Hazor
Hazor was, in Joshua's words, 'the head of all those kingdoms' in northern Canaan - the largest and most powerful Canaanite city of its time, whose king Jabin assembled a vast coalition to oppose Israel's conquest. Joshua defeated this coalition at the Waters of Merom and burned Hazor alone among all the conquered northern cities, since it had been the center of the alliance against Israel. Generations later, another King Jabin of Hazor oppressed Israel until Deborah and Barak defeated his general Sisera, permanently ending the city's power over Israel.
Details
- Region
- Galilee
- Modern Location
- Tel Hazor, northern Israel
Key Passages
Joshua Burns Hazor
Joshua 11:10-13
Joshua alone burns Hazor among all the northern cities he conquers, since it had been 'the head of all those kingdoms' leading the coalition against Israel.
10nd Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
A Later King Jabin Oppresses Israel
Judges 4:2
Generations after its first destruction, Hazor rises again under another King Jabin, whose oppression of Israel Deborah and Barak would finally break.
2nd the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.