Sources & attributions.
Scripture Atlas mixes two kinds of data — and the difference matters.
Scripture-anchored data
Names, relationships, scripture references, narrative descriptions, lifespans — everything traceable to a verse — is hand-curated and labeled with a confidence level (stated · inferred · traditional · debated). Scripture itself is treated as the authoritative source. Curated entries do not carry a source badge.
External scholarly data
Modern coordinates for ancient places, tribal allotment polygons, and empire boundaries come from external datasets compiled by scholars and atlas-makers. These are best-effort reconstructions — not divinely inspired — and different scholars sometimes disagree. Anything sourced externally is marked with a Source badge that links back to the original dataset.
External sources currently in use
- Open Bible Info — Bible GeocodingCC BY 4.0
Coordinates and identification of ~1,300 biblical places, compiled by Stephen Smith.
Bible geocoding data © Stephen Smith / OpenBible.info, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: https://www.openbible.info/geo/
Note: OBI is a community-built atlas; identifications are best-effort modern proposals and can vary among scholars. Some places appear with numbered variants (e.g., 'Bethlehem 1', 'Bethlehem 2') representing competing or distinct biblical references.
License: CC BY 4.0
Academic gazetteer of ancient Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern places maintained by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU).
Pleiades: A community-built gazetteer and graph of ancient places (https://pleiades.stoa.org/), licensed under CC BY 3.0. Original contributors credited per record.
Note: Strict scholarly sourcing per record. Used selectively for non-biblical context (Roman roads, Greek city-states).
License: CC BY 3.0
- OpenStreetMapODbL 1.0
Modern map tiles displayed as the base layer on the geography page.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
License: ODbL 1.0
See an attribution problem or have a more authoritative source for a place or territory boundary? File an issue on GitHub.