Where was the biblical city of Jazer located?

Jazer was an ancient city in the Transjordan region, east of the Jordan River, in the territory of the Amorites. It is generally identified with the archaeological site known as Khirbet Sara in modern-day Israel.

What happened at Jazer in the Bible?

Jazer was captured by the Israelites from the Amorites (Numbers 21:32) and later given to the tribe of Gad as an inheritance (Joshua 13:25). It was known for its fertile pastures and was a strategic city in the region.

Why is Jazer significant in the Bible?

Jazer is significant as a key city in the conquest and settlement of the Transjordan, representing God's fulfillment of land promises to the tribes of Israel. Its mention across multiple books (Numbers, Joshua, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles) highlights its role in Israel's history and geography.

Jazer

cityOld TestamentTransjordan13 verses

Today Khirbet SaraCountry IsraelCoordinates 32.006, 35.735

Jazer is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Transjordan in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Sara. It appears across 13 verses in Scripture.

Open the Biblical Atlas

Loading map...

Archaeological Data

Occupation Phases

Hellenistic333 BCE – 63 BCE

Roman-Byzantine63 BCE – 638 CE

Roman63 BCE – 324 CE

Byzantine324 CE – 638 CE

UnitoAssyrianGovernance, Villages to Empires Dataset (CC BY 4.0), doi:10.5281/zenodo.15111732A. Palmisano, NERD — Near East Radiocarbon Dates (CC BY 4.0), doi:10.5281/zenodo.5767862

Biblical History

Jazer, prominently featured across thirteen verses of Scripture, was a key city in the Transjordanian territory allotted to the tribe of Gad. Its story begins during the conquest narrative when Israelite spies surveyed the city and captured its dependent villages from the Amorites (Numbers 21:32). When the tribes of Gad and Reuben requested settlement east of the Jordan, citing the region's suitability for their abundant livestock, Jazer was among the cities the Gadites rebuilt and fortified (Numbers 32:1, 3, 35). It later became a Levitical city (Joshua 21:39; 1 Chronicles 6:81), ensuring priestly ministry in the Transjordan. David appointed overseers from Jazer for administrative duties west of the Jordan (1 Chronicles 26:31). The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah both mention Jazer in laments over Moab, mourning the ruin of its famed vineyards, which once spread as far as the desert and whose branches reached across the Dead Sea (Isaiah 16:8-9; Jeremiah 48:32). Jazer thus represents a prosperous frontier city whose agricultural wealth drew the attention of multiple peoples.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

Jazer has been identified with Khirbet es-Sara (also written Khirbet Sara), situated in the highlands of modern Jordan northwest of Amman. This identification, favored by several scholars, is based on topographical analysis and the site's position relative to other known biblical locations such as Heshbon and Rabbah. The area features rolling hills with fertile soil suitable for the vineyards and pastureland described in biblical and prophetic texts. Archaeological surveys in the broader region have documented extensive Iron Age settlement, with numerous farmsteads and agricultural terraces. However, systematic excavation at Khirbet Sara itself has been limited, and the identification cannot yet be confirmed by epigraphy or monumental architecture. The surrounding Wadi Sir valley remains agriculturally productive today, echoing the ancient descriptions.