Elizabeth and the Hills Near Jerusalem


Elizabeth and the Hills Near Jerusalem: Interactive Bible map

Luke places Elizabeth’s home in an unnamed town in the hill country of Judea. Christian tradition associates Mary’s visit with Ein Karem, about five miles (8 kilometers) from Jerusalem’s Old City. The marker locates the Church of the Visitation, which commemorates the meeting. It does not establish the exact location of Elizabeth’s house.

English-labeled map for Elizabeth and the Hills Near Jerusalem, with geographic reference points and uncertainty notes.
English reference map using public-domain Natural Earth boundary and coastline data. Ein Karem is a traditional identification; Luke does not name Elizabeth’s town.

The story and the site

Mary traveled to the hill country, entered Elizabeth’s home, and greeted her. Luke describes their meeting but gives no street address or travel route (Luke 1:39–56). The shrine in Ein Karem preserves a later Christian tradition about that meeting.

Modern context

Ein Karem lies west of the Old City within modern Jerusalem. The distance is approximate orientation, not a measured ancient journey or a driving instruction. The church and streets shown here are later than Elizabeth’s lifetime. The map helps locate the tradition while leaving the biblical town’s identification uncertain.

Read Elizabeth’s profile.

Sources: Custody of the Holy Land: Ain Karem, the Visitation; Custody: geographic context; Church of the Visitation coordinates; Luke 1, NIV. Location notes checked September 15, 2026.