ZIZ, ASCENT OF zĭz (מַעֲלֵ֣ה הַצִּ֑יץ; LXX κατὰ τὴν ἀνάβασιν Ασας, or Ασαε). A steep ascent in a pass near En-gedi.

In 2 Chronicles 20:16 the Lord instructs Judah in Jehoshaphat’s time how to meet the enemy of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were to come in attack up “the Ascent of Ziz,” which led into “the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel.” Evidently this latter was near Tekoa, for on the next morning the people of Judah went into the wilderness of Tekoa and saw the enemy defeated (2 Chron 20:20-23). This “Ascent of Ziz” was prob. the Wadi Hasasa N of En-gedi and SE of Tekoa. Evidently the attacking enemy crossed the Dead Sea from Moab via a shallow ford at the Lisan (cf. 2 Chron 20:1, 2) and then made their ascent up Ziz near En-gedi.

Bibliography

Y. Aharoni, The Land of the Bible (1967), 55.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

A pass in the wilderness of Judea (2Ch 20:16) leading from Hazazon-tamar (En-gedi, 2Ch 20:2). This is generally identified with Wady Chacaca, a valley by which the ancient road from En-gedi runs toward Jerusalem. At any rate, an echo of the ancient name survives here: possibly the actual ascent was the present steep pass from En-gedi to the plateau above. See PEF, Sh XXI.