Gerar

thumb|Abimelech, king of Gerar, returns Sarah to Abraham; painting by [[Elias van Nijmegen (1667–1755), Museum Rotterdam]]

Gerar ( Gərār, "lodging-place") was an ancient city and district in the southern Levant, located in what is today south-central Israel. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis (traditionally set in the Middle Bronze Age, c. 2000–1700 BCE) and later biblical texts, including the Second Book of Chronicles. In the patriarchal narratives, Gerar is depicted as being ruled by non-Israelite elites; its later association with Philistines reflects a subsequent historical period (following the arrival of Aegean-origin populations in the region during the Iron Age, c. 1200–1000 BCE).