Fortress
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
- in the military sense, a place fortified by art, nature, or both. Scripture uses the word of fortified cities already standing in Canaan before Israel possessed it (Num 13:28). Before modern artillery, naturally advantageous sites could be enclosed with stone defenses that attackers could overcome only with scaling ladders, prolonged siege, or starvation. Ancient fortresses often resisted large armies for a long time: Jerusalem's stronghold remained unconquered by Israel until David's reign (2 Sam 5:7), and the final siege of Samaria lasted three years.