Gibeon was the chief city of a Hivite confederation living a few miles northwest of Jerusalem, at the time of the conquest of Canaan led by Joshua.
Fearing the destruction that had already fallen on Jericho and Ai, the inhabitants of Gibeon disguised themselves as travelers from distant lands and deceitfully secured a peace treaty with Israel. When the deception was discovered, Joshua kept the oath, and the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the altar of the Lord.
It was in defense of Gibeon that Joshua fought one of the most memorable battles in the Bible, asking that the sun stand still in the sky until Israel had defeated the enemy kings.
Centuries later, the tabernacle that Moses had built in the wilderness was set up in Gibeon. It was there, before that altar, that young King Solomon asked God for wisdom to govern.
The place was also the scene of harsher episodes, such as the bloody clash between the armies of David and Ish-bosheth and the murder of Amasa at the hands of Joab. Even in those moments, Gibeon appears as a place where God heard prayers and upheld his purposes for Israel.
