Rezon the Syrian
King of Aram Damascus
Reign10th century BCE
PredecessorNone
SuccessorHezion or Ben-Hadad I
FatherEliada

Rezon the Syrian, also named "Ezron",[1][2] was an enemy of King Solomon mentioned in 1 Kings 11. Some 19th-century scholars considered Rezon to be the throne name of King Hezion.[3] He is known only from the Hebrew Bible.[4]

Biography

He was son of Eliada, and had previously deserted Hadadezer king of Zobah, presumably when the men of Damascus came to Hadadezer's aid. After Hadadezer's death Rezon became king in Damascus and, like Hadad the Edomite harried Israel's borders.[5] Archaeology has not confirmed his identity.[6] One solution, popular in the late 19th century, was identification of Rezon as the throne name of Hezion, the grandfather of Ben-Hadad I, who was a contemporary of Asa, King of Judah (1 Kings 15:18).[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lipiński, Edward (2000). The Aramaeans: Their Ancient History, Culture, Religion. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta. Vol. 100. Peeters Publishers & Department of Oriental Studies, Leuven. p. 369. ISBN 978-9-042-90859-8. ISSN 0777-978X.
  2. ^ Galvin, Garrett (2011). Egypt as a Place of Refuge. Forschungen zum Alten Testament, 2. Reihe. Vol. 51. Mohr Siebeck. p. 90. ISBN 978-3-161-50816-5. ISSN 1611-4914.
  3. ^ Ronald F. Youngblood (2014). Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary: New and Enhanced Edition. p. 1099. ISBN 9780529106247.
  4. ^ Trevor Bryce (2012). The World of The Neo-Hittite Kingdoms: A Political and Military 0History. p. 178. ISBN 9780191505027.
  5. ^ 1 Kings 11:23 God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing harm as Hadad did. And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria.
  6. ^ The New Unger's Bible Dictionary Merrill F. Unger, Roland Kenneth Harrison, R. K. Harrison - 2006 "The succession of Syrian kings who reigned at Damascus and elevated the city-state to the height of its power. ... Damascus has been corroborated by archaeological evidence, but the identity of Rezon who seized Damascus during Solomon's reign and apparently ruled there (11:23-25) is still unsolved."
  7. ^ Wayne Thomas Pitard Ancient Damascus: A Historical Study of the Syrian City-State 1987 p102 "Although the correct name of the first king of Damascus has been settled by the new extra-biblical evidence, the problem of the identity of Rezon, who seized Damascus during Solomon's administration and apparently ruled there, ..."
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