Google this week launched Nano Banana Pro, their latest text-to-image model. It far outshines other image generators when it comes to historical recreations. For example, here’s a reconstruction of ancient Jerusalem, circa AD 70:
I gave it this photo of the Holyland Model in Jerusalem and told it to situate in its historical, geographical context. Some of the topography isn’t quite right, but it’s pulling much of that incorrect topography from the original model. It can also make a lovely sketched version.
It also does Beersheba. Here I gave it a city plan and asked it to create a drone view. The result is very close to the plan; my favorite part is the gate structure and well.
It was somewhat less-successful with Capernaum (below). I gave it a city plan and this photo of the existing ruins. It’s kind of close, though it doesn’t exactly match the plan. It’s almost a form of archaeological impressionism, where the image gives off the right vibes but isn’t precisely accurate. Also try a 3D reconstruction of this image using Marble from World Labs.
Finally, I had it create assets that it could reuse for other cities for a consistent look:
I then had it create a couple typical hilltop shepherding settlements using the assets it created (again using “drone view” in the prompt):
