The Girgashites
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(clayey) (Gen. 10:16) — one of the Canaanite peoples, whose territory was given by God to the Israelites (Gen. 15:21; Deut. 7:1). Their progenitor is held to be Girgashi, the fifth son of Canaan. From the book of Joshua (24:11) it is evident that the Girgashites lived on the western side of the Jordan. According to the testimony of Josephus, in his time nothing was known of the Girgashites except the one name. In any case, the Girgashites should not be confused with the land of the Gergesenes mentioned by the Evangelist Matthew (8:28).