Gaza lies on the southern coastal plain of ancient Philistia, about sixty-five kilometers southwest of Jerusalem and three kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea. Situated at the junction of the Via Maris (the coastal highway linking Egypt and Syria) and the caravan route into Arabia, the city served as a gateway between Africa and the Levant. Its broad plain, fertile hinterland, and extensive trade made it one of the five principal Philistine cities mentioned alongside Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath (Joshua 13:3). Because whoever controlled Gaza controlled the overland traffic of two continents, the city was repeatedly fortified, besieged, and rebuilt throughout antiquity.

Old Testament Background

1. Patriarchal period: Gaza’s borders are traced as early as Genesis 10:19 in connection with the spread of the Canaanite peoples.
2. Conquest and Judges: Joshua defeated its king (Joshua 10:41), yet the city was never fully subdued, becoming a persistent thorn to Israel. Samson’s exploits reached their climax here; he “took hold of the two central pillars” of Gaza’s temple and pulled it down upon the Philistine lords (Judges 16:29–30).
3. Monarchy and Prophets: David’s victories weakened Philistine power (2 Samuel 8:1), but Gaza remained a prize for successive empires—Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Greek. Prophetic oracles pronounce judgment on its cruelty (Jeremiah 25:20; Amos 1:6–7) and foresee its downfall (Zechariah 9:5). These prophecies highlight both God’s justice and His sovereignty over Gentile nations.

Intertestamental History

During the Maccabean period the city changed hands multiple times. Alexander the Great razed it after a two-month siege (332 B.C.), but it flourished again under the Ptolemies and Seleucids. By the first century, Gaza was granted to Herod the Great by Augustus, later becoming part of the Roman province of Judea.

New Testament Significance

Gaza appears once in the Greek New Testament. An angel of the Lord directs Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (Acts 8:26). Luke adds, “This is a desert road,” underscoring the remoteness of the setting and the divine orchestration behind the encounter that follows. On that road Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch, expounds Isaiah 53, and baptizes him. From this solitary reference several ministry themes emerge:
• Divine initiative—God moves His servants to unlikely places.
• Immediate obedience—Philip “got up and went” without delay (Acts 8:27).
• Global reach—The gospel travels from Judea toward Africa by way of Gaza, foreshadowing the ends-of-the-earth mandate (Acts 1:8).

Theological and Missional Lessons

1. No place is too obscure for God’s purposes. Gaza’s desert road became a launching point for the faith in Africa.
2. Prophetic consistency. The same city that heard words of judgment through Amos and Zechariah also witnessed grace in the New Covenant era, illustrating both the severity and kindness of God (Romans 11:22).
3. Gospel inclusivity. A Gentile convert from the court of Candace receives the message near Gaza, echoing promises that “all nations” will be blessed through Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

Archaeological and Historical Corroboration

Excavations at Tell el-ʿAjjul and modern Gaza have uncovered Philistine pottery, Hellenistic walls, and Roman milestones confirming the ancient road system. Inscriptions referring to Gaza’s temples and trade guilds align with biblical indications of its economic vitality.

Contemporary Relevance

Modern Gaza still occupies the strip of land it held in antiquity, bearing witness to millennia of conflict and culture. For readers of Scripture, its mention calls to mind both divine judgments on oppressive powers and divine mercy reaching seekers in desert places. The account in Acts encourages believers to trust God’s leading across cultural barriers and along unfamiliar paths, confident that the Lord still prepares hearts on the roads He sends His servants to travel.