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Ancient Tribal Maps of the Holy Land

An exhibition of rare maps of the Holy Land featuring the Twelve Tribes of Israel has opened at the Museum of Biblical Art and the National Center for Jewish Art in Dallas, Texas. The exhibition is in cooperation with the Jewish Studies Program at the University of North Texas. Maps prior to the 19th century were expressing an artist’s visual impression and artistic perspective, based upon the knowledge at the time. These earlier maps were a window into the world at a certain time in history and presented an image of that perceived world. Unlike all other maps of the world, the contents of the early maps of the Holy Land communicate sacred geography and sacred space and are windows into the events in the Jewish and Christian Bible.
 

The maps illuminate the topographical association with the eschatological meanings and the historical narratives in the Bible. This biblical mapping opened up the concept of visual geographia sacra. These original maps on display are from the Adrichom series created by Christiaan van Adrichom in 1593 and the Fuller maps created by Thomas Fuller in 1650. The maps of the 12 Tribes of Israel illustrate the topographical association with the historical narratives in the Bible. After the death of Moses, the Twelve Tribes of Israel took possession of the Promised Land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua.

Currently on display.

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