Bible Location

Gath (city)

Also known as: Gath

Gath was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines and one of the most important urban centers of the southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is particularly famous in Scripture as the hometown of Goliath.

David fled to Gath while escaping from Saul and later entered the service of Achish king of Gath. The city continued to appear in conflicts involving the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Gath is widely identified with the large archaeological site of Tell es-Safi, where excavations have revealed extensive Philistine occupation and a major destruction dating to the Iron Age.

Biblical Significance

Joshua 11:22 states that Anakim remained in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod after the Israelite campaigns. Gath subsequently became one of the principal Philistine cities.

First Samuel identifies Goliath, the Philistine champion defeated by David, as a man from Gath. David later fled to Achish king of Gath while escaping Saul. During another period of flight, David and his followers lived under Achish's protection.

Gath continued to appear during the monarchy. Second Kings 12:17 records Hazael king of Aram capturing Gath before turning toward Jerusalem. Prophetic texts also include the city in warnings concerning Philistia.

Historical Background

Tell es-Safi was a very large settlement during the Iron Age and preserves extensive evidence of Philistine culture. Excavations have revealed architecture, pottery, fortifications, industrial activity, and inscriptions.

A major destruction layer dating to the ninth century BC has commonly been associated with Hazael of Damascus, whose capture of Gath is recorded in 2 Kings 12:17. The destruction marked a major reduction in the city's regional importance.

Among the discoveries is an early alphabetic inscription containing names linguistically comparable to the name Goliath. It does not identify the biblical Goliath, but it provides useful evidence concerning personal names used in the Philistine cultural environment.

Modern Identification

Tell es-Safi is widely accepted as the location of biblical Gath. The large site lies in the Shephelah between the Judean hill country and Philistine coastal plain.

The identification rests upon historical geography, the scale and chronology of the settlement, Philistine material culture, and the relationship of the site to neighboring biblical cities. Although earlier scholars proposed other sites, Tell es-Safi has become the predominant identification.

Scripture References

Joshua 11:22 1 Samuel 21:12 2 Kings 12:17 Micah 1:10

Related Resources

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Sources

Bible: Joshua 11:22, 1 Samuel 5:8, 1 Samuel 17, 1 Samuel 21:10-15, 1 Samuel 27, 2 Samuel 1:20, 2 Kings 12:17, Micah 1:10; Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project; archaeological publications directed by Aren Maeir; studies of Philistine Gath and the Hazael destruction