GESSUR (Hebrew Gēšūr). - 1. An Aramean region, present-day Gōlān, between the Sea of Galilee and Bashan or Batanea (v.) to the east, between the Aramean principality of Maacah to the north and Gilead to the south. The small state was later absorbed (ca. 1000 B.C.) by the Aram of Damascus. The Geshurites (gēšūrī) are mentioned together with the inhabitants of Maacah (Deut. 3:14; Josh. 12:5; 13:11), probably also in II Sam. 2:9 according to the Syriac version and the Vulgate. Spared by the Israelites (Josh. 13:13), they later occupied some cities of Jair (I Chron. 2:23).

Maacah, wife of David and mother of Absalom, was the daughter of Tholmai king of G. (II Sam. 3:3; I Chron. 3:2), at whose court Absalom took refuge after killing Amnon (II Sam. 13:37; 14:23, 32; 15:8).

2. From Josh. 13:2 and I Sam. 27:8 the existence of the Geshurites appears, a small Amalekite kingdom south of Philistia and east of the Egyptian frontier. Left free by Joshua (Josh. 31:2), it was conquered by David (I Sam. 27:8). It is not known what relation existed between them and the former.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: L. Desnoyers, Histoire du peuple hébreu, II, Paris 1930, pp. 64 n. 2, 119 n. 3, 143 ff.; 150 n. 1, 205, 265, 270, 283 ff., 288; F. M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, I, ibid. 1933, p. 250; cf. p. 323; A. Fernandez, Commentarius in librum Josue, ibid. 1938, p. 173; La Sacra Bibbia, II, Florence 1937, pp. 52, 235. Francesco Spadafora

@incollection{ec6_gessur_ebr_gesur, author = {Spadafora, Francesco}, title = {Gessur (Ebr. GĒŠŪR)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {220}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/gessur-ebr-gesur} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

About this entry