History Globe

town or village

Geba

Open on the map →

History

Geba, whose name means "hill", was a town of Benjamin about 9 km north-north-east of Jerusalem. It is identified with the village of Jaba, which keeps the name and stands on the south side of the deep Wadi es-Suweinit, facing Michmash across the gorge. Geba, Gibeah and Gibeon all come from the same Hebrew word for "hill", and the biblical text and its translations sometimes confuse them; some scholars hold that several passages about Gibeah of Saul really mean Geba.

Joshua lists Geba among the cities of Benjamin and among the towns given to the priests, the sons of Aaron. At the start of Saul's war with the Philistines, Jonathan struck the Philistine garrison in Geba (some translations, among them the Russian Synodal, read Gibeah here). The Philistines then camped at Michmash on the other side of the gorge, and in the gorge between the two towns lay the crags that Jonathan and his armourbearer climbed. In Isaiah's picture of an army marching on Jerusalem from the north, the enemy crosses the pass and lodges for the night at Geba.

When Baasha of Israel fortified Ramah, Asa of Judah carried off its stones and timber and built Geba and Mizpah with them; Josephus calls them two strong cities. Geba came to mark the northern edge of Judah: Josiah defiled the high places of his kingdom "from Geba to Beer-sheba".

After the exile the men of Ramah and Geba, 621 in all, returned from Babylon. In Nehemiah's day the Benjamites lived from Geba onwards, and among the singers gathered for the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem were men from the fields of Geba. In the fourth century Eusebius's Onomasticon lists Gaba in the lot of Benjamin.

Scripture: Josh 18:24; Josh 21:17; 1 Sam 13:3; 1 Sam 13:16; 1 Sam 14:4–5; Isa 10:28–29; 1 Kgs 15:22; 2 Chr 16:6; 2 Kgs 23:8; Ezra 2:26; Neh 7:30; Neh 11:31; Neh 12:27–29

Sources

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

Verses (14)

Josh 21:17
And out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,
1 Sam 13:3
And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
1 Sam 13:4
And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
1 Sam 13:16
And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
1 Sam 14:5
The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
1 Kgs 15:22
Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
1 Chr 6:60
And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.
1 Chr 8:6
And these are the sons of Ehud: these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath:
2 Chr 16:6
Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.
Ezra 2:26
The children of Ramah and Gaba, six hundred twenty and one.
Neh 7:30
The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
Neh 11:31
The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija, and Beth-el, and in their villages,
Neh 12:29
Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.
Isa 10:29
They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

King James Version