About Journeys
From Creation through the patriarchs, the exodus and conquest, the kings and prophets, the battles of the Old Testament, the birth and ministry of Jesus, and the travels of the apostles — biblically, geographically, historically, and archaeologically grounded, with a denominationally neutral stance.
The Vision
For centuries, students of the Bible have relied on flat maps bound in the back of study Bibles. While helpful, paper maps cannot convey the chronological progression of journeys, the rugged topography traversed on foot, the contested identifications of ancient tells, or the rich archaeological context unearthed by modern excavations.
Journeys turns that historical record into an interactive, cited, and rigorous exploration across the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. Built with academic care, it shows where Scripture, ancient literary witnesses, and archaeological strata intersect.
Six Ways to Explore
- ⟿ Route Tracing: Follow animated travel paths across ancient terrain. Trace Abraham’s journey from Ur to Canaan, the Exodus through Sinai, the conquest under Joshua, David’s flights in the Judean wilderness, the ministry journeys of Jesus across Galilee and Judea, and the missionary voyages of Paul to Rome.
- ◍ Sandbox Atlas: Freely explore toggleable historical layers across the ancient world. Inspect Roman roads, provincial boundaries, Iron Age kingdoms, and ancient tells with detailed topographical context.
- ≣ Biblical Timeline: A unified chronology from Creation through the apostolic age. Each era uses its own proportional scale so Passion week is not flattened against three millennia. Parallel swimlanes chart who lived concurrently: patriarchs, prophets, kings of Israel and Judah, Roman emperors, battles, and archaeological finds.
- ▤ Embedded Bible Reader: Read complete public-domain texts (King James Version and American Standard Version) bundled in an on-device SQLite database. Tap place names in Scripture to jump straight to the atlas, with private local notes and verse highlights.
- ❖ Guided Lessons: Paced, step-by-step deep dives into pivotal biblical events, examining cultural context, topography, and archaeological artifacts.
- ? Interactive Quizzes: Test and sharpen your knowledge of ancient geography, apostolic travels, and historical chronology through multiple-choice questions, chronological ordering, and map-pin challenges.
Scholarly Rigor & Neutrality
Journeys takes an intentionally objective, denominationally neutral stance. Every factual assertion is transparently sourced and evaluated:
- Concrete Scholarly Sources: Tertiary sources like Wikipedia or popular encyclopedias are orienting links only. Every factual claim is backed by a primary text (Scripture, ANET, Josephus, Tacitus, cuneiform annals, Roman itineraries), an excavation report, or an academic gazetteer (Pleiades, DARE, Aharoni).
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Four Confidence Ratings: Claims are classified as
high(securely identified and physically attested),medium(traditional or topographically apt, not proven),disputed(scholars actively disagree), orlegendary(preserved in later church tradition). - Rival Candidates Shown: When scholars disagree on an ancient location (such as Mount Sinai, Emmaus, or Capernaum's competitors), Journeys plots all documented rival candidates as hollow markers rather than arbitrarily guessing a single pin.
- Graded Route Geometry: Every travel leg declares whether it represents a surveyed Roman road, a reconstructed overland corridor, an ancient sea lane, or a schematic connector.
- Transparent Review Status: Claims in this release are self-reviewed by the project against published scholarship. Releases require formal scholarly verification to advance to scholar-approved status.
100% Offline & Privacy First
We believe educational reference tools should belong entirely to the reader:
- Completely Offline: A complete 10 MB on-device SQLite database (KJV & ASV, 62,000+ verses) and vector map data are bundled directly into the app. No Wi-Fi or cellular connection is required.
- Zero Data Collection: No tracking SDKs, no analytics, no third-party ad networks, and no telemetry.
- No Accounts: No sign-in or registration required. Your personal study notes and reading highlights stay exclusively on your device.
Data & Software Attributions
- MapLibre GL JS: Open-source vector mapping engine under the BSD-3-Clause license.
- Ancient Geodata: Pleiades Gazetteer, Ancient World Mapping Center (AWMC), and ORBIS under open redistribution licenses.
- Scripture Texts: Public-domain translations (King James Version, American Standard Version).
- Typography: Ubuntu Font Family (Ubuntu Font Licence 1.0) and EB Garamond (SIL Open Font Licence 1.1).
Developer & Organization
Journeys is developed and maintained by Authentic How. The code is open source under the MIT License and hosted on GitHub.
For inquiries, feedback, or scholarly review contributions, contact us at auth@authentic.how.