a city seated on an eminence about 40 furlongs from Jerusalem northward, and not far from the city of Gibeah. See Geba.

This was the capital city of the Gibeonites, who took the advantage of Joshua's oath, and of that which the elders of Israel likewise swore to them, upon an artificial representation which they made of their belonging to a very remote country, and their desire of making an alliance with the Hebrews. Joshua (ix. 3, 4, &c.) and the elders inconsiderately entered into a league with these people; but soon discovered their mistake. Upon this, sending for the Gibeonites, they reproached them with their fraud; and without revoking the promise which they had made to them, of giving them their lives, they condemned them to carry wood and water to the tabernacle of the Lord, as slaves and captives taken in war; in which state of servitude they remained till the ruin and entire dispersion of the Jewish nation.

The Gibeonites were descended from the Hivites, the old inhabitants of that country; and possessed four cities, whereof Gibbon was the capital. The cities were Cephra, Beeroth, Kirjathjearim, and Gibbon, Josh. ix. 17. These cities were afterwards given to the tribe of Benjamin, except Kirjathjearim, which fell to the tribe of Judah. The Gibeonites continued ever after subject to those burdens which Joshua had imposed on them, and were very faithful to the Israelites.