This u.se of language is certainly significant.
GIANT
167
Apparently, it shows that the ^^Titers of OT regard the giants, not as a group of nationalities or peoples, but simply as a breed of men, existing in several varieties. With this agree statements made concerning the giants at all periods. Tlie Davidic giants, thougli cliildrcn of the raphnh, were politically Philistine and Gittite. Og, though of the breed of the rephaim, was politicalTj' Amor- ite (Jos 2'" etc.). In tlie time of the conquest, the Anakim around Hebron were jiolitically Amorite ; in the time of Abraham, it is probably fair to infer that they were politically Hittite. Giants as they were, and formidable, they maintained their existence only where they became associated with some other race, the other race being always dominant. The case of the Horites, maintaining their position as a people among peoples, is prob- ably to be accounted for by some peculiar turn taken in their relations with Esau and his Hivite connexions by marriage.
4. Pecuuauities of the Giant Race.— They were of great stature. Probably, no authentic measurements of men exceed those of the Goliath whom David slew. The Israelites of the Exodus seemed as grasshoppers by the side of the Anakim.
There is no ground in the biblical accounts for inferring that they were monstrous in shape. The six-toed man of David's time must be regarded as exceptional and not typical. The name Avvim may he from a stem that denotes crookedness, physi- cal or moral, but it is insufficient as evidence tliat the Avvim had distorted bodies. The Anakim are verbally ' men of neck,' and this is commonly interpreted to mean that they were long-necked. But it is quite as likely to mean that they were thick-neeked. The name Emim, ' formidable ones,' may indicate that fearsomeness was the principal cliaracteristic of the giants, but their terriblenes."" apjiarently was due to their size and prowess, ana not to anything uncanny about them.
Tlie name Horite is supposed to denote cave- dweller ; but even if the rep/uiim were originally cave-dwellers, most of them were certainly not so within the time during which we have information concerning them.
They were a numerous stock. ' A peojile great and many, and tall as the Anakim,' is a phrase used more than once.
Yet tlie rephaim, as a whole, were inferior to the peoples of normal stature who surrounded them. Individuals among them were leaders — for example, Og, or the three chiefs at Hebron ; but these were exceptional. We miglit infer this from the general history of mankind, hut it is better to infer it from the fact given in the Bible, that the repluiim, coming in contact with otlier men, he- came either extinct or subordinate. Doubtless they were more fornii<labIe, however, as lighters in the Amorite or Philistine armies than they would have been by themselves.
5. Mention in Later Times.— We have no clear facts concerning the giants later than the time of David. In the LXX of Jer 47' we read : ' Ashkelon is cast away, the remnant of the Eiiakim.' Those who prefer this to the Heb. text find in it proof of a survival of men of the giant breed even to that date, but this is | re- carious.
Later wTiters confuse the rephaim with the Nephilim, speak of their foolishness, and of their bones or other relics as on exhibition at Hebron, or Damascus, or elsewhere (Jtli 10', Wis 14''', Sir 10' 47', liar3»'; Jos. Ant. V. ii. 3 ; Benjamin of Tuilela, Itin. p. 50). Yet others enlarge upon the biblical statements with the most extraordi- nary assert inns, iiieasiircnients, and legends.
1-or Valley of the Giants (KV, Vale of Rephaim), Jos 15» 18'«, see Rei-HAIM (VaLUEY OF).
168
GIBBAR
GIBEAH
LiTERATPRB, — The older literature of this subject Is volumin- ous. See, (or example, Grotius, De Veritate^ i. 16 ; Pritchard, yaturai Histor]/ of Man, v. 4S9 ff. ; Kurtz, Die Etien der Sijhiui Gutter, Berlin, 1S57 ; Sennert, VUxcrt. UUt. Phil, de iiiitantHAte, 1CG3. See also the article ' Kiesen ' in Herzoc'9 RK\ Porter, Giant Cities of Balkan, 1860; I.«nonnant, LfS Ori.jines de VBiitoire, 18S0-18S2 ; Schwally, ZA W, ISUS, p. 127 fl.
\V. J. Beecher.
GIBBAR (i;? ' hero'). — A family which returned with Zeriib. (Ezr 2-'°). The name is probably an error for Cilieon (pyn:) of Neh 7". See Genealogy.
GIBBETHON (pn?? 'mound,' 'height').— A town which is mentioned, along with Eltekeh and Haalath, as belonging to the tribe of Dan, and as a Levitical city (Jos 19" 21^). In the time of the early kings of northern Israel G. was in the hands of the Phil., and was a place of importance. Nadab, king of Israel, was besieging it when he was slain by his successor Baasha ; and a quarter of a century later Omri was similarly engaged when he was made king by the army, to succeed Zimri (1 K 15" 10">-"). In Onom. Sac.^ (246, 255) a Gaba- thon is mentioned 17 raUes from Coesarea. But this is nearly W. of Samaria, and much too far to the north to agree with the biblical notices of G. Tlie I'al. Survey maps identify it with Kibbiah, well down the western slope of the mountain country, 840 ft. above the sea, in lat. ST'SS and long. 35°' 1, nearly equidistant from Jerusalem, Shechem, and Jojipa. W. J. Beecher.