Gershon; Gershonites – Gibea

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Gershon; Gershonites

gur'-shon, gur'-shon-its (gereshon, written also gereshom): Firstborn of the 3 sons of Levi (; ; ,; ). He had two sons, Libni, also known as Ladan (; ), and Shimei (; ; ,), and consequently two groups of descendants, enumerated in the census taken in the Wilderness of Sinai () and that in the Plains of Moab (). In the distribution of functions among the Levites, the Gershonites were charged with the carrying of the curtains, coverings, screens, hangings, cords and instruments of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting on the journeys in the wilderness, under the supervision of Ithamar the son of Aaron. Their function was thus more exalted than that of the Merarites, who carried the boards, and less so than that of the Kohathites, who carried the most holy utensils and symbols. The Gershonites were given two wagons with four oxen--half as many as the Merarites, according to their service (). Thirteen cities were assigned to the Gershonites in Northern Palestine by Eleazar and Joshua (,,6:62,71-76).

Among the Gershonites who achieved distinction in later Biblical times was the family of Asaph, the singers from the time of David to the days of the Second Temple (; ; ,,; ,; ; ; ; ,; ; ). Other Gershonites named are the heads of the fathers' houses in the days of David in connection with the dividing of the Levites into courses (); the superintendents of the treasuries of the house of the Lord of the same time (,; ); and, finally, Gershonites are mentioned among those who cleansed the house of the Lord in the days of Hezekiah (,).

Ella Davis Isaacs

Gerson

gur'-sun (Gerson; 1 Esdras 8:29): Called Gershom in .

Geruth Chimham

ge'-rooth kim'-ham (geruth kimham): If the reading geruth is correct, a "lodging-place" or "khan" on the highway to Egypt, may be meant (). It may have been built by Chimham son of Barzillai; or it may have been named from him as owner of the land on which it stood. But probably with Josephus we should read gidhroth, "hurdles" or "sheep pens" (Ant., X, ix, 5).

Gerzites

gur'-zits ( King James Version margin).

See GIRZITES.

Geshan

ge'-shan (geshan, "firm," "strong"): A descendant of Judah through Caleb (). The King James Version has "Gesham," but not in the original 1611 edition.

Geshem

ge'-shem (geshem, gashmu; Gesam, "rain storm"): An Arabian, probably chief of an Arabian tribe that had either settled in Southern Palestine during the exile in Babylon, or had been settled in or near Samaria by Sargon (; ,,). He was a confederate of Sanballat and Tobiah, and strenuously opposed the building of the wall under Nehemiah. He with the others mocked at the first efforts to build the wall, and afterward repeatedly sought to entice Nehemiah to the plains of Ono. The name also occurs in the form Gashmu, perhaps an Assyrian form of the same name Geshem.

J. J. Reeve

Geshur

ge'-shur (geshur, "bridge"): An Aramean kingdom () of no great size which lay probably to the South of Maacah, and formed with it the western boundary of the land of Bashan (; ; ). The territory of these two probably corresponded roughly with modern Jaulan. It may not have reached quite to the Jordan on the West; in which case the Geshurites literally dwelt "in the midst" of Israel (), since they were not expatriated by the half-tribe of Manasseh, and they retained their independence. David married Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, who became the mother of Absalom and Tamar (). To Talmai Absalom fled for safety after the murder of Amnon ( f), and thence Joab brought him back to Jerusalem (). The Geshurites and Aram are said to have taken the cities of Jair--i.e. Havvoth-jair--which lay in the land of Gilead (). It is possible that "Geshurites" should be read, with Vulgate, Syriac, etc., instead of "Ashurites" in . The only difficulty is that Geshur was an independent kingdom, and there is nothing to show how it was brought under the sway of the son of Saul. In the catalogue of land still to be possessed in , the King James Version reads "Geshuri," the Revised Version (British and American) "the Geshurites," referring evidently to a district bordering on the Philistines. Both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) render the same word by "Geshurites" in , where apparently the same territory is indicated as invaded by David. In neither passage is the text above suspicion; in Septuagint's Codex Vaticanus omits the name. No satisfactory explanation has been suggested.

W. Ewing

Geshurites

gesh'-u-rits, ge-shoo'-rits (geshuri). See preceding article.

Gesture

jes'-tur, jes'-tur: The Oriental is rich in gestures by which feelings are expressed and force added to words. Of this we have abundant illustration in the Bible. Almost every available part of the body was employed in gesture. In salutations the whole body was bowed, sometimes to the ground (; ; ; ; ), falling on the face to the ground and bowing to the ground, 3 times (; ; ; ; ); it was common also to embrace and kiss (), etc., weeping for joy. Esau "fell on (Jacob's) neck, and kissed him: and they wept" (); compare Joseph and his brethren (,); David and Jonathan (), and the father of the prodigal (). We have the kiss also in the story of Judas with his Master (). Bowing the knee was also in Egypt an act of homage to a superior (); bowing the knee and bowing down were common in prayer and worship (; ; ; ); in prayer the head and whole body were also bowed (; ; f). The rabbins decreed that in prayer "in bowing down, the back must be bent so low that every vertebra becomes conspicuous," and endless questions arose as to what it was lawful to do during prayer (Edersheim). We read also of prayer offered standing (; ; ; ), lifting up and spreading forth the hands (; ; ; ; ); "lifting up the hands" was synonymous with prayer (; ; ; ); falling on the knees in pleading (). Reverence for the aged was expressed by rising up in their presence (,). The hand was also laid on the mouth in token of respect (); in token of blessing the right hand was placed on the head (; compare ; ). The hands were laid on the head of the animal to be sacrificed; on the scapegoat and sin offering as denoting the transference of sin; on the burnt offering, perhaps as representing the offerer (; ). The hands were lifted up in blessing (), in solemn swearing (; ; ), in defiance and threatening (); extended in pleading (). Giving the hand or joining hands as a pledge of friendship and fidelity (; ) was the origin of the widespread custom of "shaking hands"; "striking hands" signified the clenching of a bargain or agreement ( the Revised Version British and American)); as a solemn pledge the hand was placed under the thigh of the person to whom it was given (; ); plucking the hand out of the bosom was a sign of action (); clapping the hands, of rejoicing (; ; ; ), also of ridicule, contempt and rejoicing over one (; ; ). We read of "beckoning with the hand" (; ), preliminary to speaking (; ; ; ; , he "stretched forth his hand"); drooping of the hands indicated failure, weakness or distress (; compare ; Ecclesiasticus 25:23); washing the hands (publicly) was a declaration of innocence, "of freedom from complicity" (,; ).

The head lifted up was a sign of arrogance or pride (); of exaltation, or recovery from trouble, etc. (; ; ; ); to cover the head was a symbol of grief or mourning (; ; ), also putting the hand on the head (; ), or ashes, dust or earth (; ; ; ; ); wagging (or shaking) the head expressed contempt or malicious enjoyment (; ; ; ; with "hissing," compare ; ; compare ; ; ; ).

Uncovering the feet was a sign of grief (; ,); lifting up the heel against one was a symbol of opposition (; ); shaking the dust from the feet, of freeing from responsibility and of complete rejection (; ; at Corinth Paul "shook out his raiment," ); strong joyous feeling found (as elsewhere) expression in dancing (; ; ; ,), before Yahweh (; ,).

Shooting out the lip was an expression of contempt (); to incline the ear signified attention (); rending the garments expressed the sense of horror (as in the presence of disaster, blasphemy, etc.) (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ); the smile indicated favor and gave confidence (); lifting up the eyelids was a sign of pride (); Isaiah speaks also of the "outstretched necks and wanton eyes" of the haughty daughters of Zion, "walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet" (). The perverse man "winketh with his eyes .... speaketh with his feet ..... maketh signs with his fingers" ().

It is interesting to note the gestures ascribed in the Gospels to Jesus. The expression of His eyes is often referred to; we read how He "lifted up his eyes on his disciples" before pronouncing the Beatitudes, indicating a loving regard for them (); how He "looked upon" the young ruler and "loved him," and, with another expressive "look" (round about)--a sad look--said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God" (,); how He "looked up to heaven" before He blessed and brake the loaves (; ; ); also before healing (); how He "looked round" on His adversaries in the synagogue (), "with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart" (); how He "turned and looked upon Peter" so that he remembered his boasting and fall, and went out and wept bitterly (); we read also how He took a little child into His arms and held him up as an example to His disciples (), and how He "took (little children) in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them" (); how He "stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground" when the woman accused of adultery was brought to Him, then "lifted up himself" and spake, again "stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground," till the woman's accusers had departed one by one, condemned and ashamed, when He again "lifted up himself" and sent the woman away (); how on His way to the tomb of Lazarus, He was agitated, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "was troubled," margin "troubled himself." Meyer has "shuddered." Some translation "shook himself" ().

See, further, ATTITUDES.

W. L. Walker

Get; Getting

A great many Hebrew words are in the Old Testament translated "get," "got," etc. The word "get" has two meanings: (1) with the idea of movement, "to go," etc.; (2) with that of acquisition, "to gain," "obtain," etc.

(1) In the first sense the most frequent words are bo', "to come, or go in" (; , etc.); yalakh "to go on" (; ; ; , etc.); yaradh, "to go down" (; ); `alah, "to go up" (; ; , etc.). Other words are nudh, "to move off" ( the King James Version; ); nasa', "to remove" (); yatsa', "to go out" (; ; ).

(2) In the sense of acquisition, the words most frequently translated "get," etc., are `asah, "to do," "to make" (; ; ,); qanah, "to get," "obtain" (; ,; the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "bought"; , the Revised Version (British and American) "buy"); matsa' "to find" (; ); rakhash, "to acquire," "gain" (; the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "gathered"; ).

Getting is the translation of po`al (), of qinyan "obtaining" (; , the English Revised Version text and the American Standard Revised Version margin "all thou hast gotten"). In the New Testament "get" in the first sense is the translation of exerchomai, "to go out or forth" (; ; ); of exeimi, "to go out or forth" (); of katabaino, "to go down" (); hupago, "to go away or under," "Get .... behind" (; the King James Version, "Get .... hence"; ). The only separate word translated "get" in the second sense is heurisko, "to begin to find" (usually translated "find") ( the King James Version, "that they may go .... and get victuals").

For "get" the Revised Version (British and American) has "mount" (), "buy" (; ; ); for "get you down" (), "tread ye," margin "get you down"; "get" for "possess" (); "get them away" for "gather themselves together" (); "get us" for "apply" (); "let us get grain" for "therefore we take up corn for them," and for "that we might buy corn" (,); "get you no" for "provide neither" (); "getteth prudence" for "is prudent," margin "dealeth prudently" (); "getteth" for "coveteth" ().

W. L. Walker

Gether

ge'-ther (gether): In named as one of the 4 sons of Aramaic In mentioned simply among the sons of Shem.

Gethsemane

geth-sem'-a-ne (Gethsemanei (for other spellings and accents see Thayer, under the word); probably from the Aramaic gath shemanim, "oil press"): Mentioned (; ) as a place (chorion), margin "enclosed piece of ground," to which Jesus and the disciples retired after the last supper; in it is described as a "garden" (kepos), while Lu (22:40) simply says "place" (topos). From it is evident that it was across the Kidron, and from , that it was on the Mount of Olives. Very possibly (; ) it was a spot where Jesus habitually lodged when visiting Jerusalem. The owner--whom conjecture suggests as Mary the mother of Mark--must have given Jesus and His disciples special right of entry to the spot.

Tradition, dating from the 4th century, has fixed on a place some 50 yds. East of the bridge across the Kidron as the site. In this walled-in enclosure once of greater extent, now primly laid out with garden beds, by the owners--the Franciscans--are eight old olive trees supposed to date from the time of our Lord. They are certainly old, they appeared venerable to the traveler Maundrell more than two centuries ago, but that they go back to the time claimed is impossible, for Josephus states (BJ, VI, i, 1) that Titus cut down all the trees in the neighborhood of Jerusalem at the time of the siege. Some 100 yards farther North is the "Grotto of the Agony," a cave or cistern supposed to be the spot "about a stone's cast" to which our Lord retired (). The Greeks have a rival garden in the neighborhood, and a little higher up the hill is a large Russian church. The traditional site may be somewhere near the correct one, though one would think too near the public road for retirement, but the contours of the hill slopes must have so much changed their forms in the troubled times of the first and second centuries, and the loose stone walls of such enclosures are of so temporary a character, that it is impossible that the site is exact. Sentiment, repelled by the artificiality of the modern garden, tempts the visitor to look for a more suitable and less artificial spot farther up the valley. There is today a secluded olive grove with a ruined modern olive press amid the trees a half-mile or so farther up the Kidron Valley, which must far more resemble the original Gethsemane than the orthodox site.

E. W. G. Masterman

Geuel

gu'-el, ge-u'-el (ge'u'el, "majesty of God"): The spy from the tribe of Gad (), sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan.

Gezer

ge'-zer (gezer): A city of great military importance in ancient times, the site of which has recently been thoroughly explored. The excavations at this spot are the most thorough and extensive of any in Palestine, and have not only done much to confirm the history of the place, as known from Biblical and other sources, but have also thrown a flood of light upon the general history, civilization and religion of Palestine in pre-Israelite and Israelite times.

1. The Discovery and Position of the Site:

The long-lost site of Gezer was discovered by M. Clermont-Ganneau in 1873, and his suggestion that the modern name for the place, Tell Jezer (or Tell el Jezereh) was a survival of the ancient name was confirmed by his further discovery of three bilingual inscriptions, in Hebrew and Greek, cut on surfaces of rock by a certain Alkios, apparently once the governor of the city; in one of them occurred the expression "the boundary of Gezer."

The natural features and the position of Tell Jezer abundantly explain the extreme importance of Gezer in ancient times. The buried remains crown a narrow hill, running from Northwest to Southeast, about 1,700 ft. long by 300 to 500 ft. broad. The approach is steep on every side, and in early times, before the accumulation around the sides of the rubbish of some millenniums, must have been much more so. The hill stands, like an outpost, projecting into the great plain, and is connected with the low hills behind it, part of the Shephelah, with but a narrow neck. At the foot of the hill runs a great high road from Egypt to Syria; to the North lies the Vale of Aijalon, across which runs the modern carriage road to Jerusalem, and up which ran the great high road, by the Beth-horons, to the platenu North of Jerusalem; to the South lies the Vale of Sorek, where stood Bethshemesh, and along which went a great highway from the country of the Philistines to the hill country of Judah. Today the Jerus-Jaffa railway, after sweeping some miles away in the plain round the whole western and southern sides of the site, passes along this open vale to plunge into the narrow defile--the Wady Isma`in, which it follows to Jerusalem. From the summit of the Tell, a vast expanse of country is visible between the long blue line of the Mediterranean to the West, and the abrupt and lofty mountains of Judah to the East. That it has been all through history the scene of military contest is fully understood when its strategic position is appreciated; no military leader even today, if holding the highlands of Palestine against invasion, could afford to neglect such an outpost.

2. History of Gezer:

Although the excavation of the site shows that it was occupied by a high civilization and a considerable population at an extremely early period, the first historical mention is in the list of the Palestinian cities captured by Tahutmes III (XVIIIth Dynasty, about 1500 BC). From this time it was probably under Egyptian governors (the Egyptian remains at all periods are considerable), but from the Tell el-Amarna Letters, a century or so later, we learn that Egyptian influence was then on the wane. Three of these famous clay tablets are dated from Gezer itself and are written in the name of the governor Yapachi; he was then hard pressed by the Khabiri, and he appealed for help in vain to Egypt. In other letters belonging to this series, there are references to this city. In one, a certain freebooter named Lapaya makes excuses that he had broken into the city. He "has been slandered. Is it an offense that he has entered Gazri and levied the people?" (no. CCXL, Petrie's translation).

In the well-known "So of Triumph" of Merenptah, who is considered by many to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus, occurs the expression "Gezer is taken." (In connection with this it is interesting to notice that an ivory pectoral with the cartouche of Meren-ptah was unearthed at Gezer.)

In the time of Joshua's invasion a certain "king of Gezer" named Horam (horam, but in Septuagint Ailam, or Elam) came to the assistance of Lachish against the Israelites, but was slain (). Gezer was taken, but the Canaanites were not driven out, but remained in servitude (; ). The city became one of the towns on the southern border of Ephraim (), but was assigned to the Kohath clan of the Levites (). In (the King James Version "Gazer") we read that David chased the Philistines after their defeat in the valley of Rephaim "from Geba until thou come to Gezer," showing that this was on the frontier of the Philistine territory; and in it states, "There arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant; and they were subdued." In the corresponding account in the scene of this event is said to be Gob, which is probably a copyist's error--g-w-b for g-z-r. According to Josephus (Ant., VIII, vi, 1), at the commencement of Solomon's reign Gezer was in the hands of the Philistines, which may explain , where it is stated that a certain Pharaoh, whose daughter Solomon married, captured and burnt Gezer and gave the site to his daughter. Solomon rebuilt it (9:17). There are no further references to Gezer during the later Jewish monarchy, but there are several during the Maccabean period. Judas pursued Gorgias to "Gazara and into the plains of Idumaea and Azotis and Jamnia" (1 Macc 4:15); Bacchides, after his defeat by Jonathan, "fortified also the city of Bethsura, and Gazara, and the tower, and put forces in them and provision of victuals" (1 Macc 9:52 the King James Version); a little later Simon "camped against Gazara and besieged it round about; he made also an engine of war, and set it by, the city and battered a certain tower, and took it" (1 Macc 13:43 the King James Version), after which he purified it (1 Macc 13:47,48). From Josephus (Ant., XIII, viii, 2) we gather that Antiochus had taken Gezer from the Jews.

The governor, Alkios, who made the bilingual inscriptions, may come in about this time or a little later; the rock inscriptions, of which half a dozen are now known, give no information regarding their date.

In the period of the Crusades this site, under the name "Mount Gisart," was a crusading fort and gave its name to a family. Here King Baldwin IV gained a victory over Saladin in 1177, and in 1191 the latter monarch camped here while conducting some fruitless negotiations with King Richard Coeur de Lion. In 1495 a skirmish occurred here between the governor of Jerusalem and certain turbulent Bedouin. The history of Gezer, as known, is thus one of battles and sieges extending over at least 3,000 years; from the archaeological remains we may infer that its history was similar for at least 1,000 years earlier.

3. History of the Excavations:

In 1904 the Palestine Exploration Fund of England obtained a "permit" for the excavation of Tell Jezer. The whole site was the private property of certain Europeans, whose agent, living much of the time on the Tell itself, was himself deeply interested in the excavations, so that unusually favorable conditions obtained for the work. Mr. (now Professor) R. A. Stewart Macalister, M.A., was sent out, and for 3 years (1904-7) he instituted an examination of the hidden remains in the mound, after a manner, till then, unexampled in Palestine exploration. His ambition was to turn over every cubic foot of soil down to the original rock, so that nothing of importance could be overlooked. As at the expiration of the original "permit" much remained unexplored, application was made to the authorities for a second one, and, at the end of 1907, Mr. Macalister embarked on a further 2 years of digging. Altogether he worked for the greater part of 5 years, except for necessary interruptions of the work due to unfavorable weather. Some two-thirds of the total accumulated debris on the mound was ransacked, and besides this, many hundreds of tombs, caves and other antiquarian remains in the neighborhood were thoroughly explored.

4. Chief Results of the Explorations:

It was found that the original bare rock surface of the hill was crowned with buried remains, in some parts 20 and 30 ft. deep, made up of the debris of all the cities which had stood on the site during three or four thousand years; on the part excavated there were no remains so late as the commencement of the Christian era, the Gezer of that time, and the crusading fort, being built on a neighboring site. The earliest inhabitants were Troglodytes living in the many caves which riddled the hill surface; they were apparently a non-Sem race, and there was some evidence that they at least knew of cremation. These, or a race soon after--the earliest Semites--enclosed the hilltop with high earth rampart faced with rough stones--the earliest "walls" going back at least before 3000 BC. At an early period--probably about 3000 BC--a race with a relatively high civilization fortified the whole hilltop with a powerful and remarkably well-built wall, 14 ft. thick, with narrow towers of short projection at intervals of 90 ft. At a point on the South side of this was unearthed a very remarkable, massive, brick gateway (all the other walls and buildings are of stone), with towers on each side still standing to the height of 16 ft., but evidently once much higher. This gate showed a strong Egyptian influence at work long before the first historic reference (XVIIIth Dynasty), for both gateway and wall to which it belonged had been ruined at an early date, the former indeed, after its destruction, was overlaid by the buildings of a city, which from its datable objects--scarabs, etc.--must have belonged to the time of Amenhotep III, i.e. as early as 1500 BC.

The later wall, built, we may conclude, soon after the ruin of the former, and therefore about 1500 BC, was also a powerful construction and must have existed considerably over a thousand years, down, indeed, till 100 BC at least, when Gezer disappears from history as a fortitled site. These walls enclosed a larger area than either of the previous ones; they show signs of destruction and repairs, and Mr. Macalister is of the opinion that some of the extensive repairs--in one place a gap of 150 ft.--and the 28 inserted towers are the work of Solomon (). This wall must have existed in use through all we know of Gezer from Bible sources. When, from the ruined remains, we reconstruct in imagination these mighty ramparts, we need not wonder that the' Hebrews, fresh from long wanderings in the wilderness, found it no easy task to capture cities so fortified as was this (; ).

The foundations of a powerful building, which were found inserted in a gap in the southern walls, turned out conclusively to be the palace of Simon Maccabeus--who captured the city (1 Macc 13:43)--a graffito being found upon one of its stones running thus:

@@@

which seems to mean, "Pamphras, may he bring down (fire) on the palace of Simon."

Within the city walls the foundations of some seven or eight cities of various successive periods were found, superimposed one above the other. The city's best days appear to have been shortly before the time of Joshua; the next, perhaps, at the time of the Judges. With the period to which we should probably assign the arrival of the Hebrews, there is a great increase in the population, the hitherto inviolate environs of the "temple" being encroached upon by private dwellings: an interesting commentary on .

The great "High Place" which was uncovered is one of unique interest, and its discovery has thrown a flood of light upon the religion of the early Canaanites, that religion--"the worship of Baal and Ashteroth"--which was the great rival of the purer religion of Israel. This [Ba`al] temple, or bamoth, consisted of a row of 8 matstsebhoth or rude stone pillars ranging in height from 5 ft. 5 inches to 10 ft. 9 inches (see HIGH PLACE; PILLAR), together with a curious trough which may have been a socket for the 'Asherah (see ASHERAH), or some kind of altar. The area around these pillars had a kind of rough floor of consolidated earth under which were found a number of large jars containing infant bones, considered to be the remains of infant sacrifice. In close proximity to this "temple" was a double cave, the construction of which strongly suggested that it had been arranged for the giving of oracles. This high place had been used for very many centuries; the matstsebhoth were not all of one period but had gradually been increased from one to seven, and an eighth of a more definitely sculptured form--as a simulacrum priapi--had been added some time later. In the accumulated rubbish around these pillars were found enormous numbers of small stone phallic images, together with pottery plaques of Astarte, made with rude exaggeration of the sexual organs.

See BAAL; ASHTAROTH.

Another monument of great interest--and high antiquity--was the great rock-cut tunnel. It is about 23 ft. high, and 13 ft. wide, and descends by 80 steps, 94 1/2 ft. through the solid rock, to a cave in which there is a spring. It is very similar to the great tunnel known as "Warren's tunnel and shaft" which was clearly constructed by the early Jebusites to reach from within the city's walls to the fountain of Gihon (see SILOAM; ZION). This Gezer tunnel must date at least to 2000 BC; it is evident from the nature of the accumulated debris which blocked its mouth that it was actually abandoned about 1400 BC. Its antiquity is confirmed by the fact that it was evidently excavated with flint knives.

At a much later period in history, in that of the Maccabees, the water supply of the city, in time of siege, at any rate, was largely dependent on an enormous open cistern which Mr. Macalister cleared of earth and found capable of containing 2,000,000 gallons of water. Among the smaller "finds" which throw light upon the Bible history may be mentioned two much broken, cuneiform tablets, both referring to land contracts, which, from the names of the eponyms, can be dated to 651 and 649 BC respectively. They therefore belong to the time of the last, and one of the greatest, of the Assyrian monarchs, Ahurbanipal, the "noble Osnappar" of , and they show that he was not only a great conqueror, but that in Palestine he had an organized government and that legal civil business was transacted in the language of Assyria.

The illumination of Old Testament history which the excavations of Gezer have afforded can here be only hinted at, but references to it will occur in many of the articles in other parts of this Encyclopedia.

LITERATURE.

In Bible Side-Lights from the Mound of Gezer Professor R. A. S. Macalister has described in a poplar form with illustrations some of his most remarkable discoveries; while in the Memoirs of the Excavations at Gezer (1912), published by the Palestine Exploration Fund, Professor Macalister deals with the subject exhaustively.

E. W. G. Masterman

Gezrites

gez'-rits.

See GIRZITES.

Ghost

gost (nephesh; pneuma) : "Ghost," the middle-English word for "breath," "spirit," appears in the King James Version as the translation of nephesh ("breath," "the breath of life," animal soul or spirit, the vital principle, hence, "life"), in two places of the Old Testament, namely, , "the giving up of the ghost" (so the Revised Version (British and American)), and , "She hath given up the ghost"; gawa`, "to gasp out, "expire" (die), is also several times so translated (,; ; ; ; ; ; ; ). In Apocrypha (Tobit 14:11) psuche is translated in the same way as nephesh in the Old Testament, and in 2 Macc 3:31, en eschate pnoe is rendered "give up the ghost," the Revised Version (British and American) "quite at the last gasp."

In the New Testament "to give up the ghost" is the translation of ekpneo, "to breathe out" (,; ; so the Revised Version (British and American)); of ekpsucho, "to breathe out," "expire" (,; ); in , apheken to pneuma, and in , paredoken to pneuma, are rendered respectively, "yielded" and "gave up the ghost," the Revised Version (British and American) "yielded up his spirit," "gave up his spirit."

"The Holy Ghost" is also frequent in the King James Version; in the American Standard Revised Version it is invariably changed to "Holy Spirit," in the English Revised Version sometimes only, chiefly in the Gospels.

See HOLY SPIRIT; SPIRIT.

W. L. Walker

Ghost, Holy

See HOLY SPIRIT.

Giah

gi'-a (giach): An unidentified place on the route followed by Abner in his flight, pursued by Joab (). Septuagint renders Gai, corresponding to the Hebrew ge, "valley." The form giach may be due to corruption of the text.

Giants

ji'-ants The word appears in the King James Version as the translation of the Hebrew words nephilim (; ); repha'im (,; ,; , etc.); rapha' (,,), or raphah (,,,); in one instance of gibbor, literally, "mighty one" ().

In the first two cases the Revised Version (British and American) changes "giants" into the Hebrew words "Nephilim," nephilim, and "Rephaim," repha'im, respectively (see these words). The "Nephilim of are not to be confounded with the "mighty men" subsequently described as the offspring of the unlawful marriages, of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of men." It is told that they overspread the earth prior to these unhallowed unions. That the word, whatever its etymology, bears the sense of men of immense stature is evident from the later passages; . The same is true of the "Rephaim," as shown by the instance of Og (; ). There is no doubt about the meaning of the word in the ease of the giants mentioned in and .

Giants, Valley Of The

See REPHAIM, VALLEY OF.

Gibbar

gib'-ar (gibbar, "hero"):, In the "children of Gibbar" are mentioned among those who returned with Zerubbabel. The parallel passage () has "children of Gibeon."

Gibbethon

gib'-e-thon (gibbethon): A city in the territory of Da in the plain named with Eltekeh and Baalath (), and assigned to the Kohathite Levites (). Later we find it in the hands of the Philistines; and it was while besieging the city that Nadab was slain by Baasha (). After 25 years Omri, the general of Baasha, was here made king of the army when news reached them of Zimri s regicide (). It may possibly be identified with Kibbiah, which lies about 16 miles Southeast of Jaffa; but no certain identification is possible.

W. Ewing

Gibea

gib'-e-a (gibh`a', "hill"): A grandson of Caleb (). His father was Sheva, whose mother was Maacah, Caleb's concubine ().

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (1915). Public domain. Text from the CrossWire Bible Society.