Lexicon :: Strong's G1048 - gaza

Γάζα, -ης [Buttmann, 17 (15)], ἡ, (עַזָּה i. e. strong, fortified (cf. Valentia); the ע being represented by γ, cf. עַמֹרָה, Γομόρρα), formerly a celebrated city of the Philistines, situated on a hill near the southern border of the land of Israel, between Raphia and Ascalon, twenty stadia ['at the most,' Arrian. exp. Alex. 2, 26; "seven," Strabo 16, 30] from the sea and eleven geographical miles from Jerusalem. It was fortified and surrounded by a massive wall. Although held by a Persian garrison, Alexander the Great captured it after a siege of two months, but did not destroy it ([Josephus, Antiquities 11, 8, 4]; Diodorus 17, 48; Plutarch, Alex. 25; Curtius 4, 6f). Afterwards, in the year B. C. 96, Alexander Jannæus, king of the Jews, took it, after a year's siege and destroyed it (Josephus, Antiquities 13, 13, 3). Gabinius rebuilt it (Josephus, the passage cited 14, 5, 3). Finally, the emperor Augustus gave it [B. C. 30] to Herod the Great (Josephus, the passage cited 15, 7, 3), after whose death it was annexed to Syria (Josephus, the passage cited 17, 11, 4). Modern Ghuzzeh [or Ghazzeh], an unfortified town, having an area of two English miles, with between fifteen and sixteen thousand inhabitants. Mentioned in the N. T. in Acts 8:26, where the words αὕτη ἐστὶν ἔρημος refer to ἡ ὁδός; Philip is bidden to take the way which is ἔρημος, solitary; cf. Meyer at the passage; [Winers Grammar, § 18, 9 N. 3; Buttmann, 104 (91)]. A full history of the city is given by Stark, Gaza u. d. philistäische Küste. Jena, 1852; a briefer account by Winers RWB [see also BB. DD.] under the word Gaza; Arnold in Herzog iv., p. 671ff.

BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's