Gibeon

Part of speech: noun, verb, adjective

Definitions

1. An ancient Canaanite and Israelite town in the territory of Benjamin, now identified with el-Jib in the West Bank, known for its large rock-cut water reservoir
2. A biblical city north of Jerusalem, traditionally located at the site of modern el-Jib, where the Israelites fought a notable battle under Joshua
3. The name of an ancient town in Benjamin's territory, identified with the present-day village of el-Jib near Jerusalem in the West Bank

Etymology: Gibeon was an ancient town on a limestone hill a short distance northwest of Jerusalem. In the book of Joshua, its inhabitants disguise themselves as travellers from a distant land, with mouldy bread and patched wineskins, and win a treaty with Israel's leaders. When the deception is discovered, Joshua does not destroy them but condemns them to be "hewers of wood and drawers of water" in the service of the sanctuary. The name is probably Hebrew, and may relate to a word for "hill," which would suit the town's site, though the exact derivation is uncertain. Excavations at the modern village of el-Jib, which is generally identified with the biblical site, have uncovered a large network of rock-cut pools and cisterns.