Charles Foster’s 1912 masterwork, titled “Palestine in the time of Jesus, 4 B.C. - 30 A.D. (including the period of Herod, 40 - 4 B.C.),” distills biblical geography into a lucid, scholar’s map of the land that frames the New Testament. Foster assembles the regions of Galilee, Samaria, Judea, Idumea, and the Hellenized Decapolis into a coherent stage, with the Jordan River threading from the Sea of Galilee to the mineral mirror of the Dead Sea. His cartography privileges historical context: key cities—Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho—are anchored by annotations that connect terrain to text, while two authoritative insets—Jerusalem in the Roman period and Herod’s Temple—draw the viewer into the urban and sacred heart of late Second Temple life.

Rendered with disciplined hachures, the relief is more than backdrop; it is a protagonist. The Judean highlands rise in tight, purposeful strokes, their steep approaches explaining the arduous ascent from Jericho to Jerusalem and the defensible poise of hill towns. Broad, slacker shading models the rolling shoulders of Samaria and the Galilean uplands where itinerant preaching found closely linked villages. To the east yawns the Jordan Rift, a sunken corridor that has guided movement since antiquity, ending in the austere basin of the Dead Sea. By visualizing gradient and aspect with such tactile nuance, Foster shows how geography channels story—pilgrimage routes, political frontiers, and moments of encounter shaped by the land’s physiography.

Equally persuasive is the map’s political and social overlay. Foster delineates regional identities with assured labels that reflect the Herodian settlement: Idumea to the south, ancestral to the dynasty; Samaria as a mediating middle ground; Galilee poised between Jewish tradition and Hellenistic currents; and the Decapolis, a constellation of Greek cities under Roman patronage. Principal roads and highways lace these zones, tracing plausible itineraries between Nazareth and Capernaum, across the valleys to the lake shore, and along the ancient corridor from the coast to the central hills. Notes keyed to biblical episodes punctuate the landscape, transforming routes and towns into a curated atlas of texts, power, and movement under Rome’s watchful administration.

The inset of Jerusalem during the Roman period rewards sustained study. It gathers streets, quarters, and civic installations into a crisp plan that clarifies the city’s stratified authority: Roman oversight, Herodian ambition, and priestly stewardship nested within walls and terraces. The proximity of administrative structures to pilgrimage arteries explains the city’s charged choreography during festivals, while the delineation of approaches from Bethlehem and Jericho situates the metropolis within its highland topography. Rather than dramatize, Foster elucidates—laying out the urban organism as a legible diagram so that historical episodes can be located not merely in time but precisely in space, against slopes, walls, and thoroughfares that governed ancient movement.

The companion inset of Herod’s Temple focuses attention on the sacred precinct at the heart of the narratives. Courts, porticoes, and monumental approaches are clarified with didactic precision, rendering a working diagram of worship, authority, and crowd dynamics in the late Second Temple era. By placing this plan beside the broader city and provincial map, Foster enables a rare, multi-scalar reading—from province to capital to sanctuary—so that settings of teaching, trial, and ritual can be envisioned in their architectural frame. Issued at a moment when historical geography sought to reconcile text with terrain, this map remains a discerning guide for the collector: erudite, elegant, and anchored in the scholarship that shaped modern understanding of the land.

Countries and regions on this map

• Regions: Palestine (encompassing Galilee, Samaria, Judea, and Idumea).
• Bodies of Water: The Jordan River and the Dead Sea.
• Mountain Ranges: Surrounding hills and notable elevations, indicated by hachure.
• Road and Highway routes: Marked to show travel paths within the region.
• Special Locations: Herod's Temple and significant Roman structures in Jerusalem.

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Regions labeled: Galilee, Samaria, Judea, Idumea, Decapolis, and others.
• Major Cities: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, and others.
• Insets provide: Detailed layouts of "Jerusalem during the Roman period" and "Herod’s Temple."
• Hachure techniques: Used extensively to illustrate mountains and hills.
• Annotations on historical significance: Various locations marked with relevant notes correlating to biblical texts.

Historical and design context

• Title: Palestine in the time of Jesus, 4 B.C. - 30 A.D. (including the period of Herod, 40 - 4 B.C.)
• Creator: Charles Foster
• Publication Year: 1912
• Context: This historical map illustrates the geographical landscape of Palestine relevant to the life of Jesus and the Herodian period.
• Themes: Key locations and topographical elements pertinent to the late Second Temple era are highlighted, reflecting the social and political landscape of the time.
• Historical Significance: It reflects early 20th-century perspectives on historical geography and serves as a resource for understanding the context of the New Testament narratives.
• Mapmaker Context: Charles Foster was known for his focus on biblical geography, bringing historical context to the geographic understanding of biblical texts.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.