Place New Testament
Wilderness of Judea
Also known as Judean desert, The wilderness
The wilderness of Judea is the dry country east of Jerusalem falling toward the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea. John the Baptist preached there, and the Gospels place the forty days of Jesus's testing in the wilderness after His baptism.
Why it matters. The wilderness is where Israel was tested for forty years and where Jesus, the true Israel, was tested for forty days and did not fail.
- Primary passages
- Location
- 31.550, 35.350 (region, within about 25 km)
A region, not a point: the arid hills between the Judean ridge and the Dead Sea. Coordinates mark its center; the exact places of John's preaching and Jesus's forty days are not identified in the Gospels.
Modern name: Judean Desert
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
The ministry of John the Baptist occurs at Wilderness of Judea
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceMatthew places John's preaching in the wilderness of Judea.
Evidence:The temptation of Jesus occurs at Wilderness of Judea
Explicit in ScriptureMedium confidenceThe Gospels say only that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism at the Jordan; the Judean wilderness beside the Jordan is the natural reading, but no place name is given.
Evidence:Other responsible views
- Wilderness unspecified: The Gospels do not name the wilderness. Tradition locates the forty days in the hills west of Jericho.