17 Ancient Biblical Cities That Still Exist Today

When you open the Bible, you step into a world that seems to belong to a distant past. Yet many of the places described in its pages are still around today. The Bible, one of the most influential books in human history, not only tells the story of the beginnings of Christianity but also highlights the cities that shaped it in the Middle East. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of these historic cities and explore which ones you can still visit or even call home today.

Believed to be the location of the Last Supper, Jerusalem is also considered the burial site of King David of Israel. Jerusalem played a key role in the story of many important Biblical characters and is considered one of the holiest cities in the world.

One of the most important cities in Egypt today, Cairo is believed to be the location where the Ten Commandments were given to Moses. Today, Cairo has a population of 9.54 million and is located near the Great Sphinx and pyramids.

What is largely believed to be one of the oldest cities in the world, Jericho dates back to 11,000 BC. Located in the Jordan Valley, Jericho is also known as a city with the largest defensive wall in history. The Bible describes Jericho as the “city of palm trees”.

While Rome is not mentioned in the Old Testament, it figures prominently in the New Testament. The Epistle to the Romans, known as the sixth book of the New Testament, was written by Paul the Apostle to spread the gospel of Jesus to Roman citizens.

Located in the West Bank, the city of Hebron is about 19 miles south of Jerusalem. According to the Bible, Abraham settled in Hebron, which is also the location where David was anointed the King of Israel. The estimated population of Hebron today is around 215,000.

Mentioned in the Bible a few times, Athens, Greece is known as one of the places Paul the Apostle visited. During his time in Athens, it’s believed that Paul was distressed by the worship of different idols. Arriving in Athens alone, this visit is considered Paul’s most difficult as a missionary.

Mentioned in the Bible at least 50 separate times, Bethlehem is a prominent place for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. For Christians who focus on the Old Testament, Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus Christ and is home to the Church of the Nativity.

The capital city of Syria, Damascus is mentioned 60 times across 55 verses in the Old Testament. One of the oldest cities in the world, Damascus is believed to be 5,000 years old. It prominently figures in Christianity as the location where Paul converted.

Located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, Galilee is an ancient city. According to the Bible, Galilee was named by the Israelites and is where Jesus performed many miracles. Today, it’s indicated that Galilee has an estimated population of around 1.2 million.

Corinth, Greece is well known from the first two letters of Saint Paul from the New Testament. The location is mentioned as a location of Paul’s many missionary activities. It’s believed Paul wrote at least four letters to the Christians in Corinth.

A Greek island in the Aegean Sea, Patmos is a place of significance to Christianity. Most prominently, one of the two apostles, John, wrote and received his vision for the Book of Revelation. John was exiled to the Island city of Patmos by the Romans because of his Christian faith.

Located outside of Tel Aviv in Israel, the city of Jaffa is mentioned as Joppa in the Bible. This city is mentioned in both the Old and New Testament as a main seaport and where Jonah fled after disobeying the Lord’s will to go to Nineveh and preach.

With around 30 mentions in the Bible, Sidon, Lebanon figures prominently. Sidon is mentioned in the Old Testament as the location where a widow was taken care of and the Lord provided oil and flour for her through a famine.

Tyre, Lebanon is one of the oldest cities in the region and is located about 20 miles south of Sidon. The city of Tyre is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. It’s specifically mentioned in the Book of Isaiah as part of 10 nations that would conspire against God’s people.

Mentioned around 19 times in the Bible, Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire. Today, it’s better known as Mosul, Iraq. Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach God’s message for 3 days, but he stuck around for 40 days.

Throughout the Bible, Babylon is mentioned as part of modern-day Iraq. Located where the city of Al-Hillal is today, Babylon was a powerful city/state the Bible views as a symbol of evil.

As a large city in Northern Israel, Nazareth figures prominently in the Bible as it’s believed to be the birth location of Jesus’ mother, Mary. While it’s still prominently believed Jesus was born in Bethlehem, it’s in Nazareth where he lived.