Gaza (Azza)
(Josh. 15:47)
Arab city on southern Coastal Plain in heart of Gaza Strip. The Hebrew Azza is from ancient Semitic word meaning might.
The archaeological mound of the ancient city is located near the shore, within the boundaries of the modern city.
Gaza is the city most associated with Samson, who, blinded by his captors, pushed out the center pillars of the Temple of Dagon here, killing himself along with more Philistines than he had killed during his entire life.
History: In ancient times it was an important city at southwest entrance to Canaan, an important station on the Via Maris from Egypt to the northern do-dietary-supplements-work.com and a port city on the Mediterranean coast.
Mentioned in Egyptian and Assyrian records, and in the Bible many times. In the period of the Israelite conquest it was the greatest of the five Philistine cities. Included in Judah’s tribal allotment but for most of the time remained a pagan and hostile city. At the time of the Judges and the First Temple it was a ………
