Gischala (ra Viaxa'Xa), a small city (jzoXixvia) often montiimcd by Josepluis in his account of the last struggle of the Jews with the IJomans, especiall}' as being the scene of the operations of the famous "John (q. V.) of Gischala" {\Var, iv, 1, 3). It was situated in Galilee (ib. ii, 1) ; and, after having been destroyed by the .Jewish zealots, it was rebuilt by John (Life, Iff), and further fortilied by the advice of Josephus himself (^War, ii, 20. 6), and was the last stronghold of Galilee captured by Titus {ib. iv, 2). It is doubt- less the Gush Chalah (^bn 'C^r^) of the Talmud (Me- nach. viii, .3), famed for its oil (Ernch. ix, 6), named in connection with Meron and Ca])ernaum (Ciemara, Pe- snchim, fol. 33, a), and also by Peter Ajwlloiiius (De exeid. IlierosoL p. 63). Jerome, on several occasions, states a tradition that the parents of the'npostle Paul emigrated thence to Tarsus (Relantl, Palust. p. 813]).
The same Hebrew name likewise occurs in Hottingei (Cippi llebraici, p. 56) and in Benjamin of Tudela (p. 108). Schwarz erroneously identifies it (Pulcest. p. 198) with the AnL.\B (q. v.) of the triijc of Asher (Judg. i, 31). Dr. Robinson found the site in the modern El-Jish, on a hill about two hours north-wost of Safed ; the village had recently been totalh' de- stroyed by an earthquake, but was then parth- rebuilt (^Researches, iii, 368 sq.).
Gislebert. See Gilbert. Gislebertus Porretanus. See Gilbert, Gis'pa (Ileb. Gishpa', HB'::^,, fattery or hearken- ing; Sept. ria(p(ic,\nlg. Gasjjha), one of the two over- seers of the Nethinim in Ophel at Jerusalem, after the captivity- (Neh. xi, 21) ; but whether he was himself also of that class is not stated, although this is proba- ble from the fact that his associate Ziba was (Ezra ii, 43). B.C. 446.
Gitta (rd FiVra), a town of Samaria, mentioned l)y Justin Martyr (Ajiol. ii), Eusebius (Hist. Eccles. i, 13), Zonarus (from Justin, xi, p. 567), '1 heodoret (Com- pend. hrcrel. fab. i), and by Epiphanius (ndv. JJar. p. 55) and Athanasius (Hist. Eccles. p. 15), as the birth- place of Simon Magus ; thought by some to be the Gath (q. v.) of Scripture (Eeland, Pakest. p. 813, 814), but discovered liy Robinson (Peseairhes, iii, 144) in the modern Kuryet-Jit, a village rather more than two hours west of Nablus (comp. Schwarz, Palest, p. 134).
Another Gitta (Vir^a) is mentioned by Josephus (War, i, 17, 2) as a fortress at Machairus (q. v.).
Git'tah-he'pher (Heb. G Utah'- Che' pher, lira "Sn, Sept. Ttca'i(ptp,'Vvi\g. Gethhepher'), a prolonged form (Josh, xix, 13) of the name Gath-hepher (q.v.). Gitta'im (Heb. Gitta yim, D"Pl5, two wine-presses; Sept. Ti'Sra'ip and FfS^ni'/O, a place incidentally men- tioned in 2 Sam. iv, 3, where the meaning appears to be that the inhabitants of Beeroth, which was allotted to Benjamin, had been compelled to fl}' from that place, and had taken refuge at Gittaim. Beeroth was one of the towns of the Gibeonites (Josh, ix, 17); and the cause of the flight of its people may have been Saul's jiersecution of the Gibeonites alluded to in 2 Sam. xxi, 2 ; although the above text seems to intimate that the flight was through consternation at the death of Ab- ner, and fear of vengeance for the murder of Ishbo- i sheth. See Beer. The inhabitants, doubtless, soon ! returned. Gittaim is again mentioned in the list of ! jdaces inhabited by the Benjamites after their return j from the captivity, with Ramah, Neballat, Lod, and ] other known towns of Benjamin to the noith-west of Jerusalem (Neh. xi, 3.3). — Smith, s. v. Schwartz (Phys. Descr. of Palest, p. 134) identifies Gittaim with Randeh (Ahimath.ea) on the strength of certain Jew- ish traditions; which is not impossiijle, since Lj'dda was occupied by the Benjamites, and other associated cities seem to have been located in this neighborhood. See Lod ; Hadid.
" Gittaim occurs in the Sept. version of 1 Sam. xiv, 33 — 'Out of Getthaim roll me a great stone.' But this is not supported by any other of the ancient ver- sions, which unanimonsh' adhere to the Hebrew test, and probably proceeds from a mistake or corruption of the Heb. word CT^i'? ; A.V. 'ye have transgressed.' It further occurs in the Sept. in Gen. xxxvi, 35, and 1 Chron.i, 46, as the representative of Avith, a change not so intelligible as the other, and equally unsupport- ed by the other old versions" (Smith, s. v.).
Gittin. See Talmud.
Git'tite (Heb. GittV, "^n.n ; Sept. TtOaloc), an in- habitant or native properly of the Philistine city Gath (Josh, xiii, 3\ Obed-Edom, in whose bouse the ark was for a time placed (2 Sam. vi, 10), and who after- wards served in Jerusalem (1 Cbron. xvi, 38), although
GITTITH
8V9
GLANVIL
a Levite (1 Chron. xxvi, 4), is called a Gittite (2 Sam. vi 10), possibly because he had been with David when at Gatli, but much more probably from his being a na- tive of Gath-koimox, wiiich was a city of that faniilj' of the Lcvites to which he belonged (Josh, xxi, 24). There seems to be no reason for extending this inter- pretation to Ittai (2 Sam. xv, 19), seeing that Da- vid expressly calls him "a stranger" (foreigner), and, what is more, "an exile." He was at the head of 600 men, who were also Gittites, for they are called (ver. 20) his "brethren." They appear to have form- ed a foreign troop of experienced warriors, chietly from Gath, in the pay and service of David, which they had perhaps entered in the first instance for the sake of sharing in the booty obtainable in his wars. — Kitto, s. V. See Cherethite.