JAZER

JAZER (Heb. יַעְזֵר), Amorite city E. of the Jordan. After the defeat of Sihon, king of the Amorites, Moses sent spies to explore Jazer and the Israelites later captured it (Num. 21:32). The Septuagint refers to Jazer on the border of Ammon (Num. 21:24). It belonged to the territory of the tribe of Gad (Num. 32:35; Josh. 13:25) within which it was a levitical city of the family of Merari (Josh., 21:39; I Chron. 6:66). Under David a governor from among the Hebronites was installed at Jazer (I Chron. 26:31); the city's status as an administrative center is confirmed by its enumeration between Aroer and Gilead in David's census (II Sam. 24:5). In later times it fell into the possession of the Moabites (Isa. 16:8–9; Jer. 48:32). Judah Maccabee captured the city during his campaigns east of the Jordan (I Macc. 5:8). Eusebius located Jazer eight or ten Roman miles west of Philadelphia (Rabbath-Ammon; Onom. 12:3; 104:13–14). It is usually identified with Khirbat al-Ṣ ār, 6 mi. (10 km.) west of Amman; G.M. Landes has suggested Khirbat al-Sīra, 1¼ mi. (2 km.) northeast of Amman. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Landes, in: BASOR, 144 (1956), 30ff.; Schmidt, in: ZDPV, 77 (1961), 46ff.; EM, S.V. (Michael Avi-Yonah)