Location
Overview
Hazor was the leading city of northern Canaan — "the head of all those kingdoms" (Joshua 11:10) — and the only city Joshua is said to have burned in the northern campaign.
Joshua's northern victory
King Jabin of Hazor led a vast coalition with horses and chariots "as the sand... upon the sea shore" to the waters of Merom. Joshua defeated them, took Hazor, and "burnt Hazor with fire" (Joshua 11:1–11).
Deborah and Barak
In the days of the judges a later "Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor," oppressed Israel through his commander Sisera, until Deborah and Barak defeated him (Judges 4:2, 23–24).
A fortified city of the kings
Hazor was rebuilt and fortified by Solomon along with Megiddo and Gezer (1 Kings 9:15), remaining a key northern stronghold until the Assyrian conquest (2 Kings 15:29).
Events Here
Joshua defeats the northern coalition and burns Hazor
Jabin of Hazor oppresses Israel; Deborah and Barak prevail
Scripture References
17 versesJoshua8 verses
Joshua 11:1
And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
Joshua 11:10
And Joshua at that time turned back, and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword: for Hazor beforetime was the head of all those kingdoms.
Joshua 11:11
And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them: there was not any left to breathe: and he burnt Hazor with fire. any: Heb. any breath
Joshua 11:13
But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only; that did Joshua burn. in their: Heb. on their heap
Joshua 12:19
The king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
Joshua 15:23
And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
Joshua 15:25
And Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron, which is Hazor,
Joshua 19:36
And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,
Judges2 verses
Judges 4:2
And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
Judges 4:17
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
1 Samuel1 verse
1 Samuel 12:9
And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
1 Kings1 verse
1 Kings 9:15
And this is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised; for to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.
2 Kings1 verse
2 Kings 15:29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
Nehemiah1 verse
Nehemiah 11:33
Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,
Jeremiah3 verses
Jeremiah 49:28
Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.
Jeremiah 49:30
Flee, get you far off, dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor, saith the LORD; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you. get: Heb. flit greatly
Jeremiah 49:33
And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever: there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it.
Archaeology & History
Tel Hazor, north of the Sea of Galilee, is the largest biblical-period mound in Israel — a vast Canaanite city of the second millennium BC with a huge lower city, monumental palaces, and a thick destruction layer of burning that excavators link to the conquest. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People who appear here
Frequently asked about Hazor
Where is Hazor today?
Today, Hazor corresponds to Tel Hazor, Israel.
What does the name Hazor mean?
The name Hazor means “Enclosure, settlement”.
What happened at Hazor in the Bible?
Key biblical events at Hazor include joshua defeats the northern coalition and burns hazor; jabin of hazor oppresses israel; deborah and barak prevail.
Where is Hazor first mentioned in the Bible?
Hazor is first mentioned in Joshua 11:1.
How often is Hazor mentioned in the Bible?
Hazor is mentioned in 17 verses across 7 books: Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Nehemiah, Jeremiah.
Why was Hazor important?
It was the greatest city of northern Canaan, "the head of all those kingdoms." Joshua burned it, and it later oppressed Israel under Jabin and Sisera before being fortified again by Solomon.
Where is Hazor?
In northern Israel above the Sea of Galilee, at Tel Hazor — the largest biblical tell in the country.