Zior
Zior is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tel Rumeida. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Zior is mentioned only once in Scripture, in Joshua 15:54, where it appears in the list of cities allocated to the tribe of Judah in the hill country district. It is grouped with Hebron, Maon, Carmel, and other cities that formed the administrative units of southern Judah during the period of the conquest and settlement. The hill country of Judah was strategically and agriculturally important, and Hebron in particular served as a major center — once the home of the Anakim and later David's first capital. Zior's proximity to Hebron in the list suggests it lay in the same geographic cluster, serving as one of the smaller towns that populated the Judean highlands. While Zior receives no further narrative attention in Scripture, its inclusion in the detailed tribal allotment records of Joshua 15 reflects the administrative thoroughness with which the text preserves the memory of Judah's territorial inheritance. The city's existence speaks to the density of settlement in the Judean hills during the Iron Age, when numerous villages and towns dotted the landscape between major centers.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Zior is tentatively identified with Tel Rumeida (Tell er-Rumeideh), a site in the modern city of Hebron that has been excavated as a candidate for ancient Hebron itself. Tel Rumeida has revealed occupation from the Early Bronze Age through the Iron Age, with Middle Bronze Age fortifications and Iron Age II strata among the significant finds. However, if Tel Rumeida is identified as Hebron proper, then Zior must be sought at a nearby but distinct site. The area around Hebron contains numerous unexcavated or partially surveyed ancient mounds, and the precise identification of Zior remains uncertain pending more comprehensive archaeological survey in the southern Judean hills.
Verse Appearances (1)
Josh
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