6 Mountains with Biblical Significance

View of Mount Moriah, Jerusalem.

Many features of our great planet are described in detail throughout the Bible. Mountains play a particularly important role in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and many significant moments happen near or atop these majestic peaks. Below, we’ll explore the following noteworthy mountains, all of which appear in the text in the order listed:

• Mount Ararat
• Mount Moriah
• Mount Sinai
• Mount Hermon
• Mount Nebo
• Mount Tabor

Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4)

The mountains of Ararat were described as the resting place of Noah’s ark in Genesis. The land formation is located in eastern Turkey, and is a snow-capped, dormant volcano with two cones, Greater and Little Ararat.

Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:2)

Mount Moriah is a place of considerable significance in the Old Testament. It was there that God commanded Abraham to perform the ultimate act of faith; the sacrifice of his own son, Isaac. The land is profoundly sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Today, this stretch of land lies between Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives, and is home to the Temple Mount and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem itself.

Mount Sinai (Exodus 19)

Another noteworthy location from the Old Testament, Mount Sinai is the place where the Lord descended and presented Moses with the Ten Commandments. The peak is located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and, like Mount Moriah, is significant to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Mount Hermon (Deuteronomy 3:8)

Mount Hermon is mentioned several times throughout the Bible. It first appears in Deuteronomy as the northern limit to the Promised Land, and throughout Psalms, the mountain is praised for its majesty. While Mount Tabor is largely believed to be the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus, some scholars suspect the sacred event may have taken place at Mount Hermon instead. Today, Mount Hermon is a cluster at the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, and includes a peak that reaches 2,814 feet, the highest point in Syria.

Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 32:48)

After traveling forty years through the desert and leading the Israelites on their journey across Sinai, it was atop Mount Nebo that Moses was able to look down on the Promised Land. Because Moses failed God with pride, disobedience, and anger when he struck the rock at Meribah Kadesh, however, God told Moses he would die at Mount Nebo, and not be permitted to enter the Promised Land. Mount Nebo is located on the east side of the Jordan River, opposite the city of Jericho, and stands more than 4,000 feet above the Dead Sea.

Mount Tabor (Judges 4)

In the Old Testament, Mount Tabor is the site of the Battle of Mount Tabor between the Israelite army and the army of Jabin, the Canaanite king of Hazor. In the New Testament, Mount Tabor is also the location of the Transfiguration of Jesus, as told in the Gospel of John. Mount Tabor is located in Lower Galilee, on the border of Syria and Lebanon.

See stunning images of Mount Tabor, Mount Hermon, and other significant biblical sites in all their modern-day glory through Testaments of Israel, available for download here.