Bible Dictionaries

Smith's Bible Dictionary

ibeon

Gib'eon. (hill city). One of the four cities of the Hivites, the inhabitants of which made a league with Joshua, Joshua 9:3-15, and thus, escaped the fate of Jericho and Ai. Compare Joshua 11:19. Gibeon lay within the territory of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25, and with its "suburbs," was allotted to the priests, Joshua 21:17, of whom it became afterwards, a principal station. It retains its ancient name almost intact, el-Jib. Its distance from Jerusalem by the main road is about 6 1/2 miles; but there is a more direct road reducing it to five miles.