- GIBBETHON a height, a city of the Philistines in the territory of Dan,
given to the Kohathites (Joshua 19:44; 21:23). Nadab the king of Israel,
while besieging it, was slain under its walls by Baasha, one of his own
officers (1 Kings 15:27). It was in the possession of the Philistines after
the secession of the ten tribes (2 Chronicles 11:13, 14). - GIBEAH a hill or hill-town, “of Benjamin” (1 Samuel 13:15), better
known as “Gibeah of Saul” (11:4; Isaiah 10:29). It was here that the
terrible outrage was committed on the Levite’s concubine which led to the
almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19; 20), only six
hundred men surviving after a succession of disastrous battles. This was
the birthplace of Saul, and continued to be his residence after he became
king (1 Samuel 10:26; 11:4; 15:34). It was reckoned among the ancient
sanctuaries of Palestine (10:26; 15:34; 23:19; 26:1; 2 Samuel 21:6-10), and
hence it is called “Gibeah of God” (1 Samuel 10:5, R.V. marg.). It has been
identified with the modern Tell el-Ful (i.e., “hill of the bean”), about 3
miles north of Jerusalem. - GIBEAH-HAARALOTH (Joshua 5:3, marg.), hill of the foreskins, a place
at Gilgal where those who had been born in the wilderness were
circumcised. All the others, i.e., those who were under twenty years old at
the time of the sentence at Kadesh, had already been circumcised. - GIBEAH OF JUDAH (Joshua 15:57), a city in the mountains of Judah,
the modern Jeba, on a hill in the Wady Musurr, about 7 1/2 miles
west-south-west of Bethlehem. - GIBEAH OF PHINEHAS (Joshua 15:57, R.V. marg.), a city on Mount
Ephraim which had been given to Phinehas (24:33 “hill,” A.V.; R.V. marg.
and Hebrews , “Gibeah.”). Here Eleazar the son of Aaron was buried. It
has been identified with the modern Khurbet Jibia, 5 miles north of
Guphna towards Shechem. - GIBEON hill-city, “one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the
men thereof were mighty” (Joshua 10:2). Its inhabitants were Hivites
(11:19). It lay within the territory of Benjamin, and became a priest-city
(18:25; 21:17). Here the tabernacle was set up after the destruction of
Nob, and here it remained many years till the temple was built by
Solomon. It is represented by the modern el-Jib, to the south-west of Ai,
and about 5 1/2 miles north-north-west of Jerusalem.
kiana
(Kiana)
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