Bible Lexicons

Γάζα, Γάζης (Buttmann, 17 (15)), ἡ (אַזָּה i. e. strong, fortified (cf. Valentia); the 'ayin ע being represented by gamma γ', cf. עֲמֹרָה Γόμορρα), formerly a celebrated city of the Philistines, situated on a hill near the southern border of the land of Israel, between Raphia and Ascalon, twenty stadia (`at the most,' Arrian. exp. Alex. 2, 26; seven, Strabo 16, 30) from the sea and eleven geographical miles from Jerusalem. It was fortified and surrounded by a massive wall. Although held by a Persian garrison, Alexander the Great captured it after a siege of two months, but did not destroy it ((Josephus, Antiquities 11, 8, 4); Diodorus 17, 48; Plutarch, Alex. 25; Curt. 4, 6f). Afterward, in the year , Alexander Janmaeus, king of the Jews, took it, after a year's siege and destroyed it (Josephus, Antiquities 13, 13, 3). Gabinius rebuilt it (Josephus, the passage cited 14:5, 3). Finally, the emperor Augustus gave it () to Herod the Great (Josephus, the passage cited 15, 7, 3), after whose death it was annexed to Syria (Josephus, the passage cited 17, 11, 4). Modern Ghuzzeh (or Ghazzeh), an unfortified town, having an area of two English miles, with between fifteen and sixteen thousand inhabitants. Mentioned in the N. T. in Acts 8:26, where the words αὕτη ἐστιν ἔρημος refer to ἡ ὁδός; Philip is bidden to take the way which is ἔρημος, solitary; cf. Meyer at the passage; (Winers Grammar, § 18, 9 N. 3; Buttmann, 104 (91)). A full history of the city is given by Stark, Gaza u. d. philistäische Küste. Jena, 1852; a briefer account by Winers RWB (see also BB. DD.) under the word ; Arnold in Herzog iv., p. 671ff