Geba

Geba was a city located in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, situated on the northern border of the kingdom of Judah. It was assigned to the Levites as one of their cities (Joshua 21:17; 1Ch.6.60).

Geba is first mentioned in the Bible during the time of King Saul, when Jonathan, Saul's son, attacked a Philistine garrison stationed there (1Sa.13.3). Later, during the reign of King Asa of Judah, Geba was fortified using materials from Ramah, which Asa had destroyed (1Ki.15.22; 2Ch.16.6).

After the Babylonian exile, Geba was one of the cities resettled by the returning Israelites (Ezra 2:26; Nehemiah 7:30). It was also mentioned as a city inhabited by the Levites and singers (Nehemiah 11:31; 12:29).

The prophet Isaiah mentions Geba in a prophecy concerning the advance of the Assyrian army towards Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:29). In a future prophecy, Zechariah declares that the land will be inhabited from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, indicating the extent of the restored land (Zechariah 14:10).

Geba's location on the northern border of Judah made it a strategically important city throughout Israel's history, serving as a defensive outpost and a Levitical city.