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Gath

• Today Tell es Safi

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History

Gath is identified with Tell es-Safi, a high mound where the Elah valley opens onto the coastal plain, about 9 km south of Ekron. The identification was first proposed in the nineteenth century, and after other sites were tried it is now widely accepted. The site fits the biblical geography, between Ekron and the hills of Judah, with the Philistines fleeing from the Elah valley toward Gath and Ekron; it was the largest Philistine city of the tenth and ninth centuries BC; and it was destroyed in the late ninth century, when Gath fell to Hazael. Excavations led by Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, begun in 1996, show that the mound was settled from prehistoric to modern times.

Gath was one of the five Philistine cities and the home of Goliath and of other giants whom David and his men killed. The captured ark was carried there from Ashdod, and plague followed it. Fleeing from Saul, David came to Achish, king of Gath; later he served Achish with six hundred men and received Ziklag from him. Ittai the Gittite and six hundred men from Gath stood by David when Absalom rebelled. Chronicles lists Gath among the towns Rehoboam fortified, and says that Uzziah broke down its wall.

The Philistine city founded in the twelfth century BC grew into the largest city of the region. A potsherd of about the tenth century BC bears two names, alwt and wlt, which recall the name Goliath, though they do not refer to the giant. Late in the ninth century a siege trench was dug around the city and Gath was destroyed; this matches the report that Hazael, king of Syria, fought against Gath and took it. The city never regained its size. Amos points to Gath of the Philistines as a warning, and the cities that Amos, Zephaniah and Jeremiah condemn are Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Ekron, without Gath.

Sargon II of Assyria lists Gath with Ashdod and Ashdod-Yam among the cities he took about 711 BC. In the fourth century AD Eusebius knew a village called Geth five miles from Eleutheropolis on the road to Diospolis; whether it stood on the old Philistine city is uncertain.

Scripture: Josh 13:3; 1 Sam 17:4; 1 Sam 17:52; 2 Sam 21:18–22; 1 Sam 5:8–9; 1 Sam 21:10–15; 1 Sam 27:2–6; 2 Sam 15:18–22; 2 Chr 11:8; 2 Chr 26:6; 2 Kgs 12:17; Amos 6:2; Amos 1:6–8; Zeph 2:4; Jer 25:20

Checked against its sources; not yet read by a historian.

Verses (38)

Josh 11:22

There was none of the Anakims left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.

Josh 13:3

From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

1 Sam 5:8

They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.

1 Sam 5:9

And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

1 Sam 5:10

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

1 Sam 6:17

And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

1 Sam 7:14

And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

1 Sam 17:4

And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

1 Sam 17:23

And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

1 Sam 17:52

And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

1 Sam 21:10

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

1 Sam 21:12

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

1 Sam 22:1

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.

1 Sam 27:2

And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

1 Sam 27:3

And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s wife.

1 Sam 27:4

And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath: and he sought no more again for him.

1 Sam 27:11

And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.

2 Sam 1:20

Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

2 Sam 15:18

And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

2 Sam 15:19

Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

2 Sam 15:22

And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

2 Sam 18:2

And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also.

2 Sam 21:19

And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

2 Sam 21:20

And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

2 Sam 21:22

These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

1 Kgs 2:39

And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.

1 Kgs 2:40

And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.

1 Kgs 2:41

And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.

2 Kgs 12:17

Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

1 Chr 18:1

Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

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