Gilboa is mentioned in OT only in connexion with the camp of the Philistines and the death of Saul (1 S 28^ 31'- «, 2 S V-'^ 21i2, l Ch 10'- «). Saul and the Israelites went from Gilboa to the foun- tain which is in Jezreel. Near it they were de- feated by the Philistines, and on its slopes they
fell do'vvn wounded, and Saul and Jonathan wer« slain. But though mentioned so seldom, Gilboa, being the eastern boundary of the great battle- field of Palestine (cf. Esdraelon), has at all times played an important part in the historj' of the country from the days of Saul to those of Saladin ana Napoleon.
LlTBRATTRB. — Robinson, Physical Geotj. of Palestine, 23-25 ; Trelawney Saunders, Introd. to Surn'i/ of Westi^rn Palestine, 129, 166 fl., 212 8.; G. A. Smith, UGUL 400 ff.; Baedeker-Socin,
Pal. 244. G. W. Thatcher.
GILEAD {T/:3).—i. The • son ' of Machir (son of IManasseh) in Nu 27' 36', Jos 17» (all P), 1 Cli 7", a« conversely Machir is said to have ' begotten ' Gilead in Nu 26-"-', and is called the ' father ' of Gilead in 1 Ch 2"- '■^ 7". The eponymous ancestor of the district called Gilead (which see). An analogous personification no dcmbt underlies the statement (Jg 11') that ' Gilead begat Jephthah ' (viz. by an illegitimate wife). ' Gilead is the name of a region or of its population (Jg 5"), not of a man' (Moure, ad Inc.), and a piece of tribal history is related (as sometimes happens in the OT) as though it were the domestic history of an individual ; Jephthah's relations with the other inhabitants of Gilead being represented (v.-) as his relations with the legitimate sons of his father Gilead. See further Manasseh. 2. A Gadite, the son of Michael, 1 Ch S'*.
S. R. Driver.
GILEAD (■'jj^ii, TaXadS). — This name is applied to persons, to a tribe or family (Nu 36'), to a par- ticular city (Hos 6'),* to a mountain, and to a dis- trict east of the Jordan, whose dimensions varied somewhat when spoken of by ditVerent writers. It appears first in the account of Jacob (Gn 31^), and thereafter is of frequent occurrence during the entire period of biblical history. As a geographical term it was still in use in the time of Josephus.
The present article is to deal with Gilead as a division of the Holy Land, its physical features, its geographical limits, and its historical associations.
From the mountains of Western Pal. the entire length of G. can be seen, and a large portion of its territory brought under the eye at once. It appears thence like a vast mountain ran<;e, varj'ing from 3000 to 4000 ft. in height. To malce up this height the depression of the Jordan Valley is reckoned, which IS from 700 to 1300 ft. below the level of the Mediterranean. The summit of this range does not rise into peaks, but is pretty uniformly level. Valleys, wooded sections, and bold headlands are noticed, which give the impression that the country is wild and rugged. On the other hand, if from any point in the plain of Baslian, which bounds G. on the east, one looks westward to this range, he sees only a Ion" line of low picturesque hills. 'The reason is that Bashan is a plateau rising 2000 or more feet above the sea-level. From this point no one would think of describing G. as 'rough and rugged.' Again, when one comes to travel through G. in difl'erent directions, he finds himself in the midst of charming natural scenery, where streams, springs, and forests, rich fields, gentle slopes, and quiet valleys attract the eye. Thus, according to the point of view of the observer, three very ditterent descriptions of this region can be given, each having the merit of apparent accuracy.
The etymology of the word as given by Gesenius and Fuerst, viz. ' hard, stony region, rocky moun- tain,' does not indicate the character of the country ; certain limited sections might be thus descriljed, but outside of these G. is in the main a fertile and beautiful country. Josephus ( Wars, III.
• Possibly also in Jg 10". For Gilead of Hos 68 some MSS of the LX.\, which belong to the Luc. recension, read Gilgal (TixXyxXx), which Nowack considers (comparing 415 9IB iai2) worthy of consideration. See further Dillmann on On 31H
GILEAD
GILEAD
175
iii. 3) says that 'it ia not favourable for the growth of delicate fruits,' but that does not invalidate the statement just made as to its jjeneral character.
In the conquest of the east Jordan country by Moses and Joshua (Nu 21), G. is not mentioned, although the sections as conquered one after another can be prettv clearly defined. Attention to these details will help us in fixing its geo- graphical limits. Occasionally G. was used so as to include the entire country between Hermon on the north and the river Arnon on the south (Jos 22"), but generally the region .south of Heshbon and the north end of the bead Sea, i.e. the terri- tory of Keuben, was not included, and in the opjjo.site direction the south end of the Sea of Galilee was its northern limit. The Jordan was its western boundary, and the eastern was the point where the hills meet the Bashan plain.