Sur
Sur is a structure mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jerusalem. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
The Gate of Sur appears in 2 Kings 11:6 as one of the gates of the Jerusalem temple complex involved in Jehoiada the priest's carefully coordinated coup to overthrow the usurper Queen Athaliah and restore the Davidic line by enthroning the young Joash. Athaliah had seized power after the death of her son Ahaziah by executing all the royal heirs — though Joash was hidden in the temple for six years by the priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehosheba. When the moment came for the restoration, Jehoiada stationed armed Levites and soldiers at strategic positions throughout the temple complex, including the Gate of Sur (also called the Gate of the Foundation in the parallel account of 2 Chronicles 23:5), to secure the perimeter and prevent outside interference. The precise location of this gate within the temple complex is not definitively established, but it formed part of the security architecture that protected the sacred precinct. The successful coup resulted in Athaliah's execution and Joash's coronation amid great rejoicing, the temple's desecration by Baal worship was reversed, and the Davidic covenant continued — an episode of profound importance in the theology of God's faithfulness to his promises to David.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Gate of Sur's precise location within the Jerusalem temple complex cannot be independently verified through archaeological excavation, as the temple mount remains largely inaccessible to systematic archaeology due to the presence of the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The name Sur may relate to the Hebrew for "rock" or "wall," possibly indicating a gate adjacent to a defensive wall. The parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 23:5 refers instead to the "Gate of the Foundation," suggesting either a variant name for the same structure or textual variation. Understanding of the temple's gate system relies primarily on textual analysis of 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Ezekiel 40–48, and comparative ancient Near Eastern temple architecture.
Verse Appearances (1)
2Kgs
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →