[Avodah] maps

[Eli Turkel]

<<You often see Rashi explaining that this or that city or mountain or plain
is north of this or east of that, based on pesukim.  You can tell that he  had
to figure out the geography of E'Y (and of Egypt and Bavel) by working it  out
from Tanach.  It's possible that he did have maps but likely that  he did not.>>

Maps in the modern sense of the word did not exist in Rashi's day (see
for example
the Medeba map). Hence, as Zev points out Amoraim and certainly Rishonim
made mistakes in the geography of Israel. As Toby points out Rashi's knowledge
of geography is based on Tanach and not from direct knowledge


-- 
Eli Turkel