an ancient city of Palestine, mentioned in Gen. x. 19 as one of the border cities of the Canaanites. In the division of the land Gaza fell to the lot of Judah, and was taken by him, with the coast thereof; but its inhabitants were not exterminated, and it always appears in Scripture history as a Philistine city. Gaza occurs several times in the history of Samson, being the city of which he carried away the doors of the gate, and that in which he pulled down the temple of Dagon. It was one of the five Philistine cities which gave each a golden emerod as a trespass offering to the Lord, on account of the ark. Solomon's kingdom extended as far as Gaza; and Hezekiah smote the Philistines as far as Gaza. It was besieged by Alexander the Great after the destruction of Tyre, and taken after an obstinate defence of several months. Jonathan Maccabeus destroyed its suburbs, and Simon Maccabeus took the city itself, though not without extraordinary efforts. Alexander Jannaeus besieged it in vain for twelve months, when it was betrayed into his hands. It was among the cities given by Augustus to Herod, after whose death it was united to the province of Syria. It was near Gaza, on the road from Jerusalem to that place, that Philip baptized the eunuch "of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians." It lies on the road leading from Akabah to Hebron, which passes along nearly the whole length of the great Wady-el-Arabah; in N. Lat. 31. 29., E. Long. 34. 29. The port of Gaza, called Majuma Gaze, was situated about 20 stadia from the city. The emperor Constantine conferred important privileges upon it, and gave it the name of Constantia. Julian took away its name and privileges, which, however, were restored by subsequent emperors. The modern town, called by the Arabs Ghuzzeh, is situated partly on a hill about 60 feet above the plain, and partly on the plain below. Including the suburbs, the modern town contains about 10,000 inhabitants.