GAZERA

the most beautiful and graceful of antelopes. It is fawn and white in colour; it is much hunted (Pr 6', Is 13") ; it is noted for its speed (2 S 2i«, 1 Ch 12'); its flesh is considered, at least in towns, a delicacy.

Ghazaleh ('female gazelle') is a favourite name for a girl among the Yemin Jews, as Dorcas and Tabitha, with the same meaning, were in NT times (Ac 9"- "). E. W. G. Masterman.

GAZEBA(lEs5»i).— His sons were amongthe 'Temple servants.' In Ezr 2" Gazzam.

GAZEZ.— 1. A son of Ephah, Caleb's concubine (lCh2«). 2. In same verse a second Gazez is mentioned as a sou of Haram, who was another of Ephah's sons.

GAZITES.— The inhabitants of Gaza (wh. see), Jos 13S, Jg 162.

GAZZAM. — A family of Nethinim who returned with Zerub. (Ezr 2", Neh 7"), called in 1 Es 5" Gazera.

GEBA (Heb. ffcfio', 'a hill').— A city of Benjamin, on the N.E. frontier (Jos 18"), assigned to the Levites (Jos 21", 1 Ch 68"). It stands for the N. limit of the kingdom of Judah (2 K 23» 'from Geba to Beersheba '). In 2 S Si" we should probably read 'Gibeon' as in 1 Ch 14". The position of Geba is fixed in 1 S 14« S. of the great WOdy Suweinlt, over against Michraash, the modern MukhmOs. This was the scene of Jonathan's famous exploit against the Philistines. Everything points to its identity with Jeba' , a village 6 miles N. of Jerusalem. It occupied an important position com-manding the passage of the valley from the north. It was fortified by Asa (1 K IS^^'). It appears in Isaiah's picture of the approach of the Assyrian upon Jerusalem (lO's"). It is mentioned also as occupied after the Exile (Neh 11", Ezr 2'^ etc.). It seems to be confused with the neighbouring Gibeah in Jg 20iii- ^, 1 S 138- ". In Jg 20" 'Gibeah' should be 'Geba.' 2. A strong-hold in Samaria, between which and Scythopolis Holofernes pitched his camp (Jth 3'i'). Perhaps Jeba' a is intended, about 2 miles S. of SanUr, on the road to Jenln. W. Ewinq.

GEBAL. — 1. A place apparently S. of the Dead Sea, whose inhabitants made a league with Edomites, Moabites, and the Bedouin of the Arabah against Israel, on some unknown occasion (Ps 83'), possibly the Gentile attack described in 1 Mac S. It is the modern Jebal. 2. A town in Phoenicia, now yeBea. It was theoretically (never actually) within the borders of the Promised Land (Jos 135). It provided builders for Solomon (1 K 5" RV Gebalites, AV 'stone-squarers') and ships' caulkers for Tyre (Ezk 27'). R. A. S. Macalister.

GEBEB (1 K 4"). — One of Solomon's twelve com-missariat officers, whose district lay to the E. of Jordan. At the end of v." comes a sentence referred by AV and RV to this Geber, and rendered 'and he was the only officer which was in the land.' But it is possible that the text should be emended so as to read ' and one officer was over all the officers who were in the land,' the reference being, not to Geber, but to Azariah, son of Nathan, mentioned in v.' as 'over the officers.'

GEBIM.— A place N. of Jerusalem (Is 10" only). In Eusebius a Geba 5 Roman miles from Gophna, on the way to Neapolis (Shechem), is noticed. This is the modern Jebla, which, being near the great northern road, is a possible site for Gebim.

GECKO. — See Ferret, Lizard.

GEDALIAH. — 1. Son of Ahikam, who had protected Jeremiah from the anti-Chaldaean party (Jer 26"), and probably grandson of Shaphan, the pious scribe (2 K 22). Gedaliah naturally shared the views of Jeremiah. This commended him to Nebuchad-nezzar, who made him governor over 'the poor of the people that were left in the land.' His two months' rule and treacherous murder are detailed in Jer 40. 41 (2 K 25^-2'). The anniversary of GedaUah's murder — the third day of the seventh month, Tishri

GEHAZI

(Zee 7' 8") — has ever since been observed as one of the four Jewish fasts. 2. Eldest 'son' of Jeduthun (1 Ch 258- »). 3. A priest 'of the sons of Jeshua,' who had married a 'strange' woman (Ezr 10"); called in 1 Es 9" Joadanus. 4. Son of Fashhur, a prince in the reign of Zedekiah (Jer 38i). 6. Grandfather of the prophet Zephaniah (Zeph 1').

GEDDUR (1 Es 5'").— In Ezr 2" and Neh7"Gahar.

GEDER. — An unidentified Canaanitish town, whose king was amongst those conquered by Joshua (Jos 12" only). It is very probably identical with Beth-gader of 1 Ch 2". In 1 Ch 272« Baal-hanan, who had charge of David's olives and sycomores, is called the Gederite, which may be a gentilic name derived from Geder, although some prefer to derive it from Gederah (wh. see).

GEDERAH.— AVof 1 Ch 4mi' reads, ' Those that dwell among plants (RVm 'plantations') and hedges,' but RV gives 'the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah,' and this is probably the correct rendering. In that case the Gederah referred to would probably be the city of that name located by Jos 16" in the Shephslah, the modern Jedireh and the Gedour of Eusebius. The gentilic name Gederathite occurs in 1 Ch 12*.

GEDEROTH. — A town of Judah in the Shephglah (Jos IS", 2 Ch 2818). It appears to be the modern Katrah near Yebna. Possibly it is also the Kidron of 1 Mac 1S>»- « 169.

GEDEROTHAIM occurs in Jos 1588 as one of the fourteen cities of Judah that lay in the Shephelah. There are, however, fourteen cities without it, and it is probable that the name has arisen by dittography from the preceding Gederah. The subterfuge of the AVm ' Gederah or Gederothaim ' is not permissible.

GEDOR.— A town of Judah (Jos 158«; of. 1 Ch 4i- " 12'). It is generally identified with the modern JedUr north of Beit-sur. 2. The district from which the Simeonites are said to have expelled the Hamite settlers (1 Ch 489ff). The LXX, however, reads Gerar, and this suits admirably as to direction. 3. A Benjamite, an ancestor of king Saul (1 Ch 88' 98'). 4. 6. The eponym of two Judahite families (1 Ch 4*' !«).

GE-HARASHIM ('valley of craftsmen,' 1 Ch 4», Neh 118*). — In the latter passage it occurs with Lod and Ono. The location of this 'valley' is quite un-certain.

GEHAZI. — Of the antecedents of Gehazi, and of his call to be the attendant of Elisha, the sacred historian gives us no information. He appears to stand in the same intimate relation to his master that EUsha had done to Elijah, and was probably regarded as the suc-cessor of the former. Through lack of moral fibre he fell, and his heritage in the prophetic order passed into other hands. Gehazi is first introduced to us in connexion with the episode of the Shunammite woman. The prophet consults familiarly with him, in regard to some substantial way of showing their appreciation of the kindness of their hostess. Gehazi bears Elisha's message to her: 'Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? Wouldst thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?' On her refusal to be a candidate for such honours, Gehazi reminds his master that the woman is childless. Taking up his attendant's suggestion, Elisha promises a son to their benefactress (2 K i^-). According to prediction, the child is born; but after he has grown to be a lad, he suffers from sunstroke and death ensues. The mother immediately betakes herself to the prophet, who sends Gehazi with his own staff to work a miracle. To the servant's prayer there is neither voice nor hearing; but where he fails, the prophet succeeds (2 K 4"-8'). Gehazi, like his master, had access to the court, for we read of him narrating to the king the story of the prophet's dealings with the Shunammite (2 K S*- '). In contrast with the spirit of

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