The most frequently referenced of the five chief cities of the Philistines in the OT (43x, after Ekron and Gaza, 24x & 23x respectively). Gittite is the noun for a person from the city.
Though mentioned in the book of Joshua (Jos 13:3, e.g.) it appears only as a reference point for the delineation of the tribal boundaries. Serious conflicts between the Philistine cities and Israel began only in the time of the judges (cf. Judg 1:18). By the time of Samuel, however, Philistine incursion into Israelite territories was posing to be a problem. The first major outbreak of violence between Philistia and the Israelites occurred when Samuel was still a young man serving under Eli the priest at Shiloh. In a reckless move, the Israelites moved the ark of the covenant to the battlefield; there the Israelites were routed and the ark was captured by the Philistines and taken to Gath (1 Sam 5:8)
Gath made headline again in the battle between David and Goliath ("who was from Gath, 1 Sam 17:4); after Goliath was downed the Israelites pursued the Philistines all the way to Gad (v52). Lather, when Saul turned his jealous rage on David fled to seek refuge in Gath, but his reputation as Goliath's killer had preceded him; fearful for his life he feigned madness and was dismissed as such (1 Sam 21:10-15). Later, when he had had enough of being pursued by Saul he decided to sell his service to Achish the king of Gath (1 Sam 27).
Gath was captured by David and became an Israelite possession (1 Chron 18:1) but no details are provided by the OT about the circumstances of Philistine downfall. Gath is seldom mentioned again in the Bible after this time. Rehoboam fortified it in his time (2 Chron 11:8). In turn it fell to Hazael, who captured it as he advanced on Jerusalem (2 Ki 12:13). The Philistines, however, seemed to have reasserted themselves in the city because Uzziah had to invest the city again in his time in the second half of the 8th Cent. The history of the city is unknown after this; the rhetoric of Amos 6:2 suggests that, by his time, the city was a ruin. In fact the location of the city was itself forgotten and it was only in recent years that archaeologists have identified a site, Tell es-Safi, as possibly ancient Gath. If the identification is correct, the extant evidence suggests that Gath was an amazing city indeed.
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