1. We learn from the Bk. of Joshua, that after the destruction of Jericho and Ai by the Israelites the inhabitants of G. devised a scheme by which they hoped to avoid the fate that had befallen
' According to 2 S 21' the Gibeoaites were 'of the remnant of the Amorites '
their neighbours. They accordingly despatched an embassy to the Israelite camp at GUgal for the purpose of misleading the enemy by representing that they were not inhabitants of Canaan, but came from a far distant country. In 8uj)jjort of this statement the embassy drew attention to the condition of their provisions and garments, which bore apparent traces of having been brought from a long distance. Their request for an alliance was at once granted by Josliua and the princes, and a covenant ratified between the two peoples. Within three days, however, the trick played by the men of G. was fully exposed, but, on account of the covenant oath, Joshua and the princes of the congregation determined to abide by the alliance, wliUe they condemned the Gibeoiiites to perpetual service as ' hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation ' (Jos 9^-''). Meantime the neighbouring Amorite kings under Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem had combined to resist the forces of Joshua, and as a tirst step to lay siege to G. An urgent summons for help was sent to the Israelites, to which Josliua promptly re- sponded by making a forced night-march from Gilgal with all his troops. The confederate kings were utterly routed by the Israelites, who pur sued the flying foe down the valley of Aijalon as far as Makkedah in the Shephelali. It was on this occasion that, at the prayer of Joshua, ' the sun stayed in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day' (lO'""; see Beth-HORON). We learn from 2 S 21"' that the Gibeonites were nearly exterminated by Saul, but no details are supplied in the narrative of his reign. Reparation was made by David through the sacritice of seven of Saul's descendants.
2. We next hear of Gibeon at the beginning of David's reign, when he was as yet king of Judah only, and was still opposed by Ishbosheth the son of Saul. During the struggle for supremacy two bodies of troops, under their respective generals, — Joab the son of Zeruiah and Abner the son of Ner, — met, as if by agreement, on the frontier at Gibeon. The battle went in favour of David's men, and in the subsequent flight of Abner the latter slew Asahel, the younger brother of Joab (2 S 2'--3-). The story clearly belongs to the older naiTative (J') of the books of Samuel, and is undoubtedly genuine, though vv."-'" seem to interrupt the main narrative. These verses de- scribe the mortal combat that took place between the 12 champions of each party. The name given to the spot, Hclkathhazziirim (D-is;: rp^T 'the held of sword-edges'), has probably been more correctly preserved in the LXX (Mepls tCiv eirtjiouXuv, i.e. D'liin 'n ' the field of the liers in wait ' ; cf. Driver, in loe.), and should be transliterated Belkath- hazzi'jdim. The ' pool of Gibeon ' here mentioned (v.*^) is doubtless the reservoir referred to above. Similarly, in Jer 41'"- Johanan the son of Karcah is stated to have delivered the captives of Mizpah from the hands of Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, ' by the great waters that are in Gibeon.' It was at this spring also, according to Josephus (Ant. V. i. 17), that Joshua surprised the five kings of the Amorites when they were besieging Gibeon.
3. Owing to the great similarity between the two names (see Geba, Gibeah), Geba seems to have been substituted for Gibeon in 2 S 5'-^. The parallel passage (1 Ch H^") gives Giieon, and this reading is also supported by the LXX and by Is 28-', which connects Gibeon with Perazim as in 2 S 5"-". Further, the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim to the W. of Jerusalem (Smith, BGHL p. 218, by a lap.tus calami or a printer's error, places the valley S.E. of Jerusalem ; it is correctly placed in the map, Plate IV.), whila David was advancing from the S., when cuui-
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manded to ' make a circuit behind them ' (v.^). Hi« attack therefore /rojn Gibeon to the N.W. of Jerusalem suits the requirements of the context ; Geba was too far to the E.
4. The reljellion of Absalom, which cuhninated in his death, was quickly followed by an outbreak on the part of the men of Israel under one Slu'ba the son of Bichri (2 S '20"-). The task of sujipressing the revolt was at first assigned to Aiiiasa, but owinj; to his dilatoriness Abishai * was also sent in jnirsuit. The latter was accompanied by Joab, and the two parties of David's troops met ' at the great stone which is in G.' (20*). Isot suspecting any evil, Amasa advanced to salute Joab, and was treacherously slain by him. The ' great stone of G.' is not mentioned elsewhere ; it was probably a pillar or cairn of stones such as we frequently lind in connexion with the OT sanctuaries, e.tf. at Mizpah, Bethel, Giigal (cf. W. R. Smith, US 18G f. ).