Gibeon

(elevated) (Josh. 10:11; 11:19; 2 Sam. 21:2) — an ancient Canaanite city, which, together with the cities of Beeroth, Chephirah, and Kiriath-jearim, belonging to the Hivites, entered into a covenant with Joshua. Although this covenant was accepted and the Gibeonites were spared, the city nevertheless lost its independence and was afterward given to the tribe of Benjamin (Josh. 18:25) and, with its surrounding lands, given to the Levites (21:17). As a Levitical city it became a very significant place from the very beginning of David’s reign until the building of the Temple by Solomon.

David set up a new Tabernacle for the Ark of the Lord on Mount Zion, but another Tabernacle, with the altar for burnt offerings, was located at Gibeon, where sacrifices were offered daily under the high priest Zadok (1 Chron. 16:39–42). We cannot, however, indicate with precision at what time the altar for burnt offerings was set up at Gibeon. Here, at the beginning of his reign, Solomon offered to God a thousand burnt offerings and prayed that the Lord would grant him a wise heart (1 Kings 3:4–14).

Gibeon was the site of one of Joab’s brilliant victories (2 Sam. 2:12–17), and also witnessed one of his most infamous deeds, namely the treachery and murder by him of his brother, of whom he was jealous (2 Sam. 20:8–10) (see Amasa). At present, on the site of biblical Gibeon stands the small village of El-Jib, with ancient ruins and the remains of destroyed buildings. It lies about 2½ hours’ journey to the northwest of Jerusalem, on the road from there to Jaffa. The locality surrounding it belongs to the most picturesque and well-cultivated parts of Palestine.

Near the village of El-Jib travelers are still shown the remains of the pool of Gibeon, or, in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, the “great waters” (41:12), on the bank of which there once took place the bloody battle of Joab with Abner, which ended in the latter’s defeat. In Holy Scripture, Gibeon is sometimes rendered as Gibeah (1 Chron. 14:16, cf. 2 Sam. 5:25).