a hill or hill-town, "of Benjamin" (
1 Samuel 13:15 ), better known as "Gibeah of Saul" (
11:4 ;
Isaiah 10:29 ). It was here that the terrible outrage was committed on the Levite's concubine which led to the almost utter extirpation of the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 19; 20), only six hundred men surviving after a succession of disastrous battles. This was the birthplace of Saul, and continued to be his residence after he became king (
1 Samuel 10:26 ;
11:4 ;
15:34 ). It was reckoned among the ancient sanctuaries of Palestine (
10:26 ;
15:34 ;
23:19 ;
26:1 ;
2 Sam.
21:6-10 ), and hence it is called "Gibeah of God" (
1 Samuel 10:5 , RSV marg.). It has been identified with the modern Tell el-Ful (i.e., "hill of the bean"), about 3 miles north of Jerusalem.
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.