Gezer

Hebrew: גֶּזֶר

Meaning: a precipice

also known as: Tel Gezer

This was an ancient Canaanite royal city (Joshua 10:33; 12:12).

It was allotted with its suburbs to the Kohathite Levites (21:21; 1 Chronicles 6:67). It stood between the lower Beth-horon and the sea (Joshua 16:3; 1 Kings 9:17).

It was the last point to which David pursued the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:25; 1 Chronicles 14:16) after the battle of Baal-perazim.

The Canaanites retained possession of it till the time of Solomon, when the king of Egypt took it and gave it to Solomon as a part of the dowry of the Egyptian princess whom he married (1 Kings 9:15-17).

It is identified with Tel Gezer (Tell el-Jezer), about 10 miles southwest of Beth-horon. It is mentioned in the Amarna tablets.

Gezer stood at an important crossroads of the ancient world. See the Christian archaeological video which describes this ancient city: On the Promised Land: Crossroads of the World (part of the Faith Lessons video series). “As God called the ancient culture of Gezer to impact the rest of the world for His glory and purpose, so he calls upon us to do the same today.”