Gilbert, Joseph, an English Independent minis- ter, was born in 1778, and was for many years pastor at Nottingham ; died in 1852. He wrote Tlie Christian Atonement (Cong. Lecture, London, 1836, 8vo ; 2d edit. 1852). Sec British Critic, xxi, 450 ; Life of Gilbert, by his widow (Lond. 1853, 12mo) ; Darling, Cyclop. Bibli- oqraphica, i, 1254; Allibone, Dictionary of Authors, i, 668.
Gilbert of Sempringham (Guilbkrt), St., founder of the order of (iilbertines, was the son of Jos- seliii, lord of Sempringliam and Tirington, and was born in 1083. After completing his studies at Paris, he was ordained priest l>y the bishop of Lincoln, and received from his father the stewardship of two estates. He then founded a house for seven poor maidens who had resolved to lead a life of chastity, antl who made vows of absolute seclusion. They were attended onlv
b)- a few servants, from whom they received all they required through a window. The property with which he had endowed this institution was attended to bj' poor laborers, whom he also subjected to certain rules and observances. As similar institutions were soon erected in other places, Gilbert requested pope Eugene III to incorporate his foundation with the Cistercians. Eugene not complying with the request, he was obliged to provide in some other way for the guidance of his congregations, and in that view attached a convent of canons to each nunner}', framing at the same time
Regular Cancn of the Order of St. Gilbert.
Nun of the Order of St. Gil- bert.
very .strict rules to keep them each separate ; he placed the nuns under the rule of St. Benedict, and the can- ons under that of St. Augustine. The institution counted some 2200 men and several thousand women among its members, and hospitals for the poor, the sick, widows, and orphans were connected with their regular establishments. Gilbert died in 1189, aged 106 3-ears. The strictness of his life had not protected him from calumny. He was, however, canonized by pope Innocent III in 1202. At the time of the Kefor- mation the order possessed 21 houses, and 11 double convents inhabited by both nuns and monks, but they were so strictly divided that the nuns received even communion through a window, and the canons admin- istered the extreme unction to dying nuns without seeing them. Whenever it became absolutely neces- sary that a nun and monk should hold communication with each other, a witness was obliged to attend; hence a body of ten canons was appointed, together with a number of lay brethren, subject to the rule of Citeaux. The order was never propagated outside of England. The rule of the order is given in full by Holstenius (tom. ii). See Hurter, Innocenz III u. s, Ztitgenossen, iv, 230 ; Herzog, Real-Encyllop. v, 413 sq. ; Hoefe^, Nouv. Biog. Gen. xx, 488.
Gilbertines. See Gilbert of SEjirRixGHAM.
Gilbo'a [many Gil'boii] (Heb. Gilbo'a, ris^J, boil- ing spring, prob. from a neighboring fountain ; Sept. aiid Josepli. Ant. vi, 14, 2, also Euseb. Onom. PiXftovi), usually called Mount Gilboa (?2^."i!I "^l), a mountain near which (according to some) Gideon i)itched on the eve of his overthrow with the Midianites (Judg. vii, 1 [see GiLEAD, 2 I); liut especially memorable for the defeat of Saul by the Philistines, where his three sons were slain, and where he himself died by his own hand (1 Sam. xxviii, 4 ; xxxi, 1-8 ; 2 Sam. i, 6-21 ; xxi, 12 ; ] Chron. x, 1, 8). When the tidings were carried to David, he broke out into this pathetic strain : " Ye mountains of Gillioa, let there be no rain upon you, neither dew, nor Held of oflering" (2 Sam. i, 21). The circumstances of the narrative would alone suffice to
GILBOA
865
GILDER
direct our attention to tlie mountains wliicli bomid the great plain of Esdraclon on the south-east, and are in- terposed between it and the Jordan valley. (See Stan- ley's Sinai and Palestine, p. 337.) Here there are a number of ridge?, with a general dh'ection from north- west to south-east, separated hy valleys running in the same direction. The largest of these vallej'S is the southernmost : it is a broad, deep plain, about two ( miles and a half wide, and leading direct into the Jor- dan valley. This is supposed to be distinctively (for the plain of Esdraelon is sometimes so called) the VaU ley of Jezroel. The higher mountains which bound it on the south undoubtedh' form Mount Gilboa. Eu- sebius mentions the mountains of Gilboa as Ij'ing six miles from Scythopolis, with a large village upon them called Gelbus (_l"t\J3ovc). There is still, indeed, an in- habited village, in whose name of Jelbon that of Gilboa may be recognised (Robinson's Researches, iii, 157, 170). The fount lin implied in the name Gilboa may be that mentioned by "VVilliani of Tyre (xxii, 26) under the name of Tubania {'"JV 3^^), being the largo fountain still found at tlie north-eastern base, half a mile from the ruins, called in Scripture both the "Well of lla- rod" (Judg. vii, 1) and "The fountain of Jezreel" (1 Sam. xxix, 1), and now called Ain-Jalud. See Ha-
EOD.
A knowledge of the topography of tliis region gives great vividness to several of the Scripture narratives, but especially to that of the fat.il battle in which Saul fell. The range about six miles north of Gilboa, and i.'f nearh^ equal elevation and length, was anciently called the "hill of Moreh'' (Judg. vii, 1), but now Je- bel ed-Duhy (and by travellers " Little Hermon"). The intervening valley, named from the city of Jez- reel at the western extremity of Gilboa, has at its east- ern end, overlooking the Jordan, the mound and ruins of Bethshcan. On the other side of the valley, and near the base of Moreh, stands Slninem ; and away be- hind the latter hill, hidden from view, is the village of Endor. The Philistines encamped on the north side of the valley at Shunem ; and Saul took up a position by the fountain of Jezreel, at the base of Gilboa (1 Sam. xxviii, 4 ; xxix, 1). From the brow of the hill above the camp Saul had a full view of tlie eneni)', and he was struck with terror at their numbers (xxviii, 5). The position he had chosen was a bad one. There is a gradual descent in the valley from Shunem to the base of Gilboa at the fountain, whil* immediately be- hind it the hill rises steep and rock3\ The Philistines had all the advantage of the gentle descent for their attack, and both front and flanks of the Israelites were exposed, and retreat almost impossible up the steep hill side. On tiie night before the battle Saul went to Endor. The battle seems to have begun early in the morning, when the king was wearied and dispirited (xxviii, 19). The Israelites were broken at once by the fierce onset of the enemy, and the slaughter was terrible as thej' attempted to flee up the sides of Gil- boa. A\'hile the terror-stricken masses we-re clamber- ing up the rugged slopes, the}-^ were completely ex- posed to the arrows of the Philistine archers. " They fell down slain in Mount Gillioa'' (xxxi, 1); "The Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons," probably when they tried to rally their troops. The three sons fell beside their father; "and the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him ; and he was sore wounded of the archers" (ver. 3). David has caught the peculiarity of tlie position in his ode : " The beauty of Israel is slain upon the higli places ;" and, " Jonathan, tlioii wast slain upon tliine high places" (2 Sam. i, 19, 25). The stripping and muti- lating of the slain is characteristic of the Arab tribes to this day, and Porter witnessed some fearful instances of it in lf<'jH near this same spot {Him'l-hnol-for S. and P. p. 355). The Philistines took the bodj- of Saul and fastened it to the wall of the neighboring fortress of Bethshean, from whence it was snatched by a few III.— Iti