Places in the Bible Today:

Zer

Data

Translated NameZer
Typesettlement
Notesmay instead be a term for cities
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

4 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Madon (ancient): 15% confidence. It may be:
    1. panorama of Qarn HattinQarn Hattin

    2. satellite view of the region around Tell el KhirbehTell el Khirbeh

    3. ruins at MeironMeiron

    4. panorama of ruins at Khirbet MadinKhirbet Madin

    5. panorama of Maroun al RasMaroun al Ras

    6. cityscape of Bint JbeilBint Jbeil

    7. satellite view of the region around Har ZeviHar Zevi

    8. satellite view of the region around Khirbet el BiarKhirbet el Biar

  2. another name for Tyre (ancient): 15% confidence
    1. ruins at TyreTyre

  3. not a place (textual corruption): less than 10% confidence
  4. Qarn Hattin (modern): less than 10% confidence
    1. panorama of Qarn HattinQarn Hattin

Verses (1)

Josh 19:35

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookZer
OpenBible.info (2007)Zer
OpenBible.infoa061538 (Zer)
TIPNRZer@Jos.19.35
UBS Names Databaseot ID_2546

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Zer (place)
  2. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Zer
  3. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Zer
  4. Hess, Joshua (1996): table 23
  5. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  6. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Zer
  7. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Zer
  8. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Zer
  9. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  10. Woudstra, Joshua (1981): 19:35
  11. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Zer
  12. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others, for example, then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Zeromancer44, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019, Yael Alef, זאב שטיין, Own work, עמית אבידן, Vyacheslav Argenberg

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.