GERON

whole of Palestine. Contrary to the statement of Josephu^, it is not the highest of the mountains of Samaria, Ebal and Tell 'Azur being rather higher. R. A. S. Macalister.

GEBON should possibly appear as a proper name in 2 Mac 6' (AV and RV 'an old man of Athens'; RVra 'Geron an Athenian').

GERRENIANS (2 Mac 13W).— The true reading and the people intended are both uncertain. The analogy of 1 Mac ll'" suggests some place near the border of Egypt ; but Gerrha, between Pelusium and Bhinocolura, was in Egyptian territory. It has been suggested that the reference is to Gerar, an ancient Phil, city S.E. of Gaza. On the other hand, Syr. reads Gazar, i.e. Gezer or Gazara, not far from Lydda (cf. 1 Mac

1528. 36).

GERSHOM. — 1. The elder of the two sons borne to Moses by Zipporah (Ex 222 IS^-'; the explanation of the name given in these two passages is folk-etymology). According to Ex 142'- 2«, the origin of circumcision among the Israelites was connected with that of Gershora; the rite was performed by his mother; this was contrary to later usage, according to.which this was always done by a man. The son of Gershom, Jonathan, and his descendants were priests to the tribe of the Danites; but the fact that these latter set up for themselves a graven image, and that therefore the descendants of Gershom were connected with worship of this kind, was regarded as a grave evil by later generations, for which reason the word 'Moses' in Jg 18'° was read 'Manasseh' by the insertion of an n above the text; it was thought derogatory to the memory of Moses that descendants of his should have been guilty of the worship of graven images. In Jg 17' there is a possible reference to Gershom, for the words 'and he sojourned there' can also be read 'and he (was) Gershom' (W. H. Bennett). In 1 Ch 2318 262< the sons of Gershom are mentioned, Shebuel or Shubael being their chief. 2. A son of Levi (1 Ch 6i« [v.i in Heb.]); see Gebshon. 3. A descendant of Phinehas, one of the 'heads of houses' who went up with Ezra from Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes (Ezr 82). W. O. E. Obsterley.

GERSHON, GERSHONITES.— The name Gershon is given to the eldest son of Levi, to whom a division of the Levites traced their descent (Gn 46", Ex 6", Nu 3", 1 Ch 61- « [Gershom] 23«). The title ' Gershon-ites' is found in Nu 321- at- 4!»- 27t. 265', jos 2133, 1 Ch 23' 2621, 2 Ch 2912; and of an individual, 1 Ch 2621 298; the 'sons of Gershon' (Ex 6", Nu S's- ^ 422. as. 41 7' 10", Jos 21«- 2'), or 'of Gershom' (1 Ch 6i'- «2. 71 157). They were subdivided into two groups, the Libnites and the Shimeites (Nu 321 26=8), each being traced to a 'son' of Gershon (Ex 6", Nu Sis, 1 ch 6"- 20 [42, shimei is omitted from the genealogy]). 'Ladan' stands for Libni in 1 Ch 23'«- 262i. From these families fragments of genealogies remain (see 1 Ch 23«-u). Comparatively little is related of the Gershonites after the Exile. Cer-tain of them are mentioned in 1 Ch 9'^ and Neh ll""- 22 as dwelling in Jerusalem immediately after the Return. Of the 'sons of Asaph' (Gershonites), 128 (Ezr 2^') or 148 (Neh 7") returned with Ezra to the city in B.C. 454. Asaphites led the music at the foundation of the Temple (Ezr 31°); and certain of them blew trumpets in the procession at the dedication of the city walls (Neh 12'').

P and the Chronicler introduce the family into the earlier history. (1) During the desert wanderings the Gershonites were on the west side of the Tent (Nu 32^); their duty was to carry all the hangings which composed the Tent proper, and the outer coverings and the hangings of the C9urt, with their cords (325f'42^-10i'), for which they were given two wagons and four oxen (7'); and they were superintended by Ithamar, the youngest son of Aaron (4" 78). (2) After the settlement in Palestine, thftieen cities were assigned to them (Jos 21«-27-a3 = i ch 6'2- "-'6). (3) In David's reign the Chronicler relates that the Temple

GESTURES

music was managed partly by Asaph, a Geishonite, and his family (l.Ch 6"-" 26"- «■ H"- '"• "'■ "; and see 15'- '7-i»). David divided the Levites into courses ' according to the sons of Levi' (23«; Gershonites, w.'-")| and particular offices of Gershonites are stated in 262"- (4) Jahaziel, an Asaphite, prophesied to Jehoshaphat before the battle of En-gedi (2 Ch 20»-i7). (5) They took part in the cleansing of the Temple under Hezekiah (29'" ). Cf. also Kohath.

A. H. M'Neile.

GERSON (1 Es 829) = Ezr g2 Gershom.

GERUTH-OHIMHAM (Jer 41").— A khan (7) which possibly derived its name from Chimham, the son of Barzillai the Gileadite (2 S 19'"). Instead of girath we should perhaps read gidrdth 'hurdles.'

GESHAN.— A descendant of Caleb, 1 Ch 2". Mod. editions of AV have Gesham, although the correct form of the name appears in ed. of 1611.

GESHEM (Neh 2" 6i-2; in 6' the form Gashmu occurs). — An Arabian who is named, along with Sanballat the Horonlte and Tobiah the Ammonite, as an opponent of Nehemiah during the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 2i= 61"). He may have belonged to an Arab community which, as we learn from the monuments, was settled by Sargon in Samaria c. B.C. 715 — this would explain his close connexion with the Samaritans; or he may have been the chief of an Arab tribe dweUiiig in the S. of Judah, in which case his presence would point to a coalition of all the neighbouring peoples against Jerusalem.

GESHUR, GESHURITES.— A small Aramaean tribe, whose territory, together with that of Maacah (wh. see), formed the W. border of Bashan (Dt 3", Jos 12' 13"). The Geshurites were not expelled by the half- tribe of Manasseh, to whom their land had been allotted (Jos 13"), and were still ruled by an independent king in the reign of David, who married the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 8 3'). After the murder of his half-brother Amnon, Absalom took refuge with his maternal grandfather in 'Geshur of Aram' (2 S 13" 15*). Geshur 'and Maacah were probably situated in the modern Jaulan, if they are not to be identified with it. In 1 Oh 228 Geshur and Aram are said to have taken the 'tent- villages' of Jair from the Israelites. On the strength of Jos 132 and 1 S 27', it has been maintained that there was another tribe of this name in the neigh-bourhood of the Philistines ; but the evidence in support of this view is very precarious.

GESTURES.— The Oriental is a natural expert in appropriate and expressive gesture. To his impulsive and emotional temperament, attitude and action form a more apt vehicle for thought and feeUng than even speech. Movement of feature, shrug of shoulder, turn of hand, express much, and suggest delicate shades of meaning which cannot be put in words. Conversation is accompanied by a sort of running commentary of gestures. Easterns conduct argument and altercation at the pitch of their voices; emphasis is supplied almost wholly by gestures. These are often so violent that an unskilled witness might naturally expect to see blood-shed follow.

The word does not occur in Scripture, but the thing, in various forms, is constantly appearing. Bowing the head or body marks reverence, homage, or worship (Gn 182, Ex 20', 1 Ch 2121, Ps 95«, Is 60"). The same is true of kneeling (1 K 19", 2 K 1", Ps 95«, Mk 1"). This sign of homage the tempter sought from Jesus (Mt 4»). Kneeling was a common attitude in prayer (1 K 8M, Ezr 9', Dn 6'", Lk 22", Eph 3" etc.). The glance of the eye may mean appeal, as the upward look in prayer (Job 222», Mk 6" etc.), anger (Mk 3«), or reproach (Lk 22"). A shake of the head may express scorn or derision (2 K I921, Ps 10926, Mk 152» etc.). A grimace of the lip is a sign of contempt (Ps 227). shaking the dust off the feet, or shaking, however gently, one's raiment, indicates complete severance (Mt 10" etc.).

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