Gaza

3 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Gaza
       n : a coastal region at the southeastern corner of the
           Mediterranean bordering Israel and Egypt; "he is a
           Palestinian from Gaza" [syn: {Gaza Strip}]

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:



  Gaza
     called also Azzah, which is its Hebrew name (Deut. 2:23; 1 Kings
     4:24; Jer. 25:20), strong, a city on the Mediterranean shore,
     remarkable for its early importance as the chief centre of a
     great commercial traffic with Egypt. It is one of the oldest
     cities of the world (Gen. 10:19; Josh. 15:47). Its earliest
     inhabitants were the Avims, who were conquered and displaced by
     the Caphtorims (Deut. 2:23; Josh. 13:2, 3), a Philistine tribe.
     In the division of the land it fell to the lot of Judah (Josh.
     15:47; Judg. 1:18). It was the southernmost of the five great
     Philistine cities which gave each a golden emerod as a
     trespass-offering unto the Lord (1 Sam. 6:17). Its gates were
     carried away by Samson (Judg. 16:1-3). Here he was afterwards a
     prisoner, and "did grind in the prison house." Here he also
     pulled down the temple of Dagon, and slew "all the lords of the
     Philistines," himself also perishing in the ruin (Judg.
     16:21-30). The prophets denounce the judgments of God against it
     (Jer. 25:20; 47:5; Amos 1:6, 7; Zeph. 2:4). It is referred to in
     Acts 8:26. Philip is here told to take the road from Jerusalem
     to Gaza (about 6 miles south-west of Jerusalem), "which is
     desert", i.e., the "desert road," probably by Hebron, through
     the desert hills of Southern Judea. (See {SAMSON}.)
     
       It is noticed on monuments as early as B.C. 1600. Its small
     port is now called el-Mineh.
     

From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:

  Gaza, strong; a goat