Gittaim
Gittaim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Coastal Plain in modern-day Israel. Known today as Ras Abu Hamid. It appears across 2 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Gittaim appears twice in the Old Testament, each time in a distinct context. In 2 Samuel 4:3, it is mentioned as the city to which the Beerothites fled when they abandoned their home — a reference linked to events surrounding the house of Saul and the political upheaval following his death. The flight of the Beerothites is connected to Saul's earlier violence against the Gibeonites, of whom the Beerothites were a part (2 Samuel 21:1-2). The second reference comes in Nehemiah 11:33, where Gittaim appears in a list of Benjaminite towns resettled after the return from Babylonian exile. The inclusion of Gittaim in the post-exilic resettlement list indicates that it retained its identity as a recognizable settlement even after the disruptions of the Assyrian and Babylonian periods. Located in the coastal plain region, Gittaim may have served as a waypoint community connecting the lowland territories of Dan and Benjamin with the broader Shephelah network of towns. Its name, meaning "two winepresses" in Hebrew, suggests an agricultural character typical of Shephelah settlements.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Gittaim is tentatively identified with Ras Abu Hamid, a site near Ramleh in the coastal plain of modern Israel. The location aligns geographically with the Benjaminite and Beerothite contexts in which Gittaim appears in Scripture. Archaeological surveys of the Ramleh region have documented ancient occupation extending from the Bronze Age through the Byzantine period. Surface finds including Iron Age II pottery sherds indicate settlement during the monarchic period consistent with Gittaim's biblical appearances. The flat, agricultural terrain of the coastal plain matches the winepresses implied by the place name. No major stratigraphic excavation has been conducted specifically targeting the biblical Gittaim at this site, leaving identification provisional.
Verse Appearances (2)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →