juniperabbott2614]

Interesting, I'd like to know more.

[@MeanBeanComedy]

​@@juniperabbott2614 Abram went from Ur to Israel. Bethel, I think. It's a similar distance to the Texan cattle trails, or also going from Johnson City, TN to Wichita, KS.

[@Cuffsmaster]

No evidence has ever been found of Abraham and never will be as there was no such person. It was a fable

[@emariaenterprises]

@@MeanBeanComedy thet's a fer piece (as said with an accent)

[@hq4287]

Honestly as a British Christian this helps me realise how Americans consider your spirituality in terms of your geography. I think this is so cool! I really would love you to revisit this map at some point.

[@willschryver]

This is the best we can do because most of us don't have extensive travel experience in southern Europe and the Middle East.

[@lmeadows8276]

Welcome to USA!! Much ❤️ to you.

[@DGW816]

This is spectacular - thank you! Going to spend some time showing this to our youth group Sunday morning.

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

That's awesome David. Thanks for investing in those kids the way you do.

[@DGW816]

@@MattWhitmanTMBH We’ve used several of your videos over the years and they’ve always gone over well. Thanks for putting these out!

[@megazekemeister]

Just a note on the Babylonian exile: it would have been a much longer journey, since the line you drew goes through sparsely inhabited desert that was rarely if ever traveled through. To get to Babylon, they would have had to first travel straight to the north to the Euphrates and then go southeast along the river all the way Babylon.

[@abyssimus]

Realized the Trail of Tears comparison to the Babylonian exile a few minutes before you brought it up. As someone who has made it a point to see how far I can walk in a day (with all the comforts of hiking boots, protein bars, sports drinks, sidewalks, convenience stores, and public transport to get home), this knowledge is horrifyingly humbling.

[@epchoisnainan1110]

Hello I’m an Alexandrian Copt myself. Alexandria is in the wrong area on your map, which shows the location of Alexandria in port said on the modern day Suez Canal, the real Alexandria is on the western side of the Nile delta not the eastern side

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

You are absolutely right. I even know exactly how I made the mistake. I'll make sure to correct that in future editions.

[@AdmiralThumbs]

This is so helpful! I appreciated hearing you talking through this on your podcast, but it definitely comes across a lot more tangibly seeing in on a map in this video.

[@TheBradyBox]

How cool is this!!! As someone who loves maps you out did yourself on this.

[@tricky98]

Thanks Matt - Would love to see this done over Europe!

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

Right on friend. I'm on it!

[@i.vandenbergh198]

Yes! Western Europe please, so over UK, Germany, France, Netherlands.

[@memyselfandgod5550]

Would really love to see the UK too! God bless 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💚💚💚

[@1995TheDude]

I returned yesterday from my first trip to Jerusalem. Being there really made me appreciate the distances and landscapes people traveled on foot. Stuff like: "Just walk from Jerusalem to Galilee, trust me."

[@justingoble4980]

Having grown up in Kansas and been around a good amount of the Midwest, this is super helpful! Thanks for this!

[@deniseheupel8814]

I think it's especially interesting considering the history of Kansas and Missouri.

[@theCJConger]

The overlay of Lewis and Clark's journey with Paul's journeys was really eye-opening.

[@mesalaney7282]

I recently went to Israel Jordan and Saudi Arabia to see biblical sites, and it was amazing to see the distance and perspective. There are really great distances between the stories of the bible.

[@debibrown5568]

I’m a geography person....this helped sooooo much! - watching from Lake Wales, Florida

[@mcfarvo]

Given that I have traveled from coast to coast and between both northern and southern borders of the contiguous ConUSA (but never on another continent of the planet), this has helped me to better appreciate the maps in my Bible and the travels I read about!!! Thank you ❤

[@mcfarvo]

And I must add that all of my long-distance travel has been by car or airplane (and I've only backpacked at most a couple of days, while I've only ever run in one session or day as much as about 27mi,) so I still have a difficult time comprehending a multi-week migration on foot or the back of a pack animal!!! Amazing to imagine what it would have been like for these ancient people!

[@JC-yz4ki]

I love this map! God willing we will be traveling to Jerusalem in October so this helps tie things together in my brain. I also got the Holy Land illustrated bible that you recommend in one of your videos that I am excited to jump into! Thanks for all your thorough explanations! 😊

[@batescave]

Thanks! I love maps! And so do some of my 4th and 5th grade Sunday school boys! Gonna share with them.

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

Please do. I hope it makes for a fun conversation.

[@useupwearout5029]

Just, WOW. So helpful....and so cool! Thanks for doing this!

[@peterterry7918]

Heard about this on TMBH and I was impressed just listening, but Wow! Adding the visual is so, so good@ Thank you!

[@maritzaverdugo691]

I saw somewhere that they found Egyptian artifacts in the Grand Canyon, now it makes sence😊

[@dvldog_]

As a former Marine Infantryman I have marched/rucked a lot... Realizing the distance that the Jewish exiles had to cross was incredible... realizing how far Paul actually traveled was humbling as was Nehemiah's journey... and I have been to Iraq twice and have seen some of the areas covered by this map, but seeing it in comparison to the US is amazing... Thanks for doing this!

[@cacanina]

There is no "former" Marine

[@revision29]

This is cool. I have lived in FL, IL, KY, WV, NE and FL. Having felt those distances, this makes a lot of sense.

[@ivandinsmore6217]

Why do all the place-names of the places you lived only have 2 letters?

[@nicholasshaler7442]

@@ivandinsmore6217 They are US states, all of which have standard two letter abbreviations.

[@marmeemarch7080]

​@@ivandinsmore6217 so he's saying he's lived in Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, West Virginia, Nebraska, and back to Florida.

[@digitalnomad9985]

@@ivandinsmore6217 Postal address abbreviations for states.

[@section8usmc53]

I love your takes on how we can view different things in the Bible. Different perspectives are often extremely helpful.

[@-Fishbone]

Thank you for making this, it was super interesting and something I’ve never thought of. God bless

[@williamgriffin5390]

Good job Matt, this is awesome! I have always tried to fit the biblical places into a contextual size I could better understand / explain.

[@neilproctor5163]

Good stuff!!! I'm a qualified Cartographer and currently a Remote Sensing Surveyor, so right up my street! God Bless you Brother ... from London, England

[@nicholasshaler7442]

Wherein a guy from the West makes a very helpful video explaining the Bible and its distances to people from the West and Midwest. Take that, East Coasters!

[@abyssimus]

Haha, the plan for East Coasters to be lost was foiled by putting my home state (which I've planned hikes halfway across) right in the Persian gulf!

[@hollylynnoverin6126]

I like it. Much fun! Any way I can dip into maps and relate to experiences by travelers through time, is good. The term, 'Carteology' makes more sense to me now. As you say, their commitments to distance trekking is revelatory and would often times require a cart drawn by humans or horses.

[@markheithaus]

I love this. I will say however that I've been blessed enough to travel and have wonderful friendships in that part of the world. I would also say that it puts into perspective the relevance of places people don't normally think about (in contrast to how they think about Italy or Greece). I was in Aktau, Kazakhstan and western Kazakhstan is on some maps of "the Mediterranean world". And certainly the country Georgia being on the Black Sea, and Crimea are in the picture

[@Panning72]

Loving the Nebraska geography knowledge.

[@isaacbisbee6727]

How fitting that Nineveh is located right over Chicago.

[@rmoss42]

Poor Chicago. Didn't Matt spend some formative years there? This can't be a coincidence!😂

[@trevhib]

You just gave us a fantastic perspective on Paul's journey following his encounter with the risen Christ. Brilliant, Matt.

[@keatomatic8535]

Such a cool idea, really puts things in perspective. Thanks.

[@Captainshark98]

Glad you made this video Matt. Loved the podcast episode on this

[@ahandad]

This was so much fun! As a resident of Alaska, I'm going to try taking in the scale as it plays out here in Alaska. How amazing!

[@moose2021]

Very cool, and thanks! The distance between lands mentioned in the Bible has always seemed pretty small to me, but this map and video taught me that the distances are much bigger than I thought.

[@rebbrown7140]

"Heartland" - I see what you did there. Great stuff, thanks!

[@meupequenomundo]

Just loved it! Especially the comparison between the Louis & Clark trip and those ones of Paul.

[@rickeguitar9086]

Matt, this idea is so great! It helped me to understand the distance of all these lands by relating them to the USA. Next, one has to consider the people in those times and lands did not have planes, trains, or automobiles. At best, maybe the wealthy may have had an entourage of people to help them on that journey. But, for most that was not the case. Amazing! Thanks Matt for giving this unique lens into scripture. Cheers!

[@lesterstone8595]

Memphis, Texas also sits a little East of Amarillo. What a coincidence! Like the ones in Egypt and Tennessee, they also grow cotton.

[@kenl7847]

Great idea! You got so much reviewers in such short time.Thank you!

[@garyowens8201]

This is a great illustration for those of us who have never been out of the United States! I have always been like you in that I could never get a grasp for distances. What you did bridges that. Thanks for sharing.

[@Lorrainecats]

Hi Matt. Nice to see you again! Haven't been getting your notifications. I really enjoyed what you did here. Very surprising.

[@sirelfinjedi]

Thanks for doing this, Matt. I had a similar realization a couple of months ago but didn't come up with a solution.

[@TimothyMershon]

Matt, you gotta come to San Antonio. Also, thanks for this; as a US road tripper, this does help make sense of it.

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

I love San Antonio! The Riverwalk is romantic and beautiful.

[@TimothyMershon]

@@MattWhitmanTMBH Next time you're in the area hit me up, and I'll take you somewhere even better.

[@johnnyllooddte3415]

we live in sicily.. weve lived in libya, israel, lebanon, cyprus, crete and now italy.. we FEEL it

[@robt2151]

For me, this worked the other way around. I have never been to the mainland USA (90 minutes in Hawaii probably doesn't count) but this comparison with places that I do know helps me to locate many of the KZbin videos that I watch. Closer to home, it is interesting to see the context of the Russian invasion of Saskatchewan

[@putteslaintxtbks5166]

If I have it right, most of Canada would be Russia, Right? Maybe Alaska?

[@gquilts]

Wow, thank you so much. This is an eye-opener! I lived in Israel for a year and walked everywhere, 20 yrs ago and so much younger, I had a lot of energy back then! Not anything like Paul, lol ! I averaged 20 miles a day doing prayer walks. AWESOME MAP!

[@putteslaintxtbks5166]

Are you from the US? I wonder what part of the US you think might have the closest to the same weather as Israel? Hope you had some real close encounters with God in that year. Must have been a lifetime of memories you brought back.

[@LandonLovette]

And this is why most Americans have not seen most of their own country. It’s quite an undertaking.

[@tbjpersonal]

I litterally just started my Masters of Theology and was wanting just this video to help me understand distances. Sir, you're a prophet as far as I'm concerned.

[@eveblueray3680]

Thank you Matt!!! That was fantastic!!!!

[@bobhall4712]

Fascinating! Have you ever heard of the Dome of the Rock having a rock inside the dome with the exact topographical map of North America?

[@glenbruce7326]

I have! If I remember correctly, it’s starts in the Midwest going west🤔

[@johngleich1379]

Already heard this on the podcast, but it's great to see, too! Thanks for sharing!

[@heidifris4880]

Wow, this was SO helpful. Thank you so much. I too see the need to "feel" this in familiar terms to help in my understanding. Very cool. Thank you for sharing.

[@mattmoore1731]

Thank you so much brother, I needed that Praise God

[@MrOpinions-f3o]

This is incredibly helpful as a Midwestern US citizen. I already have a weird relationship with travel times as is, picturing biblical places and tracel times is definitely a struggle. Thanks for creating this!

[@jensherman2771]

That was so cool! Thank you for sharing. 💛

[@TCoffman]

Matt, this is brilliant. That a great teaching tool.

[@sandycheney660]

I am a great lover of maps, and this is incredible Do you have any way (or plans) to make these overlays printable? I would so enjoy studying them. Also, I love the idea of doing this over Europe, that will be amazing.

[@hisbummerlamb9190]

I love it ❤ it makes it so much more relatable ! This was a great idea ! Thank you . First time viewer here . This was great

[@dtremenak]

Susa looks like it's around Gilbert, WV, in Mingo County. If you need something important/historical nearby to anchor it to, it's around where the Battle of Blair Mountain happened (where the US Army, and US Army Air Corps warplanes, were used to suppress striking coal miners).

[@MattWhitmanTMBH]

Yes! That's interesting, thank you. This is why I ask questions :)

[@carolebrenton7127]

This is super cool! I teach the Bible in Kenya. I'd love to have something like this using East Africa. Can you give me some help along those lines? Maybe a jpeg or something?

[@LincolnDWard]

I might be able to help! Where would you like it centered/where should Jerusalem be?

[@Michael-p3u1f]

In the Spanish Bible the Red Sea is called Mar Bermejo, Mar Burmejo is the Gulf of California less commonly known as the Vermillion Sea or Red Sea.

[@Vienna107]

Creative and interesting video. Very informative.

[@byebyebirdie9153]

I love that you did this! Thank you!!

[@corneliastone1807]

What a cool idea!! Wow. It really does make you think differently.

[@darrylbrooks9530]

I love your concept. Very interesting. Keep up the good work.

[@racerx5379]

Excellent work , new perspective, thank you !!

[@auduaa]

Hey man, this was a great idea and it helped me identify the distances between the cities. Thanks for doing.

[@andrewfindlay7594]

Love this - thank you! I'm headed to Isreal and Jordan with Doug Hamp/Avi Lipkin in March and as a Kansas City kid this gives such a fantastic perspective on the geography!

[@nathanw.5367]

Yup - this was very helpful! I wonder if Damascus had good bbq. I’d love to see Jerusalem placed in different places. To think of all the history in that one small area is staggering to me. Thanks, Matt!

[@grantgowdy9681]

There’s actually a Memphis, Texas very near where you put Memphis, Egypt. So that’s fun!

[@bellilly]

love this! thank you for broadening my perspective!

[@brettlucas9607]

Awsome job. What a blessing.

[@mattfromeurope]

What the map also shows is how close the Israelites came to the Holy Land and what tiny region they had to stay in for forty years b/c of their fears! They essentially walked around eastern Oklahoma for forty years! That's a distance of roughly 220 miles or about 80 feet a day! 5 feet an hour if travelled 16 hours a day! The average human can walk about three *miles* an hour! I think this illustrates well how much of a punishment the 40 years in the desert must have been - the Holy Land always in sight, but still so far away.

[@dblack8956]

Subsaharan Africa is the land of Canaan. After the Israelites left Egyot, the entire bible takes ploace in SubSaharan Africa.

[@dblack8956]

@varalder freyr it's all dried up now, it was called the sea of reeds.

[@elizabethvandeventer5487]

This is very enlightening. Thank you

[@mrright1068]

Cool map idea, keep up this thought process.

[@victorcd9653]

When you check the river systems and original names of geographical areas, the similarities are astounding

[@smokymountainangoras]

Yeah, you got to line up the Nile and Memphis…

[@debcosio2216]

Thank you for this... I am sharing!

[@MiscMitz]

Very cool. Thank you good sir

[@michaelhopper9945]

This is wonderful! Thank you!

[@danielfinn9460]

This was a good idea. I serve a congregation in Brisbane, and this video gave me the idea of illustrating the length of Biblical journeys relative to Australia. For example, the journey from Jerusalem to Antioch is a little further than going from Brisbane to Bundaberg.

[@DavidRegian-ss8sn]

Great idea I love it help me a lot. I never thought about it before. Thank you sir.

[@marthaj67]

I'm out here, living in the Median desert north of Pasargadae. There was once a huge ocean in my backyard, but now all of a sudden I'm a bit parched 😂🐪🌵🦂

[@Goldrefinedthrufire]

This is cool. I'm Canadian so I'll just assume the same bc we are the same width although not vertically!

[@alwaystraining54]

Great perspective, thank you!

[@jebbthetrainkid1281]

You only needed to put 2 Cities on the entire Map of the Untied States. They are called Sodom and Gommora from Coast to Coast.

[@carlaricci4528]

This really helps me understand! Thank you

[@michelemcintyre9749]

THANK YOU! I found this FASCINATING!

[@SolarWarden613]

Subscribed

[@RestfulLearning]

Really helpful! So memorable.

[@lynettemeaker5202]

Very cool exercise. Thank you for this!

[@karenwilliams4152]

How exciting! Like, I could just drive over to Jerusalem from Mississippi! Oh, wait. I once made a Jerusalem overlay for my church neighborhood, also enlightening. I'm keeping your video. Thank you so much!

[@dpbeardslee]

Very interesting idea. Cool video!