Stephanos of Byzantium - Ethnika
Zoara: a Persian city. Its inhabitants are 'Zoaratai'. Dionysios also calls them 'Zoaroi' in book 3 of his Bassarika. There is also a large village or fortress in Palaistine, on the sea called Asphaltitis, named Zoara, in the neuter. In the language of the Hebrews the name means 'small'. Lot fled there and was saved from the wrath that befell Sodom. The citizens of the place are called 'Zoarenoi', owing to the local form, and also 'Zoaratai'; for both forms are Arabian.
AI translation — gpt-5.6-sol; Gabe v3
Stephanos excerpt (left) is aligned with matched Herodian passages (right). Colors indicate corresponding overlap spans.
Ζόαρα, πόλις Περσική. οἱ οἰκοῦντες Ζοαρᾶται. Διονύσιος καὶ Ζοάρους αὐτούς φησιν ἐν τρίτῳ Βασσαρικῶν. ἔστι καὶ κώμη μεγάλη ἢ φρούριον ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ ἐπὶ τῇ Ἀσφαλτίτιδι καλουμένῃ θαλάσσῃ Ζόαρα οὐδετέρως. δηλοῖ δὲ τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ τὸ μικρόν. ὅπου ὁ Λὼτ ἔφυγε καὶ ἐσώθη ἀπὸ τῆς Σοδομιτικῆς ὀργῆς. οἱ πολῖται τοῦ χωρίου Ζοαρηνοί διὰ τὸν ἐγχώριον τύπον καὶ Ζοαρᾶται· οἱ γὰρ δύο τύποι Ἀράβιοι.
…ίας. Γίνδαρα κώμη πρὸς τῇ Ἀντιοχείᾳ. Δαύσαρα πόλις περὶ τὴν Ἔδεσσαν. Κύδραρα πόλις πρὸς τοὺς ὅρους τῶν Φρυγῶν καὶ Λυδῶν. Ἡρόδοτος ἑβδόμῃ (c. 30). Λάβαρα πόλις Καρίας. Ἀλέξανδρος δευτέρῳ περὶ Καρίας. Ζόαρα πόλις Περσική. ἔστι καὶ κώμη μεγάλη ἢ φρούριον ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ ἐπὶ τῇ Ἀσφαλτίτιδι θαλάσσῃ. Ὕκαρον φρούριον Σικελίας, ὡς Φίλιστος Σικελικῶν πρώτῳ. Ἀπολλόδωρος δ´ ἐν δευτέρῳ χρονικῶν πόλιν λέγει αὐτὴν τὰ Ὕκαρα. μέμνηται