GEZER

GEZER. - A locality 10 km. south-east of Ludd (Lydda), 28 km. south-east of Jaffa, today Tell Gezer.

In the list of Palestinian cities conquered by Thutmose III (1501-1447 B.C.) it is gdr; alu gazzi in the Amarna letters; but the city already existed at the end of the 3rd millennium B.C. Thutmose IV (1420-1411 B.C.) reports having reconquered G. and having transported prisoners to Thebes. Joshua (Jos. 10, 33) defeated King Horam of G., an ally of the king of the city of Lachish. Subsequently, G. is found under the Canaanites (Jos. 16, 10; Judg. 1, 29). At the time of David, it is an ally of the Philistines (II Sam. 5, 25; I Chron. 14, 16; 20, 4). Pharaoh conquers and destroys G. and gives it as a dowry to his daughter, wife of King Solomon (I Kings 9, 16 ff.; according to W. F. Albright, this refers to Gerar and not to G.). Under Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 B.C.) G. was conquered by the Assyrians. Information is lacking until the Maccabean period.

In 166 B.C. G. is on the border of the province of Judea (I Macc. 4, 15; 7, 45). In 160 B.C. it is fortified by Bacchides (I Macc. 9, 52); in 142 it is conquered by Simon Maccabeus, who expels the pagans to settle Jews there (I Macc. 13, 43-48). Some minor Judeo-Greek inscriptions belong to that period. The Crusaders remember G. as Mons Gisant.

Excavations were carried out there by Macalister (1902-1909) and, starting in 1934, by A. Rowe. The Gezer «tablet» (approx. 9th cent. B.C.) lists the months of the year two by two, indicating the characteristic agricultural labors for each group.