Topic
Gazara
4 passages cited, from 1 classic reference work.
These works date from 1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- 1 Maccabees 4:15ISBE
Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.
- 1 Maccabees 9:52ISBE
He fortified also the city Bethsura, and Gazera, and the tower, and put forces in them, and provision of victuals.
- 1 Maccabees 13:43ISBE
In those days Simon camped against Gaza and besieged it round about; he made also an engine of war, and set it by the city, and battered a certain tower, and took it.
- 2 Maccabees 10:32ISBE
As for Timotheus himself, he fled into a very strong hold, called Gawra, where Chereas was governor.
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 4 references
ga-za'-ra (Gazara, Gazera):
A fortress of great strength in Judea, which figures often in the Maccabean wars. To this place Judas pursued Gorgias ( /APC 1Macc 4:15). It was fortified by the Greek general Bacchides ( /APC 1Macc 9:52; Ant, XIII, i, 3). It was captured by Simon Maccabeus, who turned out the inhabitants and purified the city. He built here a palace for himself, and appointed his son John commander of his army ( /APC 1Macc 13:43 ff). A different account of this occurrence is given in /APC 2Macc 10:32 ff, where the capture is attributed to Judas. The narrative here, however, is inspired by antagonism to Simon because he had assumed the high-priesthood.
The fortress is identical with Tell Jezer, the ancient GEZER (which see). It is interesting to note that recent excavations have uncovered the ruins of Simon's palace (PEFS, 1905, 26).
W. Ewing
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.