Tell Gath
An ancient mound in the Shephelah, near the modern Israeli town of Qiryath Gath. The excavations (1956-61) sought the remains of biblical Gath. As no Philistine pottery was found, this identification had to be rejected. The mound consists of a large acropolis (1.6 ha) and of a lower mound comprising an area of 16 ha. Occupation on the mound extended from the Early Bronze Age to the Persian and Hellenistic periods. To the Persian period belong round storage bins. Most building remains of the two latter periods have been completely obliterated.
BIBLIOGRAPHYS. Yeivin, IEJ 10 (1960) 193-203; id., RB 67 (1960) 391-94; id., First Preliminary Report on the Excavations at Tel Gat (Seasons 1956-1958) (1961); id., Oriens Antiquus, 205-13; A. Ciasca, ibid., 1 (1962) 23-9 and 2 (1963) 45-63.
A. NEGEV