Indeed, all vestiges of the ancient walls and ancient strength of Gaza have disappeared; and nothing remains to mark its former extent, except the bounds of the hill itself on which it stood. Even the traces of its former existence, its vestiges of antiquity, are very rare; consisting of occasional columns of marble or gray granite, scattered in the streets and gardens, or used as thresholds at the gates and doors of houses, or laid upon the front of watering-troughs. One fine Corinthian capital of white marble, lies inverted in the middle of a street running from N. to S. along the eastern foot of the hill. Gaza is said to be an hour distant from the sea; which is not here visible. Between the city and the shore, are the hills and tracts of sand already mentioned, on which are scattered a few trees and hedges. Around the city on the South, East, and North, are numerous gardens hedged with prickly pear, which forms an impenetrable barrier. The soil of these is exceedingly rich and productive. Apricots and mulberries were already ripe; the former delicious and abundant. Many palm-trees are scattered around the city, though they form no grove as in Egypt; while beyond the gardens, towards the North, lies the extensive olive-grove through which we had passed. There are two pools of water, one on the North and the other South of the city; but they seemed to contain merely stagnant rain-water, of which no use was made. The public cemeteries lie straggling and scattered in all directions, mingling with the houses on the hill and along the roads in the plain.-Towards the East the which is four hours with camels from Gaza; ib. III. ii. p. 136. Ali Bey's Travels II. p. 206.-The name Dâron is probably the Hebrew in the South,' which Eusebius and Jerome apply as a proper name, Daroma, to the south west part of Palestine; Onomast. art. Gerara, Sicelech, etc. 1) Arrian gives the distance from the sea at 20 stadia; Exped. Alex. II. 26. Abulfeda describes the sandhills in the same manner; Tab. Syr. p. 77. ed. Köhler. view is shut in by the line of hills we had crossed. The highest point is a partially isolated hill S. E. of the city about half an hour distant. On it is a Mukâm or Wely called el-Muntâr. The Christians pretend that it was once the residence of a bishop.' The population of Gaza has usually been rated as much too low, as that of Jerusalem has been over-estimated. Travellers have given different judgments, usually from two thousand to five thousand souls.2 The number of inhabitants has probably increased of late years. From information given us by both Christians and Mussulmans, it appears, that the city now contains nearly four thousand taxable Muhammedans, and one hundred Christians. This indicates a population of not less than fifteen or perhaps sixteen thousand souls, and makes Gaza larger than Jerusalem; a fact which is also confirmed by its greater extent of crowded dwellings. There were said to be fifty-seven resident Christian families; but their number is increased by transient sojourners. We heard nothing of the port of Gaza, the ancient Majuma; nor did we learn whether it is now visited by vessels. Gaza itself has no more the appearance of a maritime city than Jerusalem. Yet it certainly might be a place of considerable commerce. The fertile soil produces, in abundance, grains and fruits of every kind and of the finest quality. Volney speaks 1) Jacotin's map, copied also by Berghaus, gives to this eminence the name of Samson's Mount,' as being the hill before (Heb. towards) Hebron, to which he carried off the doors of the gate of Gaza; Judg. xvi. 3. So too the Latin tradition and some travellers; Quaresmius II. p. 926. Sandys p. 117. Büsching Th. XI. S. 451. Raumer Pal. p. 190. There is nothing improbable in the supposition; but the people of Gaza know of no such name, VOL. II. 48 and have no such tradition.-Richardson makes this hill to be "a lofty promontory of the mountains of Hebron!" Vol. II. p. 198. 2) Volney 2000; II. p. 313. Richardson 2000 to 3000; II. p. 199. Fisk 5000; Raumer's Paläst. p. 192.-Poujoulat comes nearer the truth, when he estimates the population at ten or eleven thousand souls; Corresp. d'Orient V. p. 399. 3) Reland Palaest. p. 791. here of manufactures of soap, and also of cotton for the supply of the neighbouring Bedawîn.' The position of Gaza on the route of the great caravans, which in all ages have passed between Egypt and Syria, is favourable to its commerce and prosperity; both as affording a means of constant communication with both countries, and also from the opportunity of furnishing supplies to the caravans in passing. Those travelling towards Egypt, naturally lay in here a stock of provisions and necessaries for the desert; while those coming from Egypt, arrive at Gaza exhausted, and must of course supply themselves anew. The inhabitants of Ma'ân likewise, on the East of Wady el-'Arabah, about the time of the passing of the Syrian Haj to and from Mecca, buy up provisions of all kinds at Gaza and Hebron, and sell them at a great profit to the pilgrims.2 The Bazars in Gaza seemed well supplied with wares; far better indeed than those of Jerusalem. Gaza is among the earliest of the Canaanitish cities mentioned in the Old Testament;3 and became afterwards celebrated as one of the five cities of the five lords of the Philistines. Joshua extended his conquests to Gaza, but did not vanquish this remarkable people; and although the tribe of Judah, to whose lot it fell, subdued the city, yet they appear to have held it but a short time; and the lords of the Philistines soon not only regained possession of their own territory, but also increased in strength, and at length extended their jurisdiction in turn over the Israelites. After forty years of oppression, Samson appeared as the champion and avenger of his people; and Gaza be 1) Voyage II. p. 313. 2) Burckhardt Travels in Syria, etc. p. 436. Volney II. pp. 314, 315.-The caravan route between Ma'an and Gaza passes near Wady Mûsa, and strikes the fountain el- 3) Gen. x. 19. xi. 22. xiii. 3. iii. 3. xiii. 1. comes renowned as the scene of his later deeds and of his fall. Here too he drew down upon himself and the assembled multitude the temple of Dagon; so that "the dead which he slew at his death, were more than they which he slew in his life." After continual wars under the Judges and with Saul and David, the Philistines appear to have been subdued by the latter; and Gaza became the border of Solomon's kingdom on this side. Yet they gave trouble to the following Jewish kings; and Hezekiah at length smote them. unto the borders of Gaza.3 The situation of Gaza on the great route of the military expeditions, which the monarchs of Egypt, and those of Syria and the East, afterwards undertook against the dominions of each other, necessarily exposed it to the calamities of war and to frequent change of masters. To the Egyptians, Gaza 'the strong,' was the key of Palestine and Syria; and no conqueror could well pass by, until this city had submitted to his power. Thus one of the Pharaohs (probably Necho) subdued it in the time of Jeremiah; and Cambyses during his expedition to Egypt is reported to have deposited here his treasures.1 Gaza opposed itself for five months to the progress of Alexander the Great; but was finally taken by storm, its brave defenders slaughtered at their posts, their wives and children sold as slaves, and the city repeopled with inhabitants drawn from the surrounding country. 1) Judg. c. xvi. 2) 1 Sam. c. iv-vi. xiv. 52. xxxi. 1, seq. 2 Sam. v. 17, seq. viii. 1. xxi. 15, seq. 1 Kings iv. 24. 3) 2 Chron. xxi. 16. xxvi. 6. xxviii. 18. 2 Kings xviii. 8. 4) Jer. xlvii. 1. Pomp. Mela I. 11. 5) Arrian Exp. Alex. II. 26, καὶ ἀπέθανον πάντες αὐτοῦ μαχό μενοι, ὡς ἕκαστοι ἐτάχθησαν· παῖ δας δὲ καὶ γυναῖκας ἐξηνδραπόδισεν αὐτῶν ̓Αλέξανδρος· τὴν πόλιν δὲ ξυνοικίσας ἐκ τῶν περιοίκων, ἐκρῆτο ὅσα φρούρια ἐς τὸν πόλεμον. Strabo indeed says that Gaza was destroyed by Alexander, and remained desolate; XVI. 2. 30, ễrdošos πότε γενομένη, κατεσπασμένη δ ̓ ὑπὸ Αλεξάνδρου, καὶ μένουσα ἔρημον. But this is contradicted by the express language of Arrian; nor do During the wars of the Maccabees, Gaza continued to be a place of strength; it was fortified by the Syrian Bacchides, its suburbs burned by Jonathan, and the city itself captured by Simon. Alexander Jannaeus at length destroyed Gaza about 96 B. C. after a siege of a year; but it was again rebuilt with other cities by the Roman general Gabinius.2 Augustus gave it to Herod; and after his death it was assigned to Syria.3 About A. D. 65, during the government of the procurator Gessius Florus, Gaza with other cities was again laid in ruins by the rebellious Jews. Yet this destruction was probably partial, and could have been but temporary; for there exist coins of Gaza struck in honour of Titus, Adrian, and the following emperors; which show at least that the city was still a place of importance, very soon after the destruction of Jerusalem.5 From these details it seems to follow, that the expression in the book of Acts, which might at first appear to imply that Gaza was then "desert," is more probably to be referred to the particular road from Jerusalem to Gaza, on which the evangelist was to find the ennuch, viz. the southern road leading from Eleutheropolis to Gaza through the "desert," or region without villages, as is the case at the present day.' A Christian church appears to have been early planted at Gaza; its bishop Silvanus is mentioned by Eusebius as a martyr under Diocletian about A. D. |