Biblical city
Hazor
Tel Hazor, Israel · Upper Galilee
Called "the head of all those kingdoms," Hazor was the largest Canaanite city in the land and was burned by Joshua, later rebuilt by Solomon. Its excavated mound preserves massive fortifications and a Canaanite palace.
History in Scripture
The largest Canaanite city in the land and "the head of all those kingdoms" (Joshua 11:10), Hazor was burned by Joshua, later rebuilt, and fortified by Solomon along with Megiddo and Gezer. Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria destroyed it in 732 BC.
The ancient city
Hazor commanded the trade route from Egypt to Mesopotamia in the Upper Galilee, with a huge lower city and an acropolis — a genuine international power, mentioned in Egyptian and Mari texts.
The site today
Tel Hazor is a national park and part of the UNESCO Biblical Tels listing, with a Canaanite palace, Israelite gate and an impressive water system open to visitors.
Key passages
Sources & notes
Description summarizes standard historical and archaeological reference works. Imagery is added separately and is labeled by type.