Mosaic Map (Madaba Map)

The Madaba Map, also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map, is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan. The mosaic map depicts an area from Lebanon in the north to the Nile Delta in the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Eastern Desert.

The town of Madaba was once a Moabite border city, mentioned in the Bible in Numbers 21:30 and Joshua 13:9. Control over the city changed back and forth between Israel and Moab, as mentioned in the Mesha Stele.

The map is dated to the sixth century, during the time of Emperor Justinian (527 - 565). It is the oldest known map of Palestine and is the source of some fascinating historical data. It has survived, despite damage over the years by fire and the collapse of the original church.

The most famous mosaic and the most significant landmark of the city is the Madaba Mosaic Map, located in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. This unique map, created in the 6th century, is the oldest surviving representation of the Holy Land.