Google Earth in 4D

I've posted before on Google Earth as a resource for biblical mapping and study. They just announced (2021.04) one of the first significant updates in 4 years. Google Earth has long had a 'history' option so that you could check out imagery taken at various times, but now it's been integrated into a smoother browser experience.

In the biggest update to Google Earth since 2017, you can now see our planet in an entirely new dimension — time. With Timelapse in Google Earth, 24 million satellite photos from the past 37 years have been compiled into an interactive 4D experience. Now anyone can watch time unfold and witness nearly four decades of planetary change.

HERE for the full announcement.

The primary goal is to show the dramatic environmental changes that have occurred, but there are some interesting things to check from a biblical perspective. While the detail is not granular enough to focus on, e.g., the excavations at a site, it can make evident macro-level changes from ~1984-2020. Here are a couple I could notice.

• Water level on the Sea/Lake of Galilee: This will bring you to the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. What you can notice is the varying water levels. In particular, you can see how the excavations at el-Araj, one of the proposed sites of Bethsaida, is affected by the water level. The 2020 image shows why the site was partially submerged in 2020.

• Water levels on the Dead Sea near Ein Gedi: It's pretty easy to see the contraction of water levels on the Dead Sea. I'm not sure what the latest situation is at Ein Gedi, but there used to be a nice beach there that I think is now closed. Even the road was closed for a time due to large sinks caused by the lower water level.
  

The viewer works best in Chrome. There are lots of options for the visualizations, including details, map styles, creating projects, etc. Check it out!

Via Egnatia - Walking with Paul from Neapolis to Apollonia

I've put together a video that will allow you to walk with Paul and Silas from Neapolis to Apollonia. HERE is the video in which I cover the following.

Acts 16.9-10 recounts Paul's vision while he was in Troas of the "man of Macedonia" asking him to come over to Macedonia. In Acts 16.11-12 it says:

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. 

After the incident with the slave girl in Philippi that caused such a scene, Paul and Silas leave Philippi, and Acts 17.1 states:

After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

What Paul and Silas did, actually, is follow the Via Egnatia (VE) from Neapolis (modern Kavala) to Philippi to Amphipolis to Apollonia. It was the most important west-east roadway in Greece from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE, and even into modern times it has been used as a key travel route over. The VE figures prominently in much of history, especially in terms of troop movements such as occurred with the famous Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE where the forces of Octavius and Antony defeated those of Brutus and Cassius.

Parts of the VE are still visible today, and visitors can walk on the very same path trod by Paul and Silas. In July 2017 I had the opportunity to do some exploring looking around for the VE in the area between Neapolis and Apollonia. I've put together a video that gives some background and identifies aspects of this part of the VE. I don't know how much of the information I share is new or merely speculative, but there are a few things that might encourage you to take a look.

• If you are planning to visit the area, I give directions on accessing parts of the roadway that still exist between Neapolis and Philippi and at Apollonia.
• There is an interesting 1st century CE monolith erected by the ancient VE that visitors usually miss since the new highway between Neapolis and Philippi runs south of the ancient VE. (The new highway was marshy land in ancient times.)
• I was able to 'see' on Google Earth, using the historical imagery feature, remnants of where the VE ran west of Philippi, and it's even possible to 'see' remnants of the fortifications Cassius and Brutus built.
• I note a couple of structures that were likely gateways or fountains of some kind on the VE west of Philippi.
• I photographed a site at Apollonia where tradition claims that Paul stopped and preached on his way to Thessaloniki. This site is rarely visited since the new highway runs north of Lake Volvi while the VE ran on the south side.

Thanks are due to the Via Egnatia Foundation which provided some tracking information. If you want to walk the VE yourself, be sure to check them out.

If there are any corrections to my presentation, please let me know!

Athens, Greece now in 3D on Google Earth and GE Quiz Maker

There are a number of locations in Google Earth that have received a photo-realistic 3D treatment. Athens recently was given such a treatment. Very nice! You can use the classic desktop version or view it on Chrome in the new Google Earth app. (The screenshot above is from the desktop version.)
As I noted in April, Google is discontinuing support for the desktop version, but the web app still does not have all the capabilities of the desktop version. For example, in the desktop version, you can view 3D reconstructions (not 3D imagery) like this view of Jerusalem.

So if you have not yet done so, get the desktop version.
HT: Google Earth blog

 

Speaking of Google Earth, you may want to try out the GE Quiz Maker that allows you to create geographic quizzes and fly you around the world. Links on that page will get you to a sample quiz and to the template you can use to create your own quizzes.

New Google Earth Web Version Released :(

Rome in Google Earth Web

Google recently announced a new version of a web-based Google Earth. For now, it only runs in the Chrome desktop browser or as an Android app. It won't replace the full desktop version of Google Earth, and it isn't much different than using the Satellite view in Google Maps. It does have some nice features including enhanced 3D imagery in some locations. (e.g., Paris, NYC, or Rome as seen in the graphic.) The user has some control over the display and how much information is visible. When you go to a place, helpful 'cards' will pop up offering more information and interesting sites nearby. 

As noted, it doesn't replace the full downloadable version of Google Earth which apparently is being phased out as an old version, but Google is promising updates to the new version. Use of KML files is only partially implemented, nor are tools like image history, measurements, tours, etc. available. At this point, I do not find this to be a very helpful release. I fear that this may mark the end of the classic version (much like Google did with Panoramio and Picasa), so for now, I'd say grab the download before it's gone. For more info, read HERE and HERE.

Google Earth Pro is now free!

I have frequently blogged about the value of Google Earth (a free program) for exploring and understanding the biblical lands. Somewhat amazingly, Google has now released Google Earth Pro for free. (It used to be a $399/year upgrade.) While mainly oriented to business users, the Pro version has advanced tools for measuring, creating maps, and producing high resolution videos.
You can get the download HERE and follow the directions on that page.
HT: CNET

Making a Custom Bible Map - Accordance and ...

David Lang at Accordance recently posted a fine 11 minute video on the Accordance blog showing how to make a custom map of Genesis 19 using the map module in Accordance. It is a great feature that I don't think any of the other Bible software packages can handle. BibleWorks does include a map module, but it would be very difficult to create the kind of map you see above with the labeling and highlighting. What's more, you don't have the 3-D option that Accordance offers.

Of course, you don't always want to create your own maps. Accordance offers a number of overlays illustrating biblical events, some even with animations. There are also atlas modules available. The map module in BibleWorks also uses a more extensive system of overlays to highlight periods or books of the Bible or particular events. They also include The New Moody Atlas of the Bible which has a very good collection of maps. Logos 5 has a Bible Places Guide that is very helpful, and they have a large selection of very nice maps. (Don't buy one of the old map sets. What you want are the Bible Facts: Places and the Logos and Faithlife Infographics datasets that are included with most libraries.) All three of these programs have integration of the maps with biblical text and related resources.

Still, only Accordance has the map creation possibility that's as nice as one that David Lang created. There are two other possibilities, however.

•  One is using Google Earth. Lang's article partly caught my attention because I had occasion last fall to want to create exactly the same kind of map he did. Using this Google Earth KMZ file from the Geocoding page at OpenBible.info, I have quick access to all the biblical sites. Then I navigated around until I was able to capture the view above and put it into my PowerPoint. Compare it to Lang's map above!

• Another option is a standalone Bible mapping program called BibleMapper created by David P. Barrett. You can use version 3 for free (no limitations) or get the improved version 4 for $37. The map of the Seven Churches of Revelation is one I created in BibleMapper. One of the great virtues of this program is that any map you create is your own, and you don't need to obtain any copyright permissions or pay any costs to share your map. (Accordance allows free usage of any map you create, but they appreciate attribution. If you want to use their maps for any commercial project, however, you should contact them.)

If I'm missing something, let me know!

Related to this topic, Todd Bolen on the BiblePlaces blog recently pointed out the availability of physical 3-D topographical maps for various biblical and modern periods. (When I was a kid and we visited the USA national parks, I always used to get one of those 3-D maps of the park.) The maps are 9" x 14" and about $30 each.

Exploring ancient Syrian trade routes in Google Earth

Using excavation reports and lists of coin hoards, Kristina Neumann at the University of Cincinnati has plotted the information to Google Earth to measure the influence and extent of Roman period Antioch. Fascinating...


HT: Google Earth Blog: Exploring ancient Syrian trade routes in Google Earth
Further info on the Univ. of Cincinnati page.

Google Earth Exercise for Biblical Geography

In the previous post, I provided an exercise for learning how to use Google Maps in the service of biblical geography. I've now prepared another exercise for learning how to use Google Earth. Google Maps has incorporated some features of Google Earth and vice versa, but there are features in Earth that remain unique and particularly helpful for biblical studies. 

If you are not familiar with Google Earth, this exercise provides a step-by-step introduction to it. If you are acquainted with it, the exercise highlights features related to biblical geography. In particular, I have pasted in section 7 of the exercise below which provides links to some of the most helpful addins (KMZ files) for biblical geography.

This exercise was composed simply based on my experiences with the program. I certainly may have overlooked something significant, so please share what you know in the comments.

HERE is the PDF exercise you can download.

Section 7 of the exercise: 

RESOURCES FOR BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY

Now that you have a general idea of how Google Earth works, how can we maximize its use for doing biblical geography? Here are files and links you will want to use that can be saved in the My Places panel on the left. 
(Note: Google Earth uses KMZ and KML to store location data. Clicking on the KMZ or KML links below. You cana open them in Google Earth, and they will appear in your Temporary Places at the bottom of the My Places panel. If you decide you want to save that collection, right click on it and “Save to My Places.” When you exit Google Earth, it will ask if you want to save the files that are in the Temporary Places.)

• Bible Places (ISBE) KMZ with info from ISBE and Easton Bible Dictionaries
• Note that the ISBE is from 1939 and Easton is from 1897. Use this dated information with discernment! (This file originated with the Bible Places group in the Google Earth Community, but I have corrected some errors and grouped sites alphabetically for easier navigation in Google Earth.)
• Complete list of Bible Place KMZ (from OpenBible.info; cf. below) with listing of every biblical mention and live links to the online ESV Bible
• Note that when you click on a Bible text, it will open a browser pane in Google Earth. You can open the window in your usual internet browser by clicking in the upper right corner [Open in ...]. To get back to the Earth view, click on “Back to Google Earth” at the upper left.
• Also available: KMZs arranged by biblical book and by chapter. Turn book or chapter layers on and off to see patterns across the Bible.
• Biblical Rivers and Bodies of Water KML (OpenBible.info)
• Jerusalem Overlays (OpenBible.info) Historical map overlays for Jerusalem
• Bible Mountains addins
• Sacred Destinations addins: Over 1000 sacred spots around the world
• Jerusalem Temple Overlays: Quite a few overlays and markers for spots at and around the Jerusalem Temple
• Sites of Jesus addin
• Google Earth and journeys of Paul
• Viewing Biblical Sites in Google Earth - Some helpful tips and a collection of links to KMZ files including Journeys of Paul (from Tim Schumacher)
• Paul's Missionary Journeys kmz file (get file HERE)
• Paul's first journey (annotated) kmz file
• Paul's second journey with locations in Athens kmz file
• Gerasa (by Stephen Langfur) is great example of using GoogleEarth to demonstrate city geometry

The Megalithic Portal - Prehistoric and Ancient Sites for Google Earth

I just discovered The Megalithic Portal through the Google Earth blog. It's an independent, volunteer-driven site organized by Andy Burnham. He started a database of ancient sites in 1997 and got things online in 2001. He now has a compilation of more than 25,000 prehistoric and ancient sites from all over the world. You can start by looking for sites using a clickable map of the world, or you could run a search on the site and find, e.g., Ancient Temples in Israel, of which one would be the Chalcolithic Temple at En Gedi.

Perhaps a better way would be to download a KMZ file that can be used in Google Earth. On the Google Earth Community Group (get the KMZ file from there), Burnham says of the KMZ file:

It is a compilation of the 25000+ locations we have listed on the Megalithic Portal. Each entry includes summary descriptions and a thumbnail image, where available. 

The links do provide good information and multiple pictures where available. The sites are organized according to what they are in 50+ categories: temple, palace, tomb, mound, cave, pyramid, etc.

In terms of sites connected with the Bible, it's a mixed bag, but this is an ongoing work, and users can add their own sites and pictures. E.g., in the screen shot of west-central Turkey above, there are some links for Ephesus, Miletus, Sardis, Smyrna, Laodicea..., but not for Philadelphia or Colossae. In Greece, you can Philippi and Corinth but not Thessalonika.

In any case, it's worth getting the KMZ file and adding the web site to your list of resources.

Ephesus and Miletus

 

After flying from Dulles > Munich > Izmir, took the bus to the hotel in Kusadasi. The first full day we spent visiting Ephesus and Miletus. I had visited these sites 7 years ago, and not too much has been done since then. The main progress at Ephesus was that the structure covering the excavations near the library has been improved. There was also a big crane at the theater, and a fence kept people from going more than halfway up. Virtually nothing had changed at Miletus. It always is a bit boggling that tourists can have such easy access to these sites poking around in the ruins... Notable artifacts like the "Place of the Jews and God-fearers" inscription at the theater in Miletus are just there for people to walk on. I suppose they've seen worse than tourists in their thousands of years. 

In any case, HERE are 42 pics that don't necessarily try to illustrate the sites but were ones I found 'interesting' (for whatever artistic sense I may have...). These pics are reduced from the originals, but you can get the idea. They are all geotagged and linked to Google Maps and to Google Earth. In addition to Ephesus, we visited the Church of St. John the Theologian, the remains of the Ephesian Temple of Artemis (still just one column standing...), and Miletus.

Google Maps > Google Earth

Google just announced this week that Google Earth views are now available within Google Maps. Here's their own video description:

Once you get to the location you want using Google Maps, it's a simple matter of clicking on the "Earth" button to gain the advantage of the 3D imaging available. (You may be prompted to install the Google Earth plugin if you don't already have it.) If you are already familiar with Google Earth, all the navigation will be familiar to you including the shortcuts for tilting and rotating. 

What's the advantage of having this new view available? 

• The dimensionality of Earth views can give you a better sense of a place.
• The integration of map, satellite, and earth views allows for fast and easy switching so that one can become more familiar with a place. (Also note that terrain view is still available under the More dropdown.)
• The earth view also includes 3D models that have been created. (In fact, I don't see how you can turn off the 3D models.) Some of these have actual photographic 'skins' wrapped around the objects. Take a look at some of these examples I made. (You can click on the link to go to Google Maps yourself.)
  Here is Athens >

•  Here is Ephesus with models of the theater and the Library of Celsus.

•  Using tilt and zoom, you can even stand at the threshold of the Ephesian theater and relive Acts 19:29-40!

•  And here's a view of Jerusalem.

• Also note under the More dropdown that you have access to links to Wikipedia references, photos from Panoramio, YouTube videos taken on location, and even live webcams where available.

There are still some extra things you can do in Google Earth (e.g., have indices of biblical sites [like this or this] or create tours [

BTW, one thing that Google Earth does not yet do is provide relief maps. To get that, either use the free Bible Mapper program or use the fine maps-for-free site. Here's an example of a relief map. Can you figure out what biblical region it's depicting?

˙pǝʇɐɔol ǝɹǝʍ uoıʇɐlǝʌǝɹ ɟo sǝɥɔɹnɥɔ ㄥ ǝɥʇ ǝɹǝɥʍ ʎǝʞɹnʇ uɹǝʇsǝʍ

Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai in Virtual 3D

I've previously mentioned the work of ARSights which provides virtual 3D, 'in your hand' representations of various locations. (Check these models of the Roman Coliseum and Solomon's Temple and accompanying videos to see how you can rotate and tilt the model in your hand.)
They just recently added Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai to the collection now making 100 models available. Saint Catherine's is connected to the traditions of Moses and the burning bush, but it is also notable as the location where Codex Sinaiticus was found. As you can see in the static image above, it is a very attractive model. If you have already downloaded the free AR software, here is the direct link to the monastery.

Solomon's Temple - Virtual 3D Modeling

I had previously posted about the work of ARSights (the AR stands for Augmented Reality) who have developed an app that allows you virtually to hold selected Google Earth 3D models in your hand. I had noted some models of potential interest to biblical studies (Parthenon, Coliseum). I had also contacted ARSights and suggested that they add the Jerusalem Temple to their collection. They wrote back and shortly afterward posted up a model of Solomon's Temple in addition to the Dome of the Rock. As the little video shows, it is indeed the Temple from Solomon's time and includes the walled city. Enjoy!

The Coliseum and Parthenon in your hand

This is too cool... ARSights (the AR stands for Augmented Reality) has developed an app that allows you virtually to hold selected Google Earth 3D models in your hand. Here's the company's description:

ARSights is a new web-based tool which improves Google Earth visualization capabilities by enabling users to visualize digital content mixed with real world information. Built upon the technology known as Augmented Reality, it allows users to enjoy Google Earth digital content in an astonishing as well as completely new way. All you need to make ARSights work is a PC, a USB camera, a printed marker and AR Application which can be downloaded directly on www.arsights.com. The aims of the project can be summarized as follows:

• To increase people’s awareness about the power of Augmented Reality
• To let people access information in an immersive and more engaging manner
• To impulse a new development of this technology
• To foster new business opportunities in many fields of application

Here's what it looks like in practice:
If you click on that graphic, you will see a short (and choppy) 40 sec video with me holding virtual models of the Parthenon and the Coliseum. You can see how the object can be rotated and tilted. (If I tilt it too askew, you will see that I lose the model momentarily.) For a better looking demonstration with the Eifel Tower, note this YouTube video from ARSights.


You need a web cam, and other than that, it involves downloading the app, printing the 'foundation' card, and downloading the KML file for GoogleEarth so you can see the models available. There are over 70 models from all over the world available at this time. Nothing from Jerusalem yet, and the Parthenon and Coliseum I model are the most relevant biblical studies related ones for now.
[HT: Google Earth Blog]

Google Earth 5 Now Available

Google Earth 5 is now available for download, and they have added some great new features. Most notable among them is the new data and imagery for the oceans, historical imagery, 3D Mars, and tour recording. The ocean stuff is beautiful, and there are ways to go beneath the waves. Check out the video...

You can download Google Earth 5.0 here, but do also check out the various posts highlighting different features on the Google Earth blog.
As for its relevance to biblical mapping and visualizations, there is perhaps not so much to note. I checked quite a few archaeological sites hoping to use the historical imaging feature to see progress that has been made at places like Herodion, Ephesus, Corinth, or Beth Shean. Unfortunately, there is not much to see. Satellite images only go back to about 2003, and often the earlier images are of insufficient detail to see much of what was going on. At least one can now sometimes choose between images taken at different times of the year, or different lighting or different quality.

HERE is a 30 second screencast I did using the tour recording feature showing Ephesus in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

If anyone finds a good example of historical imaging related to a biblical site, let me know!

Biblical Art... in Google Earth!?

A new layer in Google Earth now lets you visit ultra-high resolution pictures inside museums. As reported on the Google Earth blog, a new layer in their Geographic Web collection provides a view of 14 pictures from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, Spain. As you might expect, a number of them depict biblical scenes. Perhaps the most famous is this Fra Angelico one of the Annunciation. I've provided some idea of the kind of resolution available.

Ancient Rome 3D Updated

I had previously posted about Ancient Rome 3D in Google Earth. The Google Earth blog now reports that the 3D modeling has been greatly improved which results in much better viewing and navigation. As he reports:

If you were frustrated with how hard it was to load Ancient Rome when it came out last month, give it a try again. It's still not as simple as the built-in 3D Buildings layer. But, the experience of learning, and seeing, ancient Rome come to life is worth it. The placemark descriptions and links to further information are very educational. And the 3D buildings really help you visualize what it might have been like.

Be sure to check the directions on the Google Earth blog for getting it set up. The terrain layer loads rather quickly, but the first set of buildings took quite a while (10 minutes+) with my good connection. Maybe the server was busy... In any case, these little screen shots show the great detail available, some including interiors. With the Ancient Rome gallery layer enabled, you also have one click access to additional info.
You may also want to visit the Rome Reborn project from which much of the data was derived. Another good site to check is the Virtual Museum of the Ancient Via Flamina. It includes a 386Mb download reconstruction of an ancient village on this Roman road.

Just waiting for reconstructions of ancient Jerusalem, Ephesus, and Athens...

Using digital mapping tools: Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim

Todd Bolen has a neat posting on "The Acoustics of Mounts Gerizim and Ebal." In reference to the account in Joshua 8:30-35, Todd cites an acoustic experiment conducted in 1879 by McGarvey and retold in his book, Lands of the Bible. Based on his description and on the picture provided by Todd, I wanted to see what this would look like in one of the 3D digital tools now available. Above is a screen shot from Google Earth with Ebal on the left and Gerizim on the right, looking east. Below is the same view using HolyLand 3D with contour tinting enabled, and at the bottom is one from Microsoft Virtual Earth.
All three views clearly show the amphitheather-like nature of the location, but GoogleEarth looks to have the most detailed data/imagery.
UPDATE: Be sure to check out Ferrell's Travel Blog with this post on McGarvey's book and the Gerizim/Ebal incident. His post also has a link to McGarvey's Lands of the Bible book entirely online. Thanks!

Ancient Rome in 3D in Google Earth

This is very cool. Using layers in Google Earth, ancient Rome has been recreated in 3D. Structures are also tagged with more information. Check out the announcement on the GoogleEarth blog and download it as soon as it becomes available. For now, check out the preview video.


I'd love to see similar treatments for Jerusalem, Athens, Ephesus, and Corinth.

Israel Road Maps Now Viewable in Google Earth

Google Earth is a great mapping tool. One longtime deficiency that indirectly affected its value for biblical studies was that there were no road maps for Israel. This has just recently been remedied. To see the roads, enable "Roads" in the Layers menu. A couple ways that it helps:

• It makes it easier to figure out where you are/were when you are/were traveling in Israel.
• You can apply map overlays to compare ancient and modern roadways. In the graphic above I have done just that. Of course the modern maps of the ancient roadways are somewhat imprecise, but this should allow greater clarity. Since the transparency of map overlays can be adjusted in GoogleEarth, you should at least be able to see in the graphic that the ancient north/south trunk road is a major north/south road still today.

(HT: GoogleEarth blog)