Internal Geography of the Bible

The bible has a consistent internal geography which would make locating it possible, even if we only had a vague idea of where in Eurasia it occurred.

First, the cardinal directions of the Bible are well established by hebrew meanings in the words themselves with…

But even if that wasn’t the case, Psalms 139:9–10 defines east as where the sun rises. “If I go east where the sun rises or go to live in the west beyond the sea, even there you will take my hand and lead me.”    Its established again in Isaiah 45:6, “so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me”

There was a “great sea” on the west which is referenced some 10 times. 
-Gen 49:13, Zebulun’s land border’s it. The sea is a haven for ships and is in proximity to ‘Sidon’.

Israel was to extend from a desert to a place called Lebanon (presumably opposite boundaries), and a river called the Euphrates to a Great Western Sea (once again, presumably opposite boundaries).  Since the West Sea is in the west “toward the setting sun, then the Euphrates must be to the East. And Desert/Levanon must be north/south boundaries.
-Deut 11:24. ” Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea”

The Promised Land’s Boundaries are reiterated in Ezekial. 

-Ezekial 47:13-20. “These are the boundaries of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel as their inheritance… 15 On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea [by a bunch of random cities]… along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary. 

18 On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar. e This will be the eastern boundary.19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Great Western Sea. This will be the southern boundary.
20 “On the west side, the Western Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the western boundary.

These boundaries were also given in Exodus 23:31
“I will establish your borders from the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds)  to the Sea of the Philistines, (Western Sea) and from the desert to the River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you.”

-Numbers 13:29. There is a River called Jordan, which is associated with a sea.

-Deut 34:1–5. The land promised to Israel extends “as far as the Western Sea, 3the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.”

There is a River called Jordan which forms an Important Boundary
-Joshua 1:12. The Israelites come from Egypt to Israel and wait “east of the Jodan toward the sunrise” to cross into the promised land [which from this we can assume is west of the Jordan].

-Joshua 4:7. Jordan is a sizable river at flood stage during harvest (late summer/fall) and flows into a ‘Sea of the Arabah’ also called “Sea of the Salt/ Salt Sea” (yām-ham-me-laḥ).  It is somehow in a course from Egypt.

-Joshua 5:1. The Jordan river makes a border with the Amorite kingdom. which is “East of the Jordan” River (Joshua 2:10)

There is a Notable Desert in the Extreme South of Israel. 

-Joshua 15:1/ “The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south.”

Judah’s allotment stretches from The Salt Sea on the east to the Great Western Sea on the west.
-Joshua 15: 5–12. The eastern boundary is the Salt Sea as far as the mouth [delta/terminus] of the Jordan. The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan… rom the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). 10 Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah. 11 It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea. 12 The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.”

Joshua 19 gives very specific geographic descriptions of each of the 12 tribes lands. But only a few are not just city names. West mentioned 6 times, east 4 north twice and south once, Western sea once, and Jordan “on the east” four times.

Israel is bounded on the east by “the Jordan Valley” which apparently contains a “Sea of Galilee/Kennereth”, Jordan river and a “Salt Sea/Sea of Arabah”
-Duet 3:17. “They also received the Jordan Valley, all the way from the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea, with the Jordan River serving as the western boundary”

The Sea of Gililee or Kennereth is mentioned some 21 times. Three times in the Old Testament & the rest in the New Testament. Joshua 12:3 and Num 34:11, also consider it an eastern boundary.

The Western Sea or Mediterranean is mentioned some 56 times. Often as the land’s Western Boundary (see Joshua 1:4, 23:4, Ezek 47:10–19, Numbers 34:5–7

There are mountains with great trees west of Israel.
-Duet 11:30-31.  “As you know, these mountains are across the Jordan, westward, toward the setting sun, near the great trees of Moreh, in the territory of those Canaanites living in the Arabah in the vicinity of Gilgal. 31 You are about to cross the Jordan to enter and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you”

Gen 13:1. In some versions seems to suggest Israel/The Negev is ‘south’ of Egypt, perhaps suggesting the usage of Egyptian directions? Or maybe just speaking from 
“And Abram goeth up from Egypt (he and his wife, and all that he hath, and Lot with him) towards the south”

Gen 15:18. On that same day the Lord made a covenent with Abram saying, ‘To your descendants I have given this land from the River of Egypt to the great River, the River Euphrates”

2 Samuel 8:3. “David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. v.6 “He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute”

Isaiah 11:15. “The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River”

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