Geshur
Geshur is a region mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Bashan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Fiq. It appears across 11 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Geshur was a small Aramean kingdom situated in the Bashan region northeast of the Sea of Galilee, east of the Jordan River. It appears first in Joshua 13:11, 13 as territory Israel failed to dispossess during the conquest, and remained an independent entity throughout the early monarchic period. The kingdom gained significant biblical prominence through its royal family's connection to David: King Talmai of Geshur gave his daughter Maacah in marriage to David (2 Samuel 3:3), and she became the mother of Absalom and Tamar. After Absalom murdered his half-brother Amnon in vengeance for the rape of Tamar, he fled to Geshur and lived there for three years under his grandfather Talmai's protection (2 Samuel 13:37–38). Joab eventually persuaded David to recall Absalom to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 14:23). Geshur thus played an indirect but critical role in the near-collapse of David's kingdom through the Absalom rebellion. Later references in 1 Chronicles 2:23 note Geshur and Aram captured certain towns from Manasseh, reflecting ongoing territorial pressures in the Transjordanian region.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Geshur is generally associated with the region around modern Fiq (ancient Aphek) on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in the Golan Heights. Archaeological surveys and excavations in this area have identified Iron Age settlements consistent with a small Aramean polity. The site of Et-Tell (Bethsaida) and nearby locations have produced material culture linking this region to both Israelite and Aramean spheres. Inscriptional evidence for the Geshurite kingdom remains sparse, but the biblical accounts align with what is known of small buffer states in the northern Transjordan during the Iron Age IIA period.
Verse Appearances (11)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →