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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJames Hastings Dictionary of the Bible: Gaza
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GAZA.—A city of the Philistine Pentapolis. It is referred to in Genesis (Gen_10:19) as a border city of the Canaanites, and in Jos_10:41 as a limit of the South country conquered by Joshua; a refuge of the Anakim (Jos_11:22), theoretically assigned to Judah (Jos_15:47). Samson was here shut in by the Philistines, and escaped by carrying away the gates (Jdg_16:1-3); he was, however; brought back here in captivity after being betrayed by Delilah, and here he destroyed himself and the Philistines by pulling down the temple (Jdg_16:21-30). Gaza was never for long in Israelite hands. It withstood Alexander for five months (b.c. 332). In b.c. 96 it was razed to the ground, and in b.c. 57 rebuilt on a new site, the previous site being distinguished as ‘Old’ or ‘Desert’ Gaza (cf. Act_8:26). It was successively in Greek, Byzantine Christian (a.d. 402), Muslim (635), and Crusader hands; it was finally lost by the Franks in 1244. A Crusaders’ church remains in the town, now a mosque. It is now a city of about 16,000 inhabitants, and bears the name Ghuzzeh.
R. A. S. Macalister.