What is…
Geshur

Hebrew: גְּשׁוּר —transliteration: Gshuwr —meaning: bridge —occurrences: 9 in Joshua, Samuel, and Chronicles

Geshur is the name of a district or principality of Syria near Gilead, between Mount Hermon and the Lake of Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) (2 Samuel 15:8; 1 Chronicles 2:23).

The people of this land are called Geshurites. They probably inhabited the refuge of the rocky Argob, the modern Lejah (aka Lajat), the largest lava field in southern Syria, located in the northeast corner of Bashan. It has scattered patches of arable land.

This land lay inside the boundaries set by Moses for the Israelite tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. However, the Israelites failed to drive the Geshurites out, as they were told to do (Joshua 13:13), leaving the conquest incomplete and with longterm bad consequences for Israel.

In the time of David it was ruled by Talmai, whose daughter he married, and who became the mother of Prince Absalom, who fled to Geshur (2 Samuel 13:37)) after the murder of Amnon, David’s eldest son.

Archaeology

Davidic-Era Fort Discovered

“Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a 3000-year-old fort in the Golan Heights which they believe may have been part of the ancient kingdom of Geshur. The fort covers approximately 1 acre and has 1.5 meter-thick walls built of large basalt stones. It was dated to the 11th-9th centuries BC based on the pottery, which is similar to the Iron-Age pottery at Megiddo. A large stone engraved with two horned figures with outstretched arms was discovered inside the fort next to a stone table, which may have been an [idolatrous] altar. The etchings are similar to the relief of a horned figure discovered at et-Tell, which many believe was the capital of the kingdom of Geshur. The similarity of the iconography at both sites have led scholars to connect the two—both politically and spiritually, as it appears they both worshiped the moon-god. Scripture records that the David married Maakah [aka Maachah] , the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur (2 Sam. 3:3) and that it was in Geshur that their son Absalom sought refuge after killing his brother Amnon (2 Sam. 13:23-39).” —_____

More information

Article Version: March 24, 2026