Bible Encyclopedias

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Gaba (2)

(evidently a form of the Heb. גַּבְעָה, i.e., hill; (See GIBEAH) ), a town mentioned by Josephus, and always in connection with Ptolemais: it was destroyed by he insurgent Jews in the time of Florus (War, 2:10-3:1, Γάβα v.r. Γάμαλα and Γάβαλα ); it adjoined Matthew Carmel, and was called "the city of horsemen" (πόλίς ἱππέων ), because those horsemen that were dismissed by Herocd dwelt there (War, 3:3, I, Γαβά v.r. Γάμαλα, Γάβαλα, Γάβλα, Γαβλαά ); but it was different from the Gibea (Γαβά ) that lay about 20 stadia from Ptolemais (Life, 23), as this was apparently the Gibeah of Benjamin. Reland, who notices several ancient allusions to places of a similar name (Palest. page 269), thinks that the town in question was the modern Haffci, on the shore near Carmel (q.d. חיפא ), the Sycaminus of later writers (see Robinson, Researches, 3:194, note), a conclusion in which Schwarz coincides (Palest. page 69, note). (See GABALA).