Topic
Beth-Zur
16 passages cited, from 2 classic reference works.
These works date from 1896–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Joshua 15:58ISBE · Nave A town in Judah
Halhul, Beth-zur, and Gedor,
- 2 Chronicles 11:7ISBE · Nave A town in Judah
And Beth-zur, and Shoco, and Adullam,
- Nehemiah 3:16ISBE · Nave A town in Judah
After him repaired Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Beth-zur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David, and to the pool that was made, and unto the house of the mighty.
- 1 Chronicles 2:45Nave A town in Judah
And the son of Shammai was Maon: and Maon was the father of Beth-zur.
- 1 Maccabees 4:29ISBE
So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
- 1 Maccabees 4:61ISBE
And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to preserve it; that the people might have a defence against Idumea.
- 1 Maccabees 6:7ISBE
Also that they had pulled down the abomination, which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and his city Bethsura.
- 1 Maccabees 6:26ISBE
And, behold, this day are they besieging the tower at Jerusalem, to take it: the sanctuary also and Bethsura have they fortified.
- 1 Maccabees 6:31ISBE
These went through Idumea, and pitched against Bethsura, which they assaulted many days, making engines of war; but they of Bethsura came out, and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.
- 1 Maccabees 6:49ISBE
But with them that were in Bethsura he made peace: for they came out of the city, because they had no victuals there to endure the siege, it being a year of rest to the land.
- 1 Maccabees 6:50ISBE
So the king took Bethsura, and set a garrison there to keep it.
- 1 Maccabees 9:52ISBE
He fortified also the city Bethsura, and Gazera, and the tower, and put forces in them, and provision of victuals.
Show 4 more
- 1 Maccabees 10:14 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 11:65 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 14:7 ISBE
- 1 Maccabees 14:33 ISBE
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 15 references
beth'-zur (beth-tsur; Baith-sour, "house of rock"; less probably "house of the god Zur"):
(1) Mentioned (Jos 15:58) as near Halhul and Gedor in the hill country of Judah; fortified by Rehoboam (2Ch 11:7). In Ne 3:16 mention is made of "Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of half the district of Beth-zur." During the Maccabean wars it (Bethsura) came into great importance (1 Macc 4:29,61; 6:7,26,31,49,50; 9:52; 10:14; 11:65; 14:7,33). Josephus describes it as the strongest place in all Judea (Ant., XIII, v, 6). It was inhabited in the days of Eusebius and Jerome.
(2) It is the ruined site Belt Cur, near the main road from Jerusalem to Hebron, and some 4 miles North of the latter. Its importance lay in its natural strength, on a hilltop dominating the highroad, and also in its guarding the one southerly approach for a hostile army by the Vale of Elah to the Judean plateau. The site today is conspicuous from a distance through the presence of a ruined medieval tower. (See PEF, III, 311, Sh XXI).
E. W. G. Masterman
In the topical indexes
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.