Meaning of ZOAR

"smallness". One of the cities of the plain, and apparently the smallest of the five (Gen. 19:20, 22).

From the heights of Nebo the plain could be seen as far as Zoar (Deut. 34:3). Zoar's ancient name had been Bela.

One of their kings was among Chedorlaomer's captives (Gen. 13:10; 14:2, 8). When judgment fell on Sodom and Gomorrah, Zoar was spared at the request of Lot, who took refuge in her (Gen. 19:20-23).

Beyond the city was a mountain and a cave, where Lot and his two daughters settled (Gen. 19:30). Zoar still existed in the times of Isaiah and Jeremiah (Is. 15:5; Jer. 48:34; cf. Gen. 19:37).

Moab and Zoar are mentioned together, which suggests that Zoar was on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. In the time of the Maccabees, Zoar was part of an Arab kingdom whose capital was Petra (Ant. 13:15, 4; 14:1, 4).

According to Wars 4:8, 4, Zoar was located at the southern end of the Dead Sea. In the Middle Ages it was an important point on the route from Elat to Jerusalem.

Identification: about 3 km from the southern end of the sea, in the ruins of el-Keryeh, near the place where the wadi el'Ahsy begins to cross the mountains of Moab to reach the plain. It is there that the last colony of Zoar was.