Azal
A'zal (Hebrews Atsal', אָצִל, prob. the same as Azel, in pause; Sept. Ασαήλ. v. r. Ι᾿ασόδ), apparently a place near Jerusalem on the east, mentioned only in Zec 14:5, as the limit to which the "ravine" or cleft (גֵּיא) of the Mount of Olives will extend when "Jehovah shall go forth to fight." Henderson (Comment. in loc.) regards it as the proper name of a place close to one of the gates on the east side of Jerusalem, to, which the cleft or valley was to extend westward, so as at once to admit those who should flee from the enemy; but this seems too strict a literalism for so figurative a prophecy. Furst (Heb. Worterb. s.v.) inclines to identify it with the Beth- ezel of Mic 1:11. Perhaps the conjecture of Gesenius (Thes. Heb. p. 144) is the most easy of adoption, that the term is simply an appellative for אֵצֶל, q. d. at: the side, i.e. foot of the mountain, sc. Olivet. The supposition of Schwarz (Palest. p. 135) that it is the present village Azaria, or Bethany (according to him, the Huzal of the Talmud, Megillah, v. 6), evidently proceeds from his Jewish prejudices against the account respecting Lazarus in the Gospels. SEE EROGE.
