Editing Gerar (section)

==Identification==
According to the [[International Standard Bible Encyclopedia]], the biblical ''valley of Gerar'' ({{bibleverse||Genesis|26:17|HE}}) was probably located in the area of a valley known in [[Arabic]] as Wady Sheri'a,<ref>[https://biblehub.com/topical/g/gerar.htm Gerar] -- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia at biblehub.com</ref> and in [[Modern Hebrew]] as [[Nahal Gerar]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8Tq7UcPMwacC&pg=PA520 'Gerar'] in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Academic, 2011, p. 520</ref> Most commentators see the mound of [[Tel Haror]] (Hebrew) or Tell Abu Hureyra (Arabic) as representing the ancient Gerar.{{cn|date=October 2021}}

Some older commentaries, such as [[Smith's Bible Dictionary]],<ref>Smith's Bible Dictionary published 1884</ref> stated simply that Gerar was located "south of Gaza". Also, a ninth century rabbinical source, [[Saadia Gaon]], identified Gerar with [[Elusa (Haluza)|Haluza]], which is located along the [[Besor Stream]] in the [[Negev]].<ref>Rabbi [[Saadia Gaon]]'s ''Tafsīr'' ({{langx|jrb|אלי כ̇לוץ, אלכ̇לוץ}} = ''al-Khalūṣ'') in the Pentateuch (''Tafsir''), s.v. Genesis 10:19, Genesis 20:2, Genesis 26:17, 20.</ref><ref>On Haluza's proximity to Gerar, see: M. Naor, Gerar — Tell el Far'a, Bulletin of the Israel Exploration Society (1955), pp. 99–102 (Hebrew)</ref> However, according to recent archaeological research, Haluza only dates to the period of the [[Nabataean Kingdom]].