GATH, one of the five royal cities of the Philistines. It would seem to be identical with the Kn-tu in the lists of Thuth mose III. and Gimtu (Gintu) of the Tell-Amarna letters. The name occurs several times in the Old Testament, especially in connection with the history of David. Goliath, the Philistine champion, hailed from Gath. Rehoboam is said to have fortified Gath, but Uzziah found it still a Philistine city. Sargon's records show that he took it in 712 B.C. Gath was evidently a place of importance, a walled city (2 Chr. on xxvi. 6), and it is surprising its exact location has been lost since the time of Sennacherib. The Onomasticon of Eusebius fixes the site near the road five Roman miles from Eleutheropolis (Best Jibrin) on the way to Diospolis (Lydda). The Roman road is still traceable and at the place indi cated stands Tell es-Safi, a small mud village, having near it the mound which marks the site of the Crusaders' castle, Blanche garde. The village stands on a cliff about 30o ft. high in which are many caves. A fenced city on such an eminence would be remarkably strong, and surprise is naturally felt at its complete disappearance.
The position of the village at Tell es-Safi has precluded a com plete survey, but the excavations carried out there have, on the whole, proved disappointing and rendered the identification with Gath highly questionable. This and the fact that the sister Philis tine cities do not occupy sites naturally strong, but are merely mounds on the plain, make it possible that Gath may yet be found between the coast and the Shephelah. Albright suggests 'Arak el-Minshiyeh, or rather Ahmad el-`Araini a hill close beside it, as the site of Gath. Tell es-Safi he would identify with Makkedah.