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GATH

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Originally appearing in Volume V11, Page 530 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GATH , one of the five See also:

chief cities of the See also:Philistines. It is frequently mentioned in the See also:historical books of the Old Testament, and from See also:Amos vi. 2 we conclude that, like Ashdod, it See also:fell to See also:Sargon in 711. Its site appears to have been known in the 4th See also:century, but the name is now lost. See also:Eusebius (in the Onomasticon) places it near the road from See also:Eleutheropolis (See also:Beit Jibrin) to Diospolis (Ludd) about five See also:Roman See also:miles from the former. The Roman road between these two towns is still traceable, and its milestones remain in places. See also:East of the road at the required distance rises a See also:white cliff, almost isolated, 300 ft. high and full of caves. On the See also:top is the little mud See also:village of Tell es-Safi (" the shining See also:mound "), and beside the village is the mound which marks the site of the Crusaders' See also:castle of Blanchegarde (See also:Alba Custodia), built in 1144. Tell es-Safi was known by its See also:present name as far back as the 12th century; but it appears not improbable that the strong site here existing represents the See also:ancient Gath. The cliff stands on the See also:south See also:side of the mouth of the Valley of Elah, and Gath appears to have been near this valley (1 Sam. xvii. 2, 52). This See also:identification is not certain, but it is at least much more probable than the theory which makes Gath, Eleutheropolis, and Beit Jibrin one and the same See also:place.

The site was partially excavated by the See also:

Palestine Exploration Fund in 1899, and remains extending in date back to the See also:early Canaanite See also:period were discovered.

End of Article: GATH

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GATLING, RICHARD JORDAN (1818–1903)

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