Bible Location
Meaning: a wine-press · 32 cross references · Modern-day map available
Gath was one of the five major Philistine cities on the borderland between Philistia and Judah. It is important as the city associated with Goliath, as a place to which the ark was taken, and as a refuge and political setting in parts of David's troubled life before he became king. First appears in Josh 11:22.1
AI summary: Gath's significance comes from its role as a Philistine power center deeply entangled with Israel's early monarchy narratives. It appears in the ark stories as a city struck during the ark's movement among Philistine towns, and it becomes famous as the home of Goliath. David's visits to Gath add another layer, since the city becomes both a place of danger and a temporary refuge during his flight from Saul. Later texts remember it as part of the contested border between Israelite and Philistine strength. The cross references present Gath as a city where rivalry, fear, military reputation, and royal survival all meet.1
A wine-vat, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines (Josh. 13:3) on which the ark brought calamity (1 Sam. 5:8, 9; 6:17). It was famous also as being the birthplace or residence of Goliath (1 Sam. 17:4). David fled from Saul to Achish, king of Gath (1 Sam. 21:10; 27:2-4; Ps. 56), and his connection with it will account for the words in 2 Sam. 1:20. It was afterwards conquered by David (2 Sam. 8:1). It occupied a strong position on the borders of Judah and Philistia (1 Sam. 21:10; 1 Chr. 18:1). Its site has been identified with the hill called Tell esSafieh, the Alba Specula of the Middle Ages, which rises 695 feet above the plain on its east edge. It is noticed on monuments about B.C. 1500. (See METHEGAMMAH.) 3
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Figure1: A table of cross references between the selected passage and other passages (Data from Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.)
AI-assisted summary prepared for ai-BIBLE and stored as page content, based on dictionary material, place metadata, and linked Bible cross references.
Alistair de Blacquiere-Clarkson, “ai-BIBLE Bible Names JSON Factsheet Aggregating Material from Smith’s Bible Dictionary & Hitcocks’s New and Complete Analysis of the Bible.” ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
M.G.Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.