upon rocks to break them open and make possible the eating of their contents. Despite its avid appetite for carrion, the gull is exceptionally clean in its habits.

Several varieties of gulls, including the common gull or herring gull, and different types of the black-headed gull, are found in Palestine along the Mediterranean seacoast and around the Sea of Galilee. Their color is usually white, though the back and upper side of the wings may be a pearl gray. The bill is strong and slightly curved. They usually live in colonies, nesting on cliff ledges or along the shores. Ranging in body size from that of a pigeon up to some thirty inches (76 centimeters) in length, the gull’s wingspan may be as much as five feet (1.5 meters) across. A restless and seemingly tireless bird, the gull is able to continue flying even in stormy gales. Its abundant and overlapping feathers, as many as 6,544 being counted on a single large gull, keep the body warm and dry during sustained periods of rest in the water.

A member of the gull family, the tern, is also abundant on Palestine’s shores. It has a leaner body than the gull, is not a carrion eater and has long tapering wings that are narrower than those of the gulls and a forked tail. Most terns are white, though generally wearing a black or gray cap. Feeding mainly on small fish, the tern hovers about and then darts quickly into the water with its long, straight, slender bill pointed downward to seize its prey. The tern is the greatest long-distance migrator of all birds, the Arctic tern covering as much as 22,000 miles (35,398 kilometers) annually. Some terns, however, prefer the coastal waters of the warmer regions. Their rapidmoving, very graceful flight has earned them the name of ‘swallows of the sea.’

Like the falcon and the ibis, the gull was viewed as a sacred bird in ancient Egypt.

GULLOTH-MAIM

(Gulʹloth-maʹim) [Heb., Gul·lothʹ maʹyim; perhaps, springs of water].

A site requested by Caleb’s daughter at the time of her marriage to Othniel. (Josh. 15:17-19; Judg. 1:13-15) Many versions render Gul·lothʹ maʹyim as “springs of water,” while “Upper Gul·lothʹ and Lower Gul·lothʹ” are generally translated ‘upper springs and lower springs.’ (See AV, JB, RS, Yg.) It may be noted, however, that Caleb’s daughter apparently did not simply desire “springs” from her father. She desired “a field,” according to Joshua 15:18. Thus Gul·lothʹ maʹyim is sometimes rendered “well-watered land.” (Kx; see also Dy.) Because of the uncertainty, some scholars choose to leave it untranslated, simply employing the transliterations “Gullath-maim” (AT) or “Gulloth-maim.” (NW) The exact location of Gulloth-maim is unknown.—See DEBIR No. 2.

GUNI

(Guʹni).

1. The second-named son of Naphtali, included among those of Jacob’s household in Egypt. (Gen. 46:24, 26; 1 Chron. 7:13) He founded the family of Gunites in the tribe of Naphtali.—Num. 26:48.

2. Ancestor of a prominent Gadite.—1 Chron. 5:11, 15.

GUNITES

(Guʹnites).

A family descended from Guni, a son of Naphtali.—Num. 26:48; Gen. 46:24.

GUR

[cub].

Ahaziah, king of Judah, was riding “on the way up to Gur, which is by Ibleam,” when he was struck down at Jehu’s orders. (2 Ki. 9:27) The location of Gur is now unknown.

The wounding of Ahaziah at Gur is not mentioned in the parallel account of his death at 2 Chronicles 22:8, 9, but it appears that the two accounts complement each other and must be combined to gain the full picture of the events.—See AHAZIAH No. 2.

GURBAAL

(Gur·baʹal) [dwelling of Baal].

A place inhabited by Arabs in King Uzziah’s time. (2 Chron. 26:3, 7) Although its exact site is unknown, some would connect it with Jagur in southern Judah.—Josh. 15:21; see JAGUR.

HAAHASHTARI

(Ha·a·hashʹta·ri) [the Ahashtarite].

A descendant of Judah; son of Ashhur.—1 Chron. 4:1, 5, 6.

HABAIAH

(Ha·baiʹah) [Jah has concealed].

A priest whose descendants returned from exile in Babylon. But as his “sons” were unable to establish their genealogy, they were barred from the priesthood and were not permitted to “eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim.”—Ezra 2:1, 2, 61-63; Neh. 7:63-65.

HABAKKUK

(Ha·bakʹkuk) [embrace (of love); ardent embrace].

Hebrew prophet of Judah and writer of the Bible book bearing his name. (Hab. 1:1; 3:1) From the book’s closing notation (“To the director on my stringed instruments”) and the dirge in chapter three, it has been inferred that Habakkuk was a Levitical temple musician. But the words following Habakkuk 3:19 do not make that certain, and dirges were also taken up by persons other than Levites. (2 Sam. 1:17, 18) While there are various traditions about Habakkuk, these are unreliable, and the Scriptures themselves furnish no information concerning the prophet’s parentage, tribe, circumstances in life or his death. Evidence in the book of Habakkuk seems to indicate that he prophesied early in the reign of Jehoiakim, before the Judean king became vassal to Babylon in 620 B.C.E.—2 Ki. 24:1; see HABAKKUK, BOOK OF.

HABAKKUK, BOOK OF

A book of the Hebrew Scriptures in eighth place among the so-called “Minor Prophets” in the Hebrew and Septuagint texts, as well as in common English Bibles. It is in two parts: (1) A dialogue between the writer and Jehovah (chaps. 1, 2); (2) a prayer in dirges.—Chap. 3.

WRITER

The writer is identified in the book itself. The composition of both sections is ascribed to “Habakkuk the prophet.”—1:1; 3:1; see HABAKKUK.

CANONICITY

The canonicity of the book of Habakkuk is confirmed by ancient catalogues of the Hebrew Scriptures. While they do not mention it by name, the book evidently was embraced by their references to the ‘twelve minor prophets,’ for otherwise the number twelve would be incomplete. The book’s canonicity is unquestionably supported by quotations from it in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Though not referring to Habakkuk by name, Paul quoted Habakkuk 1:5 (LXX) while speaking to faithless Jews. (Acts 13:40, 41) He quoted from Habakkuk 2:4 (“But as for the righteous one, by his faithfulness he will keep living”) when encouraging Christians to display faith.—Rom. 1:16, 17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38, 39.

Among the Dead Sea Scrolls is a manuscript of “Habakkuk (chaps. 1, 2) consisting of a pre-Masoretic Hebrew text with an accompanying commentary. Though its date is uncertain, this scroll may be of the first century B.C.E. Even if of more recent origin, it is apparently the oldest extant Hebrew manuscript of the book of “Habakkuk. Interestingly, this scroll reads “Chaldeans” at Habakkuk 1:6, where certain scholars (with “Greeks” or “Macedonians” under Alexander the Great in mind) have sought to substitute “Kittim.” This manuscript thus agrees with the Masoretic text in showing that the Chaldeans were those Jehovah would raise up as his agency.

DATE AND SETTING

The statement “Jehovah is in his holy temple” (Hab. 2:20) and the note that follows Habakkuk 3:19 (“To the director on my stringed instruments”) indicate that Habakkuk prophesied before the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 B.C.E. Also, Jehovah’s declaration “I am raising up the Chaldeans” (1:6) and the prophecy’s general