HAZOR(Ἁσωρ), the royal city of the most powerful Canaanitish nation in the north of Palestine at the period of the entrance of the Israelites. It was the capital of king Jabin, and head of a confederacy against Joshua; on which account he made an example of it, exterminating its inhabitants, and destroying it alone with fire. ( Josh. 11.1—14.) It had recovered its independence and importance at the commencement of the period of the Judges, about two centuries and a half later, when we find it still the royal residence of the Canaanite king, Jabin,—a name signifying wise,which seems to have been the common designation of the sheikhs of Hazor, as righteouswas of the Jebusite kings. It does not appear that Hazor was again taken on this occasion after the defeat of Sisera by Deborah and Barak. ( Juages, iv. v.) Nor is it all clear that the town of that name mentioned in the later books of Holy Scripture is identical with the Canaanitish capital, the site of which was recovered by the writer in 1843, still called by the same name, and situated on a hill above Banias, a little to the east of the ruins of the Castle of Banias, commanding the Damascus road.
[G.W]