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Bible maps - the Kingdom of David

Maps of Israel during the time of David.
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Philistia and the Valley of Elah. <br/>One of the most well-known stories of the Bible is David’s defeat of Goliath, a Philistine giant from the town of Gath (1 Samuel 17). The Philistines may have originated from the island of Crete and settled along the eastern Mediterranean coast around the time of the Judges (Jeremiah 47:4; Amos 9:7). As the Philistines pushed further into the interior of Canaan, they often came into conflict with the Israelites, who resided mostly in the hill country. – Slide 1
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The Battle of Elah. <br/>When the Philistines prepared for battle near the strategically located Valley of Elah, the Israelites assembled on the other side of the valley to face them. After the Philistines’ champion Goliath had challenged the Israelites for forty days to select a champion to fight him, young David, who had already been anointed as the next king of Israel by the prophet Samuel, slew him with a stone from his sling. The terrified Philistines fled, and the Israelites chased them as far as Gath and Ekron. – Slide 2
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David Flees from Saul - Map 1. <br/>1) After David defeated Goliath and came to serve Saul at the royal court in Gibeah. Saul grew jealous of David’s success and eventually sought to kill him (1 Samuel 16-18), <br/>2) David fled to the prophet Samuel at Ramah (1 Samuel 19). <br/>3) Later David returned to Gibeah, and Jonathan warned him that Saul was determined to kill him (1 Samuel 20), <br/>4) David fled to the priestly town of Nob (1 Samuel 21:1-9). <br/>5) David then sought asylum in Gath and pretended to be insane to avoid suspicion from the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15). <br/>6) David later left Gath and lived in a cave at Adullam. There many family members and discontented people joined his small army (1 Samuel 22:1-2). <br/>7) Then David took his parents to Moab, where he placed them in the care of the king of Moab (1 Samuel 22:3-4). <br/>8) After this David stayed for a while in The Stronghold, which may have been the fortress of Masada (1 Samuel 22:4) – Slide 3
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David Flees from Saul - Map 2. <br/>9) The Lord told David to go to the Forest of Hereth, and the priest Abiathar eventually joined him there (1 Samuel 22 4:5). <br/>10) The Lord told David to rescue the town of Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1-12). <br/>11) Later David stayed in various strongholds in the Wilderness of Ziph (1 Samuel 23:13-23). <br/>12) While he was in the Wilderness of Maon, David narrowly escaped capture by Saul (1 Samuel 23:24-28; see also 1 Samuel 26:1-4), <br/>13) David moved to the strongholds of En-gedi, where he spared Saul’s life (1 Samuel 23:29-24:22; see also 1 Samuel 26:5-25). <br/>14) David went back to The Stronghold (1 Samuel 24:23) 15), then to the Wilderness of Maon, where he married a woman named Abigail (1 Samuel 25:1-44). Eventually David returned to Gath (1 Samuel 27). – Slide 4
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The Shephelah. <br/>The Shephelah, meaning ‘lowlands,’ was a band of gentle hills lying between the coastal plain and the hill country of Israel, and it was covered with sycamore fig trees and olive trees (1 Kings 10:27; 1 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27; 27:28). The Shephelah served as a buffer between the Philistines and the Israelites from the time of the Judges through to the time of the Divided Monarchy. David slew Goliath in the Valley of Elah and sent the Philistines into a panic (1 Samuel 17), and he also saved the people of Keilah from the Philistines in this valley while on the run from Saul. (1 Samuel 23:1-5). – Slide 5
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Jerusalem in the time of David. <br/>When King David captured the city from the Jebusites (2 Samuel 5:6-10; 1 Chronicles 11:4-9), it was a relatively small fortress positioned next to the Gihon Spring–-a dependable source of water that later enabled the city to withstand various sieges (2 Kings 18:13-19:37; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36-37). King Solomon built the Temple of the Lord on a threshing floor north of the city (2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21), and the city continued to grow. – Slide 6
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Towns of David’s Mighty Men. <br/>David's most revered warriors are listed, along with their most distinguishing deeds of valour. These warriors are called ‘the Thirty,’ and the most distinguished among them are called ‘the Three.’ Many of these men also served as David’s commanders throughout his reign (1 Chronicles 27). The vast majority of these men came from the tribes of Judah (David’s tribe) and Benjamin. – Slide 7
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The Battle at the Pool of Gibeon. <br/>Sometime during David’s reign in Hebron, a group of soldiers led by Joab traveled north to the town of Gibeon, where some soldiers led by Abner, the commander over Ish-bosheth’s forces, had already gathered. The two sides agreed to a contest of young champions, but the contest ended with the slaughter of all twelve of Abner’s youths. This led to a fierce battle among the rest of the soldiers, with Joab’s men pursuing Abner’s men. Abner killed Joab’s brother Asahel during the pursuit and continued to flee to the hill of Ammah. There Abner’s men took a stand and Abner called out to Joab to call a truce (2 Samuel 2). – Slide 8
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David and Ish-bosheth. <br/>Abner, the son of Saul’s commander, set up Saul’s son Ish-bosheth as king over all the other tribes. A long war ensued between David and Ish-bosheth. During this time, some of Ish-bosheth’s men traveled to Gibeon under the command of Abner, and they faced off at a pool against some of David’s men under the command of Joab, one of David’s nephews (1 Chronicles 2:15-16). Over time David became stronger and stronger, while Ish-bosheth became weaker and weaker. – Slide 9
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David Defeats the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim - Encounter One. <br/>Soon after David became king over all Israel, the Philistines sent forces into the central hill country to find David. David heard about their plan and “went down to the stronghold” before the Philistines reached the Valley of Rephaim. After reaching Jerusalem, David led his forces in a frontal attack against the Philistines at a place that came to be called Baal-perazim (‘Lord of bursting forth’), and David’s forces defeated the Philistines. – Slide 10
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David Defeats the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim - Encounter Two. <br/>The Philistines again arrayed their forces in the Valley of Rephaim once more, and apparently David was at Jerusalem at the time. This time, however, he led his forces around to the rear of the Philistine forces and waited for the sound of marching in the tops of the nearby balsam trees, which signaled to him that the Lord had gone out before him to strike down the Philistines. David’s forces were again victorious over the Philistines and struck them down from Gibeon to Gezer. – Slide 11
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Absalom Rebels against David. <br/>Absalom began a coup against David. At Hebron, his followers declared him king, and he headed for Jerusalem to overthrow David. David and those loyal to him fled across the Jordan River to Mahanaim. Absalom mustered an army to attack David in the forest of Ephraim. David’s men thoroughly defeated Absalom’s army, and Absalom himself was killed. – Slide 12
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