Did you know that 27 countries of the world have a city called St. James or Santiago—meaning St. James? Or that more than 150 American cities are named after locations or names mentioned in the Bible?
Summer is the perfect time to travel. And as the daughter of a Travel Agent, it’s no doubt that I love going on trips!
I had the privilege of exploring new places and spaces with my family all throughout childhood … but rarely did I go somewhere understanding how it had been influenced and impacted by the Bible.
On a recent edition of The Book, I learned the following:
“[…] New Canaan, Connecticut, a location mentioned in Leviticus 18:3; or Lebanon, Illinois, from Isaiah 14:8. And one of the most popular biblically named cities, Bethlehem—named in over 10 states of the United States. Even Abilene—as in Abilene, Texas. It’s mentioned once in the Bible in Luke 3:1 as the region ruled by the tetrarch Lysanias. Other city names also draw from the Bible, like St. Paul, Minnesota, San Jose, California, or St. Petersburg, Florida!”
And it’s pretty remarkable that the Bible has not only played an important role in naming cities … but in transforming all aspects of the world!
That’s something to think about when you hit the road this summer!
Coming up on The Book this August:
8/9: National Book Lovers Day
8/13: Florence Nightingale: Pioneer of Modern Nursing
8/17: National Aviation Day
