Hazar-Susah
Hazar-Susah [1]
(Hebrew Chatsar'-Susah', סוּסָה חֲצִר , village of the horse, Joshua 19:5; Sept. Ἀσερσουσίμ,Vulg. Hasersusa), or HA'ZAR-SUSIM (Chatsar' Susim', חֲצִר סוּסַים, village of horses, 1 Chronicles 4:31; Sept. ἣμισυ Σωσίμ,Vulg. Hasersusim), a city of the tribe of Simeon, mentioned between Beth-marcaboth and Beth-lebaoth or Beth-birei; doubtless, as thought by Schwarz (Palest. p. 124), the same as SANSANNAH, in the south border of Judah ( Joshua 15:31), one of Solomon's "chariot-cities" ( 2 Chronicles 1:14). (See Hazerim).
It is true that "neither it nor its companion, BETH-MARCABOTH, the house of chariots,' is named in the list of the towns of Judah in chap. 15, but they are included in those of Simeon in 1 Chronicles 4:31, with the express statement that they existed before and up to the time of David" (Smith). Stanley suggests, "In Bethmarkaboth, ‘ the house of chariots,' and Hazar- su. sim, ‘ the village of horses,' we recognize the depots and stations for the horses and chariots, such as those which in Solomon's time went to and fro between Egypt and Palestine" (Sin. and Pal. p. 160). "It is doubtful whether there was any such communication between those countries as early as the time of Joshua; but may not the rich grassy plains around Beersheba (Robinson, Bib. Res. 1, 203) have been used at certain seasons by the ancient tribes of Southern Palestine for pasturing their war and chariot horses, just as the grassy plains of Jaulan are used at the present day by the Druse chiefs of Lebanon, and the Turkish cavalry and artillery at Damascus?" (Kitto). "Still it is somewhat difficult to ascribe to so early a date the names of places situated as these were in the Bedouin country, where a chariot must have been unknown, and where even horses seem carefully excluded from the possessions of the inhabitants-' camels, sheep, oxen, and ‘ asses' ( 1 Samuel 27:9)."
