(Isa. 51:3, 11; Jer. 31:10-12) At Ezekiel 28:12-14 the “king of Tyre” is spoken of as having been in the garden of Eden and on “the holy mountain of God.” By the slopes of Mount Lebanon with its famous cedars, the king, decked in gorgeous robes and royal splendor, had been as in a garden of Eden and on a mountain of God. The shepherd lover of The Song of Solomon likens his Shulammite girl companion to a garden with all its pleasantness, beauty, delight and fine fruitage.—Song of Sol. 4:12-16; see EDEN No. 1; PARADISE.

GAREB

(Gaʹreb) [scabby, reviler, despiser].

1. One of David’s mighty men, an Ithrite of the tribe of Judah.—2 Sam. 23:8, 38; 1 Chron. 2:4, 5, 18, 19, 50, 53; 11:26, 40.

2. A hill mentioned in a restoration prophecy written by Jeremiah (31:39), evidently indicating the western limits of the rebuilt city of Jerusalem. Its precise location is unknown.

GARLAND

This term (Heb., ts^ephi·rahʹ) was used symbolically in a prophecy of Jehovah’s judgment on Samaria, the capital city of Ephraim, the ten tribe kingdom of Israel. Samaria was at that time full of political “drunkards,” drunk over the northern kingdom’s independence from Judah and its political alliances with Syria and other enemies of Jehovah’s kingdom in Judah. (See Isaiah 7:3-9.) Just as drunkards would wear garlands of flowers on their heads during their wine bouts, so Samaria wore the garland of this political power. It was a decoration of beauty, but was a fading blossom that would disappear. Then Jehovah would become for the remaining ones of his people as a crown of decoration and as a garland (or “diadem” according to several translations) of beauty.—Isa. 28:1-5.

The same Hebrew word appears at Ezekiel 7:7, 10. Translators, however, are uncertain as to the sense or application of the word in this case. A similar Aramaic word means “morning,” and Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac (Peshitta) version here reads “dawn,” rather than garland (or diadem). Some translators (AS, AT, RS) link the word with a cognate Arabic noun and render it as “doom.” Still, others, on the belief that the root meaning of the Hebrew word is “to go round,” translate it as “turn,” in the sense of a turn of events.—JB, JP; “circle,” Ro.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures the plural form of the Greek word stemʹma, “garland,” appears at Acts 14:13. As there related, the priest of Zeus at Lystra brought bulls and garlands to the city gates to offer sacrifices, because the people supposed that Paul and Barnabas were gods. They may have intended to put garlands on the heads of Paul and Barnabas, as was sometimes done to idols, or on themselves and the sacrificial animals. Such garlands were generally made up of foliage supposed to be pleasing to the god worshiped.—Acts 14:8-18; see CROWN.

GARLIC

A bulbous perennial plant, the strong scented, pungent-tasting bulb of which is composed of up to twenty smaller bulbs or cloves. The flower stalk of garlic, bearing tiny bulblets and sterile flowers, at times may attain a height of one foot (c. .3 meter) or more.

The indications are that garlic was extensively cultivated in ancient Egypt. In the wilderness the mixed crowd and the Israelites longed for the garlic they used to eat there. (Num. 11:4, 5) The Greek historian Herodotus (Book II, sec. 125) tells of an inscription that listed garlic as one of the foods provided for the laborers on a certain pyramid. Garlic is still widely used by the inhabitants of Mediterranean areas. The Jewish Talmud even contains directions specifying the kinds of food to season with it. The cloves, or the oil pressed from them, have been used medicinally as a digestive stimulant, a diuretic or as an antispasmodic.

GARMENT

See DRESS.

GARMITE

(Garʹmite) [pertaining to Gerem (bone)].

This designation is linked with Keilah, a name appearing in a listing of Judah’s descendants.—1 Chron. 4:19.

GARNER

See STOREHOUSE.

GARRISON

The Hebrew term n^etsivʹ may denote a rather permanent contingent of soldiers stationed at a military installation. The related Hebrew word mats·tsavʹ carries a similar idea.—1 Sam. 13:23; 14:1, 4, 6, 11, 12, 15; 2 Sam. 23:14.

The Philistines had garrisons in Israelite territory during the reigns of Saul and David. (1 Sam. 10:5; 13:3, 4; 1 Chron. 11:16) After David defeated Syria and Edom he maintained garrisons in their territory to prevent rebellion. (2 Sam. 8:6, 14; 1 Chron. 18:13) For the peace and security of the land Jehoshaphat installed garrisons in Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa had captured. (2 Chron. 17:1, 2) The presence of such a military body did much to maintain order and protect royal interests in territories where the native inhabitants were likely to rebel.

A Roman garrison was maintained at Jerusalem during the first century C.E. Their quarters were in the high Castle of Antonia adjoining the temple grounds. When a crowd of Jews dragged Paul outside the temple and sought to kill him, soldiers of the garrison were able to come down quickly enough to rescue him. (Acts 21:31, 32) During Jewish festival seasons, extra troops were brought in to strengthen this garrison.—See ANTONIA, CASTLE OF.

GATAM

(Gaʹtam) [lean and weak].

The fourth-named son of Esau’s firstborn Eliphaz. Gatam became one of the sheiks of the sons of Esau.—Gen. 36:10, 11, 15, 16; 1 Chron. 1:36.

GATE, GATEWAY

The Bible speaks of several different kinds of gates: (1) gate of the camp (Ex. 32:26, 27), (2) gate of the city (Jer. 37:13), (3) gate of the courtyard of the tabernacle (Ex. 38:18) (4) “gates of the Castle that belongs to the house” (Neh. 2:8), (5) temple gates (Acts 3:10) and (6) gate of a house.—Acts 12:13, 14.

CONSTRUCTION

Cities usually had as few gates as possible, since these were the vulnerable points of their fortifications, some cities having only one gate. Where there were inner and outer walls, there were, of course, gates in each wall. Early gateways were L-shaped to hinder the enemy’s entry. Later, after the chariot was introduced (c. 18th century B.C.E.), city gates had a straight, direct entrance. In some uncovered ruins the city gate is composed of an entrance flanked by square towers leading into a vestibule about forty-nine to sixty-six feet (some 15 to 20 meters) long. The passage through the vestibule was flanked by as many as six pilasters, which narrowed the passageway at three places. In some cases there may have been two or three sets of doors for these deep gates. Small rooms inside the vestibule walls were used as guard chambers. In Ezekiel’s visionary temple, the gates were provided with guard chambers. (Ezek. 40:6, 7, 10, 20, 21, 28, 29, 32-36) Some gates had a roof over the vestibule and some were multistoried, as is evidenced by the stairways found inside.—Compare 2 Samuel 18:24, 33.

Ancient fortress cities have been uncovered revealing small postern or side gates. These were sometimes at the bottom of the rampart and provided easy access for the inhabitants of the city during peacetime. In time of siege they apparently were used as sortie gates through which the defenders could sally forth to attack besiegers and at the same time receive covering fire from their comrades on the walls.