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Gaza Strip
Bible Dictionary
Gaza (the fortified; the strong) (properly
Azzah), one of the five
chief cities of the Philistines. It is remarkable for its continuous
existence and importance from the very earliest times. The secret of
this unbroken history is to be found in the situation of Gaza.
It is the last town in the southwest of Palestine,
on the frontier towards Egypt. The same peculiarity of situation has
made Gaza important in a military sense. Its name means "the strong;"
and this was well elucidated in its siege by Alexander the
Great, which lasted five months. In the
conquest of Joshua the territory of Gaza is mentioned as one which he
was not able to subdue.
Joshua 10:41 And Joshua smote them from
Kadesh-barnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even
unto Gibeon.
Joshua 11:22 There was none of the Anakims left
in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in
Ashdod, there remained.
Joshua 13:3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt,
even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the
Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the
Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also
the Avites:
It was assigned to the tribe of Judah,
Joshua 15:47 Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her
towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt, and the great sea,
and the border thereof:
and that tribe did obtain possession of it,
Judges 1:18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon
with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
but did not hold it long,
Judges 3:3 Namely, five lords of the
Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the
Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the
entering in of Hamath.
Judges 13:1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight
of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the
Philistines forty years.
and apparently it continued through the time of
Samuel, Saul and David to be a Philistine city. Solomon became master of
"Azzah,"
1 Kings 4:24 For he had dominion over all the region on this
side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on
this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.
1 Samuel 6:17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines
returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for
Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
1 Samuel 14:52 And there was sore war
against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any
strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
1 Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men
of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in
mount Gilboa.
2 Samuel 21:15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again
with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and
fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.
but in after times the same trouble with the
Philistines recurred.
2 Chronicles 21:16 Moreover
the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines,
and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:
2 Chronicles 26:6 And he went forth
and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the wall of Gath,
and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities
about Ashdod, and among the Philistines.
2 Chronicles 28:18 The Philistines also
had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of
Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and
Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages
thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.
The passage where Gaza is mentioned in the New
Testament
Acts 8:26
And the angel of the Lord spake unto
Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that
goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
is full of interest. It is the account of the baptism of the Ethiopian
eunuch on his return from Jerusalem to Egypt. Gaza is the modern Ghuzzeh, a
Mohammedan town of about 16,000 inhabitants, situated partly on an oblong
hill of moderate height and partly on the lower ground. The climate of the
place is almost tropical, but it has deep wells of excellent water. There
are a few palm trees in the town, and its fruit orchards are very
productive; but the chief feature of the neighborhood is the wide-spread
olive grove to the north and northeast. From Bible Dictionary
Gaza Strip USA Dictionary
Gaza Strip, is a piece of land that is administered by Palestinians.
Israeli troops had occupied it from 1967 to 1994. It lies on the
Mediterranean coast, where Egypt and Israel meet. The Gaza Strip covers
146 square miles (378 square kilometers) and has a population of about
1,215,000. Most of its land is sandy and flat. The vast majority of the
people are Palestinian Arabs, including many who became refugees from
Israel after the state of Israel was created in 1948. Israeli settlers
make up a small percentage of the population. The economy is based on
agriculture, including citrus fruit production. Some of the residents
commute to jobs in Israel. Gaza, the major city, is overcrowded with
refugees.
In ancient times, the Gaza Strip was ruled by the pharaohs of Egypt.
Later, at various times, it was ruled by Philistines, Jews, Arabs, and
Turks. From 1920 to 1948, it was part of the British-ruled Mandate of
Palestine. Egypt gained control of the strip during the Arab-Israeli war
of 1948. Israel took control of the strip after the 1967 Arab-Israeli
War.
During the late 1980's, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank
staged widespread, often violent, demonstrations against Israel's
occupation. Israeli forces clashed with protesters, killing many of
them.
In 1993, Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
signed agreements that led to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from most
of the Gaza Strip in 1994. Palestinians then took control of the area.
In 1996, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank
elected a legislature and a president to make laws and administer these
areas. But there is still a large Israeli security presence.
In 1998, Israel and the PLO signed an agreement allowing a Palestinian
airport to open in the Gaza Strip.
In 2000, Israel and the Palestinians
held peace talks but failed to resolve key remaining disagreements.
Later that year, violence again broke out between Palestinian
demonstrators and Israeli forces in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the
Gaza Strip.
GAZA, One of the five Philistine cities, Mentioned in the
first and latest books of Scripture, and even now exceeding Jerusalem in
size. It is the most southwesterly town toward Egypt, and lay on the
great route between Syria and that country, being in position and
strength (as its name means) the key of the line of communication.
It withstood Alexander's siege with all his resources for five months.
It is called Azzah Genesis 10:19; Deut 2:23; Jer 25:20. Gaza was
assigned by Joshua to Judah (Josh 15:47), but not occupied until
afterward (Judges 1:18; compare Josh 10:41), the Anakims occupying it
still (Josh 11:22; 13:8).
The Philistines soon recovered it (Judges 13:1; 16:1,21), and there Samson
perished while destroying his captors. Solomon ruled over it (1 Kings
4:24). Hezekiah gave the decisive blow to the Philistines, "even unto
Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the
fenced city" (2 Kings 18:8). Amos (Amos 1:6) threatened from God. "for
three transgressions of Gaza and for four (for sin multiplied on
sin, Ex 20:5; Prov 30:15.
Three and four make seven, the number implying completion of the measure
of guilt I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they
carried away captive the whole captivity (they carried all away and
left none; see 2 Chron 21:17; 28:18) to deliver them up to Edom (the
Philistines of Gaza, instead of hospitably sheltering the Jewish
refugees fleeing before Sennacherib and other Assyrian, invaders, sold
them as captives to their bitter foes, the Edomites; compare Isaiah 16:4.
But I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, which shall devour the
palaces thereof." "Pharaoh" Necho fulfilled the prophecy on returning
from slaying Josiah at Megiddo (2 Chron 35:20) (Grotius). Or "Pharaoh"
Hophra, on his return from the unavailing attempt to save Jerusalem from
Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 37:5,7; 47:1)
(Calvin) In Zeph 2:4 there is a play on like sounds; Gazah gazuwbah,
"Gaza shall be forsaken." In Zech 9:5 "the king shall perish from Gaza, its Persian satrap, or petty "king," subordinate to the great king
of Persia, shall perish, and it shall cease to have one.
Alexander having taken the city, and slain 10,000 of its inhabitants,
and sold the rest as slaves, bound Betis the satrap to a chariot by
thongs thrust through his soles, and dragged him round the city, as
Achilles did to Hector.
In Acts 8:26, "go toward the S. unto the way that goeth down from
Jerusalem unto Gaza which (not Gaza, but which way) is desert," refers
to the portion of the road between Eleutheropolis and Gaza, which is
without villages and exposed to Bedouin marauders of the desert.
The words "which is desert" are the angel's words (not Luke's), to
inform Philip, then in Samaria, on what route he would find the eunuch,
namely, on the S. route, thinly peopled, but favorable for chariots,
Robinson (2:748) found an ancient road direct from Jerusalem to Gaza
through the wady Musurr, now certainly without villages. The water in
wady el Hasy was probably the scene of the eunuch's baptism.
Once Gaza was the seat of a Christian church and bishop; but now of its
15,000 inhabitants only a few hundreds are Christians, the rest Muslims.
The great mosque was formerly the church of John when Gaza was a
Christian city.
An extensive olive grove lies N. of the modern Ghuzzeh., from whence
arises its manufacture and export of soap. Its trade in grain is
considerable, and still is heard the "grinding" of grain with millstones
such as Samson was forced to work with in his prison house at Gaza. The
Tel el Muntar or "hill of the watchman," east of Gaza, is the hill to
which Samson carried up the gates. It commands a lovely and striking
view on every side.
• Exactly 2520 years from the exile
of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
•
The first tribe to be
conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh,
in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.
• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant,
(A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt
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