Jaro Hess’s The Land of the New Testament (1939) invites the viewer on a visually guided pilgrimage through Scripture, rendered in the artist’s celebrated pictorial style. The second—and among the rarest—of Hess’s known works, it echoes the imaginative verve of his famed Land of Make Believe while turning steadfastly to the Gospels. Across a whimsical yet carefully structured terrain, scenes unfold as narrative landmarks: sacred cities, storied hills, and luminous waters become stages upon which the New Testament comes alive. Decorative borders and a boldly hand-lettered title frame the composition, underscoring its intent as both art and storytelling—an eloquent fusion of devotion, memory, and mapcraft.

Hess orchestrates geography as theology, anchoring the life of Jesus in place. Bethlehem shelters the Manger, while Nazareth signals the quiet beginnings of the ministry. The Sea of Galilee gleams as a locus of teaching and wonder, with Capernaum and Cana nearby—sites forever associated with miracles and first signs. The Sermon on the Mount rises above Galilee’s slopes, and the Jordan River winds with living motion, a ribbon of baptism and renewal. John the Baptist, prophet of thresholds, appears in communion with the water, while surrounding villages and shores evoke the texture of first-century life through stylized architecture and landscape.

The holy drama intensifies around Jerusalem, where the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane frame the hours before the Passion. At Golgotha, Hess renders the three crosses with solemn clarity, a stark emblem that anchors the map’s spiritual topography. Nearby, Emmaus gestures to recognition and remembrance after the Resurrection, while Bethany suggests intimacy and friendship at the edge of the Holy City. The narrative routes extend outward—Jericho across the Jordan plain, Joppa at the coast, and northward to Tyre and Sidon—indicating the widening horizon of the Gospel. Southward, the Flight into Egypt arcs through Sinai, recalling refuge, peril, and providence.

The map’s historical resonance lies in how it translates sacred history into an accessible visual chronicle, reflecting a distinctly 20th‑century understanding of biblical time and space. Published in 1939, as the world braced for upheaval, it presents a consoling atlas of faith—orienting viewers not by compass alone, but by sequence, symbol, and story. Hess’s vignettes render doctrine tangible, connecting geography to memory and devotion. The decorative borders and playful, colorful terrain reveal a modern sensibility in dialogue with antiquity, balancing reverence with approachability. Its rarity within Hess’s oeuvre further elevates its significance for collectors of theological art and illustrative cartography.

Throughout, major figures move through the landscape in purposeful relation to place: John the Baptist beside the Jordan’s current; apostles threading city to countryside; Paul of Tarsus signaling the Gospel’s expansion beyond Judea. Architectural cues evoke the era’s cityscapes, while deserts, gardens, and waterscapes supply a meditative rhythm that guides the eye from Nazareth to Jerusalem and onward. The result is both map and missal—an artwork that teaches through beauty and orients through story. For the discerning collector, it offers a singular convergence of sacred narrative, imaginative design, and historical insight into how the New Testament was pictured for a modern age.

Places on this map

• Jerusalem
• Bethlehem
• Nazareth
• Mount Sinai
• Galilee
• Sea of Galilee
• Cana
• Jericho
• Golgotha
• The Jordan River
• Emmaus
• Mount of Olives
• Capernaum
• The Garden of Gethsemane
• Bethany
• Joppa
• The Dead Sea
• Egypt (as a place of refuge)
• Tyre
• Sidon

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Vignettes depicting significant biblical events (e.g., Jesus in the Manger).
• The prominent depiction of the three crosses at Golgotha.
• Illustrations of major biblical figures interacting with their environments.
• Artistic representations of landscapes and architecture typical of the New Testament era.
• Key rivers, such as the Jordan River, illustrated with flowing water.
• Decorative borders and titles enhancing the thematic aspects of the map.

Historical and design context

• Creation Date: 1939
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Jaro Hess
• Second and one of the rarest of Hess's known works
• Similar to his other famous map, Land of Make Believe; features various scenes from the Gospels
• Notable events depicted include Jesus in the Manger, the Flight into Egypt, the Sermon on the Mount, and more
• Significant biblical figures such as John the Baptist and Paul of Tarsus are illustrated throughout
• Thematic and pictorial representation of New Testament stories
• Artistic interpretation of biblical events in various landscapes and cityscapes
• Predominantly focuses on regions associated with Biblical narratives, primarily Israel
• Pictorial map style, rich in vignettes and artistic illustrations
• Whimsical and colorful depiction of the terrain
• Serves as a visual narrative of important biblical events and places from the New Testament
• Reflects the cultural and religious understanding of the 20th century regarding biblical history and geography

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.