KIR kur, kĭr (קִיר, wall). The place to which Pul, the king of Assyria, carried the captives of Damascus (2 Kings 16:9). Amos had prophesied that this would happen (Amos 1:5).

Apparently Kir (or Qir) had been the place of origin of the Syrians in their ancient history, and their departure from Kir is compared in Scripture to that of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt and the Philistines from Caphtor (Crete; Amos 9:7).

The place is mentioned also in connection with the Valley of Vision together with Elam in Isaiah 22:6. Some doubt that the Kir of Isaiah 22:6 is the same as that of Kings and Amos, but most consider the two the same.

The exact identity of this place and its people is not known. It is prob. located in the area of the Tigris River in S. Babylonia.

The Kir mentioned in Isaiah 15:1 is Kir-hareseth or Kir of Moab (q.v.).