Direction of Jerusalem from My Location: A Simple Guide for Prayer
BiblesClick ·
If you want to pray as Daniel did, with your face toward Jerusalem, you first need the direction of Jerusalem from your location. It sounds easy, but flat maps fool almost everyone. Here is a simple, accurate way to find it.
Direction of Jerusalem from my location: why maps fool us
World maps stretch a round Earth into a rectangle. The shortest route over the globe, called a great circle, often looks curved on those maps. From New York, the real direction to Jerusalem is northeast, about 54 degrees, not due east.
Examples around the world
From North America, turn north of east. From Australia, face roughly west-northwest. From South Africa, face close to north. From much of Europe, east or southeast is nearly right.
Getting a reliable reading
Hold your phone flat, away from magnets and metal. If the needle wobbles, wave the phone in a figure-eight to calibrate. A rough location is fine; a few miles hardly changes the direction.
A practice rooted in Scripture
Solomon prayed that God would hear those who pray toward Jerusalem from distant lands (1 Kings 8:48). Daniel kept his windows open toward Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10). The compass simply helps you follow that picture from your own room.
Turning a direction into a habit
Once you know the direction of Jerusalem from your home, it can become a gentle anchor. Some readers mark the wall with a small picture of Jerusalem. Others position a reading chair to face that way. The point is not superstition but focus: a fixed direction, like a fixed time, helps the mind settle into prayer.
When you travel, the habit becomes a small adventure. Check the direction from your hotel or a friend's home, and you will often be surprised.
Teaching children the direction of Jerusalem
Children love maps and compasses. Showing them that Jerusalem is northeast of New York but west-northwest of Sydney opens a conversation about geography and faith at the same time. Read Daniel 6:10 together, then find the direction with the compass and let them point. It is a memorable way to connect a Bible story with the real world.
Try it now
Open the free ToraClick Compass and turn until it locks on.
Try the free ToraClick Compass at toraclick.com/compass. Allow location, hold your phone flat, and it points you toward Jerusalem and the Temple Mount from wherever you stand. Explore more Scripture at biblesclick.com.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Jerusalem not east of me? Because of the Earth's curve. The shortest route often runs north or south of east.
Is the compass free? Yes, toraclick.com/compass is free and needs no download.
What if my compass seems wrong? Calibrate with a figure-eight motion and keep the phone away from magnets.