Zair was a location associated with King Jehoram of Judah's campaign against rebellious Edom. It appears only once by this name in the biblical text.
Second Kings records that Jehoram crossed to Zair with his chariots and found himself surrounded by Edomite forces. He broke through them during the night, but his army fled home and Edom maintained its independence from Judah.
Zair has not been securely identified. Older proposals equating it with Zoar or connecting it with Seir remain uncertain and should not be presented as established fact.
During the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, Edom rebelled against Judah and established its own king.
Jehoram responded militarily and crossed to Zair with his chariots. The Edomites surrounded his forces, and during the night Jehoram fought through the surrounding army.
Despite the escape of the king and his chariot force, the Judean army dispersed to their homes. The narrative concludes that Edom remained in rebellion against Judah.
Zair occurs only in 2 Kings 8:21, making its identification particularly difficult.
The parallel account in 2 Chronicles 21:9 differs textually and does not clearly preserve the same place-name. This has contributed to proposals that the reading in Kings may have undergone textual alteration.
Suggestions have included a location in Edom, a connection with Mount Seir, and an identification with Zoar. None has been demonstrated conclusively.
The location of Zair is unknown.
The narrative requires a setting associated with Jehoram's campaign against Edom, probably east or southeast of the Dead Sea.
Zair should not simply be identified with Zoar. Zoar is associated elsewhere with Moab and the southeastern Dead Sea region, and the names are not identical.
AVWJ should therefore leave Zair geographically unresolved unless stronger evidence becomes available.