Zoar

Zoar, also known as Bela, was one of the five cities of the plain, along with Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen.14.2,8). It was originally called Bela but was renamed Zoar, which means "small," when Lot pleaded for it to be spared from destruction due to its small size (Gen.19.20-22). Lot and his daughters fled to Zoar when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen.19.23). Later, Lot left Zoar and settled in the mountains with his daughters (Gen.19.30). Zoar is mentioned as a reference point for the description of the Promised Land (Deut.34:3). The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah used Zoar to illustrate the extent of God's judgment on Moab (Isa.15.5; Jer.48.34). Zoar is most likely located at the southern end of the Dead Sea, although its exact location is uncertain. It is possibly to be identified with Khirbet el-Keryeh or Tell Iktanu. The name Zair is used in reference to a different location, where Joram fought against Edom (2Ki.8.21).