Gebal, a Phoenician city known for its skilled builders, was allied against Israel and provided materials for Solomon's temple.
Also known as craftsmen · Byblos · Gebalite · Giblites · stonesquarers
Gebal, also known as Byblos, was an important Phoenician city located on the Mediterranean coast, north of modern-day Beirut. The city is mentioned in several contexts in the Bible, highlighting its significance in the region.
In Ezk.27.9, Gebal is described as a source of skilled shipbuilders and wise men who helped repair the ships of Tyre, indicating the city's reputation for craftsmanship and maritime expertise. The "elders" and "wise men" of Gebal are specifically mentioned as being employed on Tyrian ships.
Gebal is also listed in Psalm 83:7 among the nations that formed a coalition against Israel, along with Edom, Moab, and others. This suggests that Gebal, at times, was hostile towards Israel and aligned with its enemies.
However, in 1Ki.5.18, the Gebalites (people of Gebal) are mentioned alongside the Sidonians as skilled stonecutters who helped prepare the stones for the construction of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. This indicates that Gebal also had a role in providing materials and labor for this important project.
The city of Gebal has a long history, with evidence of occupation dating back to the Bronze Age. It was an important center of trade and religion, particularly associated with the worship of the goddess Baalat Gebal. The city's strategic location and its valuable resources, such as cedar wood and skilled artisans, made it a significant player in the region's political and economic landscape.
Approximate location: 34.119, 35.646 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
A line (or natural boundary, as a mountain range). (1.) A tract in the land of Edom south of the Dead Sea (Ps. 83:7); now called Djebal. (2.) A Phoenician city, not far from the sea coast, to the north of Beyrout (Ezek. 27:9); called by the Greeks Byblos. Now Jibeil. Mentioned in the Amarna tablets. An important Phoenician text, referring to the temple of Baalath, on a monument of Yehu-melek, its king (probably B.C. 600), has been discovered.
(mountain), a maritime town of Phoenicia, near Tyre, (Ezekiel 27:9) known by the Greeks as Byblus. It is called Jebail by the Arabs, thus reviving the old biblical name.
GE'BAL (mountain). A place near Tyre; now Jebail, 10 miles north of Beyrout, and known as Byblus by the Greeks. Eze 27:9. Among the ruins of an ancient citadel are stones 20 feet long, and in finish and size closely resembling those seen in the foundation of the temple at Jerusalem, and suggesting the same class of workmen. Some identify the Gebal of Ps 83:7 with northern Edom, called el-Jebal, but others regard it as Geba, No. 1.
GE'BAL (mountain). A place near Tyre; now Jebail, 10 miles north of Beyrout, and known as Byblus by the Greeks. Eze 27:9. Among the ruins of an ancient citadel are stones 20 feet long, and in finish and size closely resembling those seen in the foundation of the temple at Jerusalem, and suggesting the same class of workmen. Some identify the Gebal of Ps 83:7 with northern Edom, called el-Jebal, but others regard it as Geba, No. 1.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
4 verses in 4 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1380
the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
So Solomonʼs and Hiramʼs builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the construction of the temple.
of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, of Philistia with the people of Tyre.
The elders of Gebal were aboard as shipwrights, repairing your leaks. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came alongside to barter for your merchandise.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.