The ruins of the great city of Hazor “the head of all those kingdoms” (Joshua 11:10) was the scene of Joshua’s great victory over the Canaanites, and has become a symbol of the victory of the weak against the powerful.
Overlooking the modern highway between the Sea of Galilee and Caesarea Philippi, Hazor, one of the most important cities in the ancient Near East, controlled the ancient highway as well.
Visitors revel in the many remnants of Hazor’s biblical past: the ramparts of Ahab, and his sophisticated water system, the gates of Solomon (1 Kings 9:15), the Israelite citadel, and a High Place from the time of the Judges. The recently discovered staircase connecting the upper and lower cities highlights the huge dimensions of the city, and a gorgeous Hula Valley setting is revealed from the doorway of the beautifully restored royal palace.
With all these historical riches, Hazor has certainly earned its place on UNESCO’s prestigious list of World Heritage Sites.
Joshua Chapter 11
13 But none of the cities that stood on mounds did Israel burn, except Hazor only; that Joshua burned. 14 And all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the people of Israel took for their booty; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword, until they had destroyed them, and they did not leave any that breathed.
The Revised Standard Version, (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.) 1973, 1977.