city state · Anatolia and the Levant
Gath
Origins
Gath, at Tell es-Safi in the Judaean foothills, was a Canaanite town before Philistine settlers arrived in the 12th century BCE. It became one of the five cities of the Philistine Pentapolis, guarding the valley of Elah between the coastal plain and Judah.
Rule and society
By the 10th century BCE Gath was the leading Philistine city, covering some 50 hectares. The Bible tells of its king Achish sheltering David and of the giant Goliath; an inscription found at the site contains two names resembling Goliath. Its temples show a mix of Aegean and local traditions.
Decline and legacy
Around 830 BCE Hazael of Aram-Damascus besieged and destroyed Gath; the siege trench he dug has been excavated. The city never recovered its leading role.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Gath was part of Philistine Pentapolis1175 BCE – 830 BCE
- Gath was conquered by Aram-Damascus830 BCE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gath. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gath
- MLA
- “Gath.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gath. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Gath.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gath.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gath’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/gath (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻