Temple gates, the location of which is uncertain.—2 Ki. 11:6, 19.

The Jewish Mishnah (speaking of the Temple rebuilt by King Herod the Great) says that there were five gates to the Temple Mount, that is, in the wall surrounding the entire square of the Temple area. These were: the two Huldah Gates on the S, the Kiponus Gate on the W, the Tadi (Todi) Gate on the N, and the Eastern Gate, on which was portrayed the Palace of Shushan. The Mishnah additionally states that there were seven gates to the Temple Court.—See TEMPLE.

FIGURATIVE USES

The “gates of righteousness” and “the gate of Jehovah,” into which the righteous enter, are spoken of at Psalm 118:19, 20. (Compare Matthew 7:13, 14.) When one died he was considered as entering the “gates of death.” (Ps. 9:13; 107:18) He went into the common grave for all mankind and so entered the gates of Sheol-Hades. (Isa. 38:10; Matt. 16:18) Since Jesus Christ has the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:18), his congregation had the assurance that these enemies would not hold them forever in bondage. The apostle Paul showed that all of these die, going into death and Hades, as did Christ whom God loosed from the pangs of death and did not leave in Hades. (Acts 2:24, 31) And because of the resurrection assured faithful Christians, death and Hades do not have final victory over Christ’s congregation.—1 Cor. 15:29, 36-38, 54-57.

Because God’s people when restored to Zion would reestablish pure worship there, her gates would be called Praise. Zion’s gates would be open constantly to bring in the resources of the nations, without fear of being taken under control by the enemy.—Isa. 60:11, 18.

Ezekiel was given a vision of a city to be called “Jehovah Himself Is There,” having twelve gates named according to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Ezek. 48:30-35) He also reports a detailed vision of a temple with its various gates.—Ezek. chaps. 40-44.

The holy city “New Jerusalem” is pictured as having twelve gates of pearl, with an angel stationed at each gate, evidently as a guard. These gates are constantly open, for no night exists to occasion closing them. The glory and honor of the nations are brought in through the city gates. Even though open, no entrance can be effected by those practicing wicked, unclean or disgusting things. Only those maintaining cleanness as overcomers, conquerors, who become kings and priests with Christ, gain entry past the angelic attendants. (Rev. 21:2, 12, 21-27; 22:14, 15; 2:7; 20:4, 6) The peoples of the nations of earth who walk in the city’s light are blessed.

GATEKEEPER

In ancient times gatekeepers, also called doorkeepers, served at various places, such as city gates, temple gates, even at the gateways or doorways of homes. Gatekeepers of city gates were appointed to see that the gates were closed at night, and acted as watchmen at the gate. Other watchmen might be posted as lookouts on top of the gate or in a tower where they could get a wide range of view and could announce those approaching the city. They cooperated with the gatekeeper. (2 Sam. 18:24, 26) It was a very responsible position inasmuch as the safety of the city depended on the gatekeeper to a considerable degree, and he was an instrument of communication between those outside the city and those inside. (2 Ki. 7:10, 11) The doorkeepers of King Ahasuerus, two of whom plotted to assassinate him, were also called court officials.—Esther 2:21-23; 6:2.

IN THE TEMPLE

King David thoroughly organized the Levites and temple workers shortly before his death, including the gatekeepers, of whom there were 4,000. In their divisions they would come in for seven days at a time. They were responsible to guard Jehovah’s house and see that the doors were opened and closed at the proper time. (1 Chron. 9:23-27; 23:1-6) Besides guard duty, some took care of the contributions brought in by the people for use at the temple. (2 Ki. 12:9; 22:4) At a later time, Jehoiada the high priest appointed special guards at the gates of the temple to protect young Joash from the usurper Queen Athaliah when Jehoiada anointed Joash as king. (2 Ki. 11:4-8) When King Josiah destroyed idolatrous worship, the doorkeepers assisted in removing from the temple the utensils and paraphernalia that had been used in the worship of Baal. These were then burned up outside the city.—2 Ki. 23:4.

In the temple rebuilt by Herod, when Jesus Christ was on earth priests and Levites were assigned as doorkeepers and watchmen. These were required to be on the alert, for the overseer or officer of the Temple Mount would make his rounds, appearing at unannounced times, and it was necessary for the watchman to remain awake at his post constantly in order not to be caught off guard. There was another officer who was in charge of the casting of lots for the temple services. When he came and knocked on the door, it was necessary for the guard to be awake to open it for him. He, too, might catch the guard asleep. On this matter of wakefulness, the Mishnah, Middoth (“Measurements”), Section 1, paragraph 2, says: “The officer of the Temple Mount used to go round to every watch with lighted torches before him, and if any watch did not stand up and say, to him, ‘O officer of the Temple Mount, peace be to thee!’ and it was manifest that he was asleep, he would beat him with his staff, and he had the right to burn his raiment.”—See also Revelation 16:15.

These gatekeepers and guards were posted at their stations in order to safeguard the temple from robbery and to keep out all unclean persons and all intruders who were bent on no proper business.

IN HOMES

In the days of the apostles some homes employed doorkeepers. At the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, a servant girl named Rhoda answered Peter’s knock when he returned from prison after being released by an angel. (Acts 12:12-14) The girl who was employed as a doorkeeper at the home of the high priest questioned Peter as to whether he was one of Christ’s disciples.—John 18:17.

SHEPHERDS

Shepherds in Bible times used to keep their flocks of sheep in a sheepfold or sheepcote during the night. These sheepfolds consisted of a low stone wall with a gateway. The flocks of one man or sometimes of several would be kept in the fold during the night with a doorkeeper to keep watch and to protect them. Jesus apparently drew on this custom for illustration when he mentioned a doorkeeper in speaking of himself, not only as the shepherd of God’s sheep, but also as the door through which the sheep could enter.—John 10:1-9; see GATE, GATEWAY; GUARD.

CHRISTIANS

Jesus emphasized the need for Christians to keep alert and on the watch concerning the sign of the conclusion of the system of things by likening the Christian to the doorkeeper whom his master commanded to keep on the watch for his return from traveling abroad.—Mark 13:33-37.

GATH

[winepress].

A city of the Philistine axis lords. (1 Sam. 6:17, 18) Situated as it was, to the E of the Philistine plain, Gath figured prominently in the Israelite-Philistine seesaw domination of the area. Gath was the birthplace of Goliath and other giant warriors, and was occupied by the Anakim at the time that Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. (Josh. 11:22; 1 Sam. 17:4; 2 Sam. 21:15-22; 1 Chron. 20:4-8) The residents of Gath were called Gittites.—Josh. 13:3.

Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land did not include the territory occupied by the Philistines. This was to be accomplished later. Accordingly, Jehovah instructed Joshua to assign the territory to the tribes, Judah receiving the territory in which Gath was located.—Josh. 13:2, 3; 15:1, 5, 12.

Both the Ephraimites and Benjamites skirmished with the Gittites, as incidentally noted in the genealogies. (1 Chron. 7:20, 21; 8:13) In Samuel’s day the captured ark of the covenant was brought to Gath, with disastrous consequences to the city’s inhabitants. (1 Sam. 5:8, 9) Shortly thereafter Israel subdued the Philistines, and certain cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel “kept coming back to Israel from Ekron to Gath.” (1 Sam. 7:14) Later, when David slew the Gittite giant Goliath, Israel pursued the Philistines as far as Ekron and Gath.—1 Sam. 17:23, 48-53.

After this, when David was forced to flee from Saul he took refuge in Gath. When the servants of Achish the king of Gath began to say: “Is this not David the king of the land?” David became afraid and feigned insanity in order to escape. (1 Sam. 21:10-15) David composed two psalms recalling this experience in Gath. (Psalms 34 and 56, superscriptions) On David’s next visit to Gath, however, Achish granted him and 600 men safe residence in the town of Ziklag until Saul was killed sixteen months later, after which David moved to Hebron. (1 Sam. 27:2–28:2; 29:1-11; 2 Sam. 1:1; 2:1-3) In his dirge over Saul and Jonathan David noted that the news of Saul’s death would cause rejoicing and exultation in the Philistine cities of Gath and Ashkelon.—2 Sam. 1:20.

During David’s reign Gath and its dependent towns came into Israelite hands. (1 Chron. 18:1) When David fled from Absalom there were 600 “Gittites” among those who went with him. (2 Sam. 15:18) But during Solomon’s rule Achish was still king of Gath. (1 Ki. 2:39-41) Solomon’s successor Rehoboam rebuilt and fortified Gath.—2 Chron. 11:5-8.

King Hazael of Syria captured Gath from King Jehoash of Judah sometime after Jehoash’s twenty-third year (876 B.C.E.). (2 Ki. 12:6, 17) The Philistines must have regained control of the city later, for Uzziah recaptured it in his campaign against them. (2 Chron. 26:3, 6) The prophet Amos, and afterward, Micah, refer to Gath as a foreign city. (Amos 6:2; Mic. 1:10) Following the Assyrian king Sargon’s boast of conquering it not long after 740 B.C.E, there are no further historical references to Gath, and later Biblical mention of Philistine cities does not include it.—Zeph. 2:4; Jer. 25:17, 20; Zech. 9:5, 6.

The exact location of Gath is unknown. Its early passing from historical mention and the absence of tradition about its site make it difficult to locate. Even the goodly number of references in tablets and secular records such as the Amarna letters do not identify the site. Several rather widely separated places have been suggested, the most recent being Tell esh-Shariʹah, fifteen miles (24 kilometers) SE of Gaza.

GATH-HEPHER

(Gath-heʹpher) [winepress of digging].

A border city of Zebulun (Josh. 19:10, 13) and home of the prophet Jonah. (2 Ki. 14:25) It is usually identified with Khirbet ez-Zurraʽ, about two and a half miles (4 kilometers) N-NE of Nazareth and just S of Meshhed, the traditional site of Jonah’s tomb. Surface explorations at Khirbet ez-Zurraʽ appear to corroborate the Biblical statements that the site was occupied at both time periods in the aforementioned accounts.

GATH-RIMMON

(Gath-rimʹmon) [winepress by the pomegranate].

1. A city of Dan (Josh. 19:40, 41, 45) assigned to the Kohathite Levites. (Josh. 21:20, 23, 24) First Chronicles 6:66-70 appears to make Gath-rimmon an Ephraimite city. However, on the basis of the parallel account at Joshua 21:23, 24, Hebrew scholars believe that, due to scribal error, a portion of the text has accidentally dropped out and been lost. So, they suggest inserting the following (corresponding to Joshua 21:23) before 1 Chronicles 6:69: “And from the tribe of Dan, Elteke and its pasture ground, Gibbethon and its pasture ground . . . ” This could have been the original reading. However, not to be overlooked is the possibility that Gath-rimmon was a Danite enclave city located within Ephraim’s territory.

Gath-rimmon is usually identified with Tell ej-Jerisheh, about three miles (4.8 kilometers) NE of modern Tel Aviv.

2. A city of Manasseh, given to the Kohathite Levites. (Josh. 21:20, 25) Since the similar account at 1 Chronicles 6:70 has “Bileam,” many scholars believe this latter name originally appeared in place of Gath-rimmon at Joshua 21:25.—See BILEAM; IBLEAM.

GAZA

(Gaʹza).

1. An ancient city listed in the earliest Canaanite boundary description. (Gen. 10:19) Aside from some twenty Scriptural references to Gaza, ancient Egyptian records and inscriptions of Ramses II, Thutmose III and Seti I mention the city. Gaza was apparently the most southwesterly city assigned to the tribe of Judah. (Josh. 15:20, 47; Judg. 6:3, 4) Its inhabitants were called Gazites.—Josh. 13:3; Judg. 16:2.

Some would identify Gaza with Tell el-ʽAjjul, but this has not been confirmed by archaeological diggings there. Generally, the ancient city is linked with modern Gaza, located about fifty miles (c. 80 kilometers) SW of Jerusalem. Although separated from the Mediterranean Sea by some three miles (5 kilometers) of rolling sand dunes, Gaza lies in a well-watered region known for its olive groves, fruit and sycamore trees, grapevines and grain. Agriculture likely contributed to the prosperity of ancient Gaza. But its importance stemmed primarily from its location on the main road linking Egypt with Palestine. This made Gaza a “gateway” both for caravans and military traffic.

OCCUPIED BY PHILISTINES

Sometime before Israel’s exodus from Egypt in 1513 B.C.E., the Hamitic Caphtorim (Gen. 10:6, 13, 14) dispossessed the “Avvim, who were dwelling in settlements as far as Gaza.” (Deut. 2:23) When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Gaza itself was a Philistine city, and its inhabitants included some of the Anakim. Although Israel’s war operations under Joshua extended as far as Gaza, the city apparently was not taken. It remained a Philistine city and some of the Anakim continued to live there. (Josh. 10:41; 11:22; 13:2, 3) Assigned to Judah, Gaza was afterward conquered by this tribe, but the Judeans did not retain control over the city. (Josh. 15:20, 47; Judg. 1:18) In Samson’s day Gaza was again a fortified city of the Philistines, with a “house” used for Dagon worship that could accommodate about 3,000 persons, if not more, on its roof. While Samson was at Gaza on one occasion, he “rose at midnight and grabbed hold of the doors of the city gate and the two side posts and pulled them out along with the bar and put them upon his shoulders and went carrying them up to the top of the mountain that is in front of Hebron.” Later, he caused the collapse of the aforementioned house, this resulting in his own death and that of the Philistines who had assembled there.—Judg. 16:1-3, 21-30.

Gaza apparently continued to be a Philistine city throughout the period of the judges (1 Sam. 6:17) and during the rule of Israel’s kings. King Solomon held dominion as far as Gaza in the SW, but evidently the Philistines were still there, although subject to him.—1 Ki. 4:21, 24.

UNDER ASSYRIAN RULE

Toward the close of the ninth century B.C.E., through his prophet Amos, Jehovah stated that