The descendants of Jacob’s son Benjamin occupied one of the smallest of the Israelite tribal allotments–measuring a mere 27 miles (43 km) wide by 14 miles (23 km) high–yet the significance of all the biblical events that took place within it is immense. Benjamin was the location of the Israelites’ very first battles to conquer to the Promised Land, beginning with Jericho and moving on to Ai (see “The Israelites Conquer Ai” map). After this, four Gibeonite towns–all located in western Benjaminite territory–deceived the Israelites into forming an alliance with them (see “The Conquest of Canaan: The Southern Campaign” map) in order to avoid being wiped out by them. Two judges (Ehud and Deborah; see “Ehud Rescues Israel” and “Deborah and Barak Defeat Sisera” maps) hailed from Benjamin as did the prophet Samuel (see “The Tribe of Benjamin” map). After the Ark of the Covenant was captured near Aphek and Shiloh was overrun by the Philistines, it appears that the altar was moved to the High Place of Gibeah by the time of Solomon (see “The Ark of the Covenant in the Promised Land” map). In the closing years of the judges, a tragic incident at Gibeah led to a war between Benjamin and the rest of the Israelites tribes (see “Israel Battles Benjamin” map). Saul, the first king of Israel, also hailed from Benjamin (see “Saul Searches for His Father’s Donkeys” map). While King David’s capital was at Hebron, a detachment of his forces attacked those of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth at Gibeon, leading them to flee to the Hill of Ammah (likely the same as Emmaus; see “The Battle at the Pool of Gibeon” map). David later established Jerusalem, technically located within Benjamin’s territory, as his new capital over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:6-9). The borders of Benjamin’s tribal allotment and the adjacent borders of its neighboring tribes are meticulously defined in Joshua 15:1-16:3 and Joshua 18:11-28, demonstrating the biblical writers’ acute awareness of Benjamin’s territory. Several stretches of these borders appear to follow established roads that existed during the settlement era.

This map is designed to be printed at 24 in. x 18 in., but it may scale acceptably at larger or smaller sizes as well.