Page 288 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

HAZOR HADATTAH - HEALING

commercial and military route through Canaan from the Hazor. After the stone surface of the floor was laid it
north (Syria, the Hittite kingdom, the Mesopotamian was leveled with mortar and smoothed over with
kingdoms such as Babylon and Nineveh) to Egypt in the plaster. The citizens of the city enjoyed a bounty of
south. Hazor was a powerful, wealthy city state for foodstuff, including wheat and olives. Ancient olive and
hundreds of years prior to the time of Joshua. It is wine presses and 14 large jars of wheat were found at
mentioned in documents that were found in the city Hazor. Hazor conducted extensive international trade in
state of Mari on the Euphrates River. Seven Mari letters a wide variety of goods. One cuneiform tablet found
mention Hazor and tell us that Hazor was so important there contains a long list of items, including textiles,
that King Hammurabi of Babylon (c. 1775 BC) kept two gold, silver, and copper that were to be sent from Hazor
ambassadors there. Hammurabi built an empire that to the city state Mari, and a document found at Mari
covered thousands of square miles by dominating describes the purchase of tin from Hazor.
kingdoms across Mesopotamia, from Ur to Mari. This HAZOR HADATTAH (new court or village). Jos.
was more than 300 years before Joshua entered 15:25.
Canaan. A cuneiform tablet found at Hazor and another HEAD STONE. This title in Ps. 118:22 refers to
found at Mari are addressed to a king of Hazor named Christ as the chief cornerstone. [See Cornerstone,
Ibni Addu (Addu was Hadad, another name for Baal as Rock.]
the storm god) who lived in the 18th century BC by
archaeological reckoning (cited from a descriptive sign HEADY. Rash; hasty; hurried on by will or passion;
at Tel Hazor). This is near the time of Abraham and ungovernable (Webster) (2 Ti. 3:4).
300-350 years before Joshua entered the land. The HEALING. There are some who teach that healing is
acropolis or upper part of the city encompassed 30 promised to the Christian in this life because of Calvary.
acres, while the lower part encompassed more than 175 This is based on a faulty interpretation of Isaiah 53:5,
acres. It was a magnificent Canaanite city, with great “with his stripes we are healed.” The primary meaning
temples and opulent palaces (Israel Finkelstein, The of this passage is that we are healed from sin through
Bible Unearthed). The city would have provided Christ’s death. This is what 1 Peter 2:24 says. “Who his
everything to satisfy man’s sensual appetites. Sitting on own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
a high hill overlooking the area, ancient Hazor would we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
have been very impressive and pleasing to the eyes, by whose stripes ye were healed.” The apostle Peter
with its beautiful temples, splendid palaces, and applies Isaiah 53:5 to salvation from sin.
mysterious idolatrous statues. The larger buildings and Other important teachings relative to physical healing:
temples were made of cut stone blocks and panels, 1. The physical aspect of salvation pertains to
beautifully-finished wood, rare jewels, silver, gold, and resurrection; it is a future hope not a present reality.
other metals. In front of the palace stood two massive “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the
wooden pillars. The city walls were high and thick, and firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within
we can probably get an idea of the gate from the one ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
that has been unearthed at Dan, located north of Hazor. redemption of our body” (Ro. 8:22-25). The Christian
The Dan gate featured three beautiful arches made of has eternal life; his sins are forgiven; his name is written
brick. It stood 21 feet high and was flanked by towers. in heaven; he is a child of God. Even so, the Christian
Stone steps led up to it. The gate has been dated to lives in a body that is under the curse of death (Ro.
about 1750 BC, which is 300 years before Joshua 8:10). It is at death or at the Rapture that the Christian
entered the land and takes us back to about the time of will gain liberty from this body of death and will have
Abraham. Since the exact date of construction isn’t the perfect physical healing and wholeness that is so
known, it is even possible that Abraham entered this intensely desired.
gate when he came to Dan in pursuit of Lot (Ge. 14:14). 2. The healing ministry of Christ was unique—to prove
The city had “an ingenious drainage system consisting he was the Messiah. “But I have greater witness than that
of clay pipes” (Alfred Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old of John: for the works which the Father hath given me
Testament). The stone houses were finished inside and to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me,
out with plaster and decorated with mosaics and that the Father hath sent me” (Jn. 5:36; see also 10:25;
paintings. There are ancient houses in the Philistine city 10:37-38; 14:11; 15:24; 20:30-31). These verses leave
near modern Tel Aviv that still bear plaster, and the no doubt as to the purpose of Christ’s miracles. They
construction process can be seen. First they built the were not done as examples of what every Christian can
walls with stone, then they filled in the cracks with and should do, but to demonstrate that He was the
mortar, finally they applied a smooth, attractive plaster promised Holy Son of God. This explains why no one
surface over this. The floors of the houses were also before or since Christ has ever been able to perform the
plastered. Remnants of it can be seen in a house at

288 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity