Bible Encyclopedias
Migdal-Gad

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

mig´dal - gad ( מגדּל־גּד , mighdalgadh , "tower of Gad"): One of a group of 16 cities of Judah situated in the "lowland" ( Joshua 15:37 ). Of these, only Lachish, Eglon, Beth-dagon and Naamah have been identified with any certainty. This would indicate a site in the Philistine plain, and the modern flourishing town of Mejdel , 2 1/2 miles Northeast of Ashkelon, appears to be a possible identification. It is the most important town in the district which is named after it Nahiet el -Mejdel . It must, however, be admitted that it is difficult to see how Judah could have held a site so close to the great Philistine strongholds. It is very probable that Mejdel ("tower") is the tower mentioned in Josephus, BJ , III, ii, 3, as close to Ashkelon, and it or Migdalgad (or both if they are the same sites) may be identical with the Magtal of the Tell el-Amarna Letters (Petrie, Hist . Egypt , II, 329). For Mejdel see Palestine Exploration Fund , II, 410, Sh XVI .