Gaza

Gaza (mod. Ghazzeh, Heb. Axzah, "strong"), f.r. ancient Philistine city, 3 miles from the sea, and close to the S. boundary of the Holy Land, 50 miles S.W. of Jerusalem. It served as a barrier against attack from Egypt, and was frequently changing hands in the struggles between the Jews and their neighbours. Thus it happened that Samson was caught here, and released himself by carrying off the gates, and here, too, was the scene of his death. A tomb is still pointed out as his resting-place, but is, no doubt, apocryphal. The modern town stands on an isolated hill, and has olive-gardens, palms, and some corn-fields in its neighbourhood. There are good bazaars, a large mosque built of ancient materials, and some pottery works. Hashem, Mahomet's father, is buried here. The old port Limena Gaza, now El Mineh, is useless.

Gaza was for many centuries the seat of a bishopric, and has a chariot-course and other traces of Greeco-Latin civilisation.