{
  "id": "dict_002324",
  "term": "Habor",
  "slug": "habor",
  "letter": "H",
  "entry_type": "geographical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Habor is an Old Testament place-name associated with the Assyrian deportation of Israelites from the northern kingdom. It is usually understood as a river region or district in Mesopotamia.",
  "simple_one_line": "A place in Mesopotamia associated with the Assyrian exile of Israel.",
  "tooltip_text": "Biblical place-name linked to the Assyrian resettlement of exiled Israelites.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Assyria",
    "Exile",
    "Gozan",
    "Halah",
    "Samaria",
    "Northern Kingdom of Israel"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Gozan",
    "Halah",
    "Assyria",
    "Exile",
    "Samaria"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Habor is a biblical place-name mentioned in connection with the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom of Israel. Scripture uses it as part of the geographic setting of Israel’s deportation and resettlement.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "An Old Testament place-name tied to the Assyrian exile of Israel.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Appears in exile passages in Kings and Chronicles",
    "Associated with a region in Mesopotamia",
    "Helps locate a real historical judgment event",
    "Exact modern identification remains uncertain"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Habor is an Old Testament place-name mentioned in connection with the deportation of Israelites by Assyria after the fall of the northern kingdom. It is commonly understood to refer to a river or district in Mesopotamia.",
  "description_academic_full": "Habor is an Old Testament place-name associated with the Assyrian exile of the northern kingdom of Israel. In the biblical record, it names a location where deported Israelites were settled, alongside other regions in the Assyrian sphere. The term is generally treated as a geographical reference rather than a theological concept. Its exact modern identification is uncertain, but it is commonly placed in the broader Mesopotamian region. Habor therefore functions as part of the historical geography of exile and as evidence of the fulfillment of covenant warnings concerning Israel’s disobedience.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the Old Testament, Habor appears in passages describing the Assyrian deportation of Israelites. It is listed among the places to which exiles were taken, helping show that the exile was a concrete historical event, not merely a symbolic judgment.",
  "background_historical_context": "Habor is usually connected with the Assyrian imperial system and the movement of captive populations into foreign territories. Its precise identification is debated, but the term clearly belongs to the historical geography of the ancient Near East.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Second Temple and later Jewish readers would have recognized Habor as part of the memory of national exile and judgment. The name belongs to the geographic world of Israel’s dispersion under Assyrian rule.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "2 Kings 17:6",
    "2 Kings 18:11",
    "1 Chronicles 5:26"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "2 Kings 17:23",
    "2 Kings 17:24"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name is transliterated from Hebrew; it is a place-name and not a doctrinal term.",
  "theological_significance": "Habor matters because it anchors Israel’s exile in real history and illustrates covenant judgment. It also reminds readers that God’s warnings through the prophets were fulfilled in time and place.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a geographical term, Habor shows how biblical theology is rooted in actual history. The Bible’s claims about judgment, exile, and restoration are presented as events that occurred in the real world, not abstract ideas.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not be overly confident about the exact modern location of Habor. The biblical evidence is enough to identify it as a real place associated with exile, but the historical-geographical details remain somewhat uncertain.",
  "major_views_note": "Most interpreters understand Habor as a Mesopotamian river region or district linked with Assyrian deportation. The exact identification is not settled, but the biblical function of the term is clear.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Habor should not be treated as a theological doctrine or symbol with fixed doctrinal meaning. Its significance is historical and biblical-geographical, though it supports themes such as judgment, exile, and covenant faithfulness.",
  "practical_significance": "Habor reminds readers that God’s warnings are serious and that national sin brought real historical consequences for Israel. It also encourages careful attention to Scripture’s geographic and historical detail.",
  "meta_description": "Habor is a biblical place-name associated with the Assyrian exile of Israel, usually understood as a Mesopotamian river region or district.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/habor/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/habor.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}