GILGAL

subsequent sacrifice of his daughter is indicated as the origin of a festival of Israelite women (Jg 11"). In a previous stress of the Israelites, Gilead did not bear its part, and is upbraided for its remissness by Deborah (Jg 5"). In Jg 201 Gilead is used as a general term for trans-Jordanic Israel. Here some of the Hebrews took refuge from the Philistines (1 S 13'); and over Gilead and other parts of the country Ish-bosheth was made king (2 S 29). Hither David fled from before Absalom, and was succoured, among others, by Bar-zillai (2 S 172' IQ^', 1 K 2'), whose descendants are referred to in post-exilic records (Ezr 26', Neh 7"). To Gilead David's census agents came (2 S 24s). It was administered by Ben-geber for Solomon (1 K 4"). It was the land of Elijah's origin (1 K 171). For cruelties to Gileadites, Damascus and Aramon are denounced by Amos (1«- "), while on the other hand Hosea (68 12") speaks bitterly of the sins of Gilead. Pekah had a following of fifty Gileadites when he slew Pekahiah (2 K 1525). The country was smitten by Hazael (10^'), and its inhabitants carried away captive by Tiglath-pileser (15"). R. A. S. Macalistek.

GILGAL. — A name meaning 'stone circle' applied to several places mentioned in the OT. 1. A place on the east border of Jericho (Jos 4"), where the Israelites first encamped after crossing Jordan, and which re-mained the headquarters of the congregation till after the rout of the northern kings at Merom (14"). The stone circle from which it certainly took its name (in spite of the impossible etymology given in Jos 5'), was no doubt that to which the tradition embodied in Jos 4?" refers, and the same as the 'images' by Gilgal in the story of Ehud (Jg 3" RVm). The name is still preserved in the modern JUjaUeh. This is prob-ably the same Gilgal as that included in the annual circuit of Samuel (1 S 7"). This shrine is mentioned by Hosea (4" 9" 12") and by Amos (4* 5'). 2. A place of the same name near Dor mentioned in a list of con-quered kings (Jos 1223). n may be JUjulieh, about 4 miles N. of Antipatris (Bos d-'Ain). 3. A place in the Samaritan mountains (2 K V), somewhere near Bethel (2'). It may possibly be JUfWia, 8 miles N.W. of Bethel. 4. The Gilgal of Dt ll'" is unknown. It may be identical with No. 1 ; but it seems closely connected with Ebal and Gerizim. There is a JuleijU 2i miles S.E. of Nablus that may represent this place. 5. A place of uncertain locality, also possibly the same as No. 1, In the border of the tribe of Judah (Jos 15').

At none of these places have any remains of early antiquity been as yet observed. There was in a.d. 700 a large church that covered what were said to be the twelve commemoration stones of Joshua: this is reported by Arculf. The church and stones have both dis-appeared. The only relic of antiquity now to be seen is a large pool, probably of mediaeval workmanship, 100 ft. by 84 ft. A tradition evidently suggested by the Biblical story of the fall of Jericho is recorded by Conder as having been related to him here.

R. A. S. Macalistee.

GILOH. — A city in the southern hills of Judah (Jos 15"), the birthplace of Ahithophel the Gilonite, the famous counsellor of David (2 S IS'" 23"). Its site is uncertain.

GIMEL.— The third letter of the Heb. alphabet, and as such used in the 119th Psalm to designate the 3rd part, each verse of which begins with this letter.

GIMZO.— A town on the border of Fhilistia (2 Ch 28's). It is the modern JimzU near Aijalon.

GIN. — See Snakes.

GINATH. — Father of Tibni, who unsuccessfully laid claim against Omri to the throne of Israel (1 K le^'- 22).

GINNETHOI. — A priest among the returned exiles (Neh 12<); called in Neh 121= 108 Ginnethon.

GLEANING

GIRDING THE LOINS, GIRDLE.— See Dbebs, §§ 2. 3.

GIRGASHITES (in Heb. always sing. ' the Girgashite,' and rightly so rendered in RV). — Very little is known of this people, whose name, though occurring several times in OT in the list of Can. tribes (Gn lO" 15", Dt 7' [and 20" in Sam. and LXX], Jos S'" 24", 1 Ch 1", Neh 98), affords no indication of their position, or to what branch of the Canaanites they belonged, except in two instances, namely, Gn I018, where the ' Girgashite' is given as the name of the fifth son of Canaan; and Jos 24", where the Glrgashites would seem to have inhabited the tract on the west of Jordan, the Israelites having been obliged to cross over that river in order to fight the men of Jericho, among whom were the Girgashites.

GIRZITES.— Ace. to 1 S 278, David and his men- while living at the court of Achish king of Gath, 'made a raid upon the Geshurites and the Girzites (RVm Gizrites) and the Amalekites: for those nations were the inhabitants of the land, which were of old, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.' The LXX (B) is probably correct in reading only one name ' Gizrites ' for ' Geshurites and Girzites,' viz. the Canaanite inhabitants of Gezer (wh. see), a town on the S.W. border of Ephraim (Jos 1088 168- 1", Jg l").

GISHPA.— An overseer of the Nethinim (Neh 11"), but text is probably corrupt.

GITTAHH.— A town of Benjamin (?), 2 S 48, noticed with Hazor and Ramah (Neh 1 188) . The site is unknown.

GITTITES.— See Gath.

GITTITH.— See Psalms (titles).

GIZONITE.— Agentilicnamewhich'occursinlChll'i in the colloc. ' Hashem the Gizonite.' In all probability this should be corrected to 'Jashen (cf. the parallel passage 2 S 238^) the Gunite.' See Jashen.

GIZRITES.— See Girzites.

GLASS, LOOKING-GLASS, MIRROR.— This indis-pensable article of a lady's toilet is first met with in Ex 388, where the 'laver of brass' and its base are said to have been made of the ' mirrors ( AV ' looking-glasses ') of the serving women which served at the door of the tent of meeting' (RV). This passage shows that the mirrors of the Hebrews, like those of the other peoples of antiquity, were made of polished bronze, as is implied in the comparison. Job 37'8, of the sky to a 'molten mirror' (RV and AV 'looking-glass'). A different Hebrew word is rendered 'hand mirror' by RV in the list of toilet articles. Is 3^8. The fact that this word denotes a writing ' tablet ' in 8' (RV) perhaps indicates that in the former passage we have an oblong mirror in a wooden frame. The usual shape, however, of the Egyptian (see Wilkinson, Anc. Egyp. ii. 350 f . with illust. ), as of the Greek, hand-mirrors was round or sUghtly oval. As a rule they were furnished with a tang, which fitted into a handle of wood or metal, often delicately carved. Two specimens of circular mirrors of bronze, one 5 inches, the other 4i, in diameter, have recently been discovered in Philistine (?) graves at Gezer {PEFSt, 1905, 321; 1907, 199 with illusts.).

In the Apocrypha there is a reference. Sir 12", to the rust that gathered on these metal mirrors, and in Wis 7" the Divine wisdom is described as ' the unspotted mirror of the power of God,' the only occurrence in AV of ' mirror, ' which RV substitutes for ' glass ' throughout. The NT references, finally, are those by Paul (1 Co I312, 2 Co 3'8) and by James (1^8). For the 'sea of glass" (RV 'glassy sea') of Rev 4' 15^ see art. Sea of Glass. A. R. S. Kennedy.

GLEANING. ^For the humanitarian provisions of the Pentateuchal codes, by which the gleanings of the corn-field, vineyard, and oliveyard were the perquisites of the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and the ffSr or outlander.

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