Gath

Gath, one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, was situated on the frontiers of Judah, and was in consequence a place of much importance in the wars between the Philistines and the Israelites. The famous giant, Goliath, who was slain by the youthful David, was a native. St Jerome describes it in his time as 'a very large village.' Its site (Tel-es-Safieh) is probably the Blanche Garde of the Crusaders, who built a castle here to command the Philistine plain.