GETH (Heb. *Gath*, Akkad. *Gimtu*, "winepress"). — A Canaanite city, mentioned in the Amarna letters, capital of one of the five Philistine satrapies (Jos. 13, 2). It had been the dwelling place of the Anakim and the Rephaim (v. GIANTS IN THE BIBLE): Jos. 11, 22; I. Sam. 17, 4; II. Sam. 21, 19; I. Par. 20, 6. It was punished for having held the ark of Jahweh, which brought death there (I. Sam. 5, 7-10; 6, 17). David twice took refuge there while fleeing from Saul (I. Sam. 21, 11-16; 27, 2-11), having become a vassal of King Achish (v.).
The Kingdom of Judah claimed it for itself (I. Sam. 7, 14; I. Par. 8, 13; II. Par. 11, 8; 26, 6). David conquered it (I. Sam. 8, 1; I. Par. 18, 1) and had a select body of six hundred Gittite warriors (II. Sam. 15, 18). Hazael, king of Syria, occupied G. (II. Reg. 12, 18) for the Philistines; Uzziah demolished its walls (II. Par. 16, 6; cf. II. Reg. 18, 8). At that time G. was dependent on Ashdod or Azotus (v.). Am. 6, 2 cites it as an example of a fallen city and it does not appear in the oracles of the other prophets against the Philistine cities.
Its identification remains uncertain. Since G. was the extreme southern-eastern Philistine citadel, closest to Judah, it seems it should be identified with Tell 'Araq el-Menšijeh, 30 km from Beit Jibrin (Guthe, Albright, Garstang, Abel). Desnoyers prefers Tell es-Sāfijeh, while Fernando and Dikrin are less certain.
G.-Opher, in II. Reg. 14, 25; Jos. 19, 13, is the home of the prophet Jonah (v.); a city of the tribe of Zebulun, a few km from Sepphoris, probably the present-day village of I'bret ez-Zurra'.
G.-Remmon, in Jos. 21, 25, is *Gitrimumina* of the Amarna letters, the present-day Rummâneh, very close to Thane (Abel, Desnoyers). Many exegetes prefer the Greek text and read *Ieblaam*, cf. I. Par. 6, 54 (Fernandez).
G. Remmon of Dan, is a Levitical city, assigned to the sons of Kohath like the previous one: Jos. 19, 45; 21, 24; I. Par. 6, 54. It corresponds to the present-day Tell Abû Lejûn, southwest of 'Amwâs (cf. I. Par. 7, 21; 8, 14).