3. The son of one Manasseh (according to the text) and father of Jonathan, which last acted as priest to the Danites who captured Laish (Judg. xviii, 30) ; but, according to a more correct reading, he is not different from the son of Moses. See Jonathan'. The Tal- mud explains the substitution of "Manasseh" for "Moses" in the text by asserting that Jonathan did the works of Manasseh, and was therefore reckoned in his family {Baha Bathra, fol. 109, b). See Ma- nasseh.
4. A descendant of Phinehas, and chief of his house, who returned from Babvlon with Ezra (Ezra viii, 2), B.C. 459.
Ger'shon (Heb. Gershon', '1"l3"i5, expulsion, from C'^S, to drive out ; Sept. in Gen. Ftjpadw, elsewhere [and usually there also in the Cod. Alex.] PiCaoiv ; Joseph. rj/0(To/i(j;(j, Ant. ii, 7, 4), tlie eldest of the three sons of Levi, apparently born before the migration of Jacob's family into Egypt (Gen. xlvi, 11 ; Exod. vi, 16). B.C. cir. 1895. But though the eldest born, tlie families of Gershon were outstripped in fame l)y their j'ounger brethren of Kohath, from wliom sprang Moses and the priestly line of Aaron (see 1 Chron. vi, 2-15). Gcr- shon's sons were Libni anfrSiiimi (I'^xod. vi, 17; Numb. iii, 18, 21 ; 1 Cliron. vi, 17), and their families were duly recognised in the reign of David, when the per-
manent arrangements for the service of Jehovah were made (1 Ciuon. xxiii, 7-11). At this time Gershon was represented by the famous Asaph "the seer," whose genealogj' is given in 1 Chron. vi, 39-43, and also, in part, 20, 21. The family is mentioned once again as taking part in the reforms of Iving Hezekiah (2 Chron. xxix, 12, where it should be observed that the sons of Asapli are reckoned as distinct from the Gershonites). At the census in the wilderness of Si- nai the whole number of the males of the Bcne-Ger- shon was 7500 (Numb, iii, 22), midway between the Kohathites and tlie Merarites. At the same date the efficient men were 2630 (iv, 40). On the occasion of the second census the numbers of tlie Levites are given only in gross (Numb, xxvi, 62). The sons of Gershon had charge of the fabrics of the tabernacle — the cover- ings, curtains, hangings, and cords (Numb, iii, 25, 26 ; iv, 25, 26) ; for the transport of these they had two covered wagons and four oxen (vii, 3, 7). In the en- campment their station was behind ("^^nx) the taber- nacle, on the west side (NumV). iii, 23). When on the march they went witii the Merarites in the rear of the tirst body of three tribes — Judah, Issachar. Zcbulun — with Reuben behind them. In the apportionment of the Levitical cities, thirteen fell to the lot of the Ger- shonites. These were in the northern tribes — two in Manasseh beyond Jordan, four in Issachar, four in Asher, and three in Naphtali. All of these are said to have possessed "suburbs," and two were cities of refuge (Josh, xxi, 27-33; 1 Chron. vi, 62, 71-80). It is not easy to see what special duties fell to the lot of the Gershonites in the service of the tabernacle after its erection at Jerusalem, or in the Temple. The sons of Jeduthun "prophesied witli a harp," and the sons of Heman "lifted up the horn," but for the sons of Asapli no instrument is mentioned (1 Chron. xxv, 1- 5). They were appointed to "prophesy" (that is, probably, to utter, or sing, inspired words, NZ:), per- liaps after the special prompting of David liimself (xxv, 2). Others of the Gershonites, sons of Laadan, had charge of the "treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the holy things" (xxvi, 20-22), among which precious stones are specially named (xxix, 8).
In Chronicles the name is, witli two exceptions (1 Chron. vi, 1 ; xxiii, 6), given in the slightly different form of " Gershom." — Smith, s. v. See Gershoxite.
Ger'shoiiite (Heb. Gershunni', "^r^;"!?, Sept. Ttc- (Tdii'i, but often simply like Gershon. and so A. Y. often "son of Gershon"), a designation, usualh' in the plur., of the descendants of Gershon, one of the sons of Levi (Numb, iii, 21; iv, 24, 27; Josh, xxi, S3; 1 Chron. xxiii, 7 ; 2 Chron. xxix, 12). Their office, during the marches in the wilderness, was to carr}' the vails and curtains belonging to the tabernacle, on the western side of which they encamped (Numb, iii, 23-26; xxvi, 57). In the singular the term is applied to Laadan (1 Chron. xxvi, 21) and Jehiel (1 Chron. xxix, 8).
Ger'son (Tiipawi'), the Greek form (1 Esdr. viii, 29) of the name Gershom (q. v.).
Gersoii, Jean Charlier (Doctor Christ ianissimus^, one of the greatest names in the history of France and of the Galilean Cliurch. He was named Gerson from a village in the diocese of Rheinis, where he was born, Dec. 14, 1363. He entered the college of Navarre in 1377, and passed through all the degrees. He then studied theology seven years under the grand master Pierre d'Ailly, whom he succeeded as cliancelior of the university and prebendary of Notre Dame in 1396. Here he strenuously devoted himself to improving the course of theological study, on which his views maj' be seen in a letter to D'Ailly, dated April 1, 1400, De reformatione Thfologifp (Opera, vol. i). Bnt the diffi- culties of his position were very great. The univer- sity was in disorder ; the state was torn by contending