Moreshethgath

Mor'esheth-gath

(Heb. More'sheth-Gath, גִּת מוֹרֶשֶׁת, possession of Gath; Sept. κληρονομία Γέθ, Vulg. haereditas Geth), a town of Palestine (perhaps so named from its vicinity to Gath), where the prophet Micah appears to have been born or to have resided (Mic 1:14), who was hence called a MORASTHITE (Mic 1:1; Jer 26:18). It is named by that prophet (Mic 1:13-15) in company with Lachish, Achzib, Mareshah, and other towns of the lowland district of Judah. His words, "Therefore shalt thou give presents to Moresheth-gath," are explained by Ewald (Propheten, page 330) as referring to Jerusalem, and as containing an allusion to the signification of the name Moresheth, which, though not so literal as the play on those of Achzib and Mareshah, is yet tolerably obvious: "Therefore shalt thou, O Jerusalem, give compensation to Moreshethgath, itself only the possession of another city." Hitzig (Comment. ad loc.) lately insists upon the old Jewish interpretation of the name as an appellative for some dependency of the Philistines (but see Maurer, Comment. ad loc.). Jerome (Onomast. s.v. Morasthi) places it a short distance east of Eleutheropolis, and remarks (Comment. in Mic. prol.) that it was still a moderately sized village ("haud grandis viculus"), containing a church over the tomb of Micah (Ep. ad Eustach. page 677).

From these intimations Dr. Robinson (Researches, 2:423) concludes that it must have been near Mareshah, perhaps at the site of the church of Santa Haanneh, twenty minutes S.S.E. of Beit-Jibrin, close by which are the ruined foundations of a village possibly ancient. Thomson inclines to identify it with Mareshah (Land and Book, 2:360); but the sacred writer clearly distinguishes them (Mic 1:15). SEE GATH; SEE MICAH.