Zoar
“Small or insignificant”
Summary
One of the five cities of the plain, spared from destruction at Lot's request when Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown.
☩History and Identification
Zoar was one of the five 'cities of the plain' in the Jordan valley, the others being Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim. Originally called Bela, it was the smallest of these cities, and its later name Zoar means 'small' or 'insignificant.' When the angels came to destroy Sodom, Lot pleaded to flee to this small city rather than to the mountains, and his request was granted. Because of Lot's intercession, Zoar alone was spared when fire and brimstone consumed the other cities.
☩Location
Zoar appears to have been located at the southern end of the Dead Sea. It served as a geographical marker: the Promised Land is described as extending to Zoar, and Moses viewed the land from Mount Nebo looking toward Zoar. Isaiah and Jeremiah mention it in prophecies concerning Moab, indicating it was near Moabite territory. The city continued to exist into the Byzantine period, when it was an important center of date palm cultivation.
Related Verses10 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Zoar," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Zoar," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).