Zalmunna. Almost simultaneously with these occurrences eastward of Jordan, messengers from Ephraim bearing the heads of Oreb (“raven”) and Zeeb (“ wolf”), who with their followers had been crushed at “the raven’s rock” and “the wolf’s den” respectively, announced the completeness of Israel's victory. Having taken unrelenting vengeance on the men of Penuel and Succoth, who had shown a timid neutrality when the patriotic struggle was at its crisis, Gideon returned to his native Ophrah, where he further distinguished himself by his pious magnanimity in refusing the kings-hip which had been put within his reach—an act of self-denial, however, which, according to the sacred his- torian, was somewhat neutralized by his subsequent folly in establishing a shrine which proved a snare to all Israel, not excluding his family or even himself. For forty years after the great victory he lived at his own house in Ophrah in considerable wealth and magnificence, yet always in a private station—there being no direct scriptural evidence at least that his judgeship lasted during all that period, or that it ever gave him any position of legally recognized authority. The name of Gideon occurs in Heb. xi. 32, in the list there given of those who became heroes by faith; but, except in Judges vi.—viii., it is not to be met with any- where in the Old Testament. In 1 Sam. xii. 11 and 2 Sam. xi. 21 (LXX) he is called Jerubbaal (the reading J erubbesheth having been introduced into the latter passage in accordance with the usage explained in the article Baal). The fact that in Judges ix., which appears to be the oldest part of the narrative, he is invariably called J erubbaal, has suggested to Kuenen and others that this ought to be re- garded as his original and proper name, that of Gideon (W013, Le. “hewer” or “ warrior,” cf. Isa. x. 33) having been a later designation. In confirmation of this it is pointed out that the derivation of 51221? as equivalent to 233 ‘13 3.3: (“Let Baal contend against him,” v. 32, or “ Let Baal contend for himself,” v. 31) is much less probable than that whieh interprets it precisely analogous with such names as Merib-baal, Jehoiarib or Joarib, Seraiah, Israel, and perhaps also J osadec, all meaning “God fights” or “con- tends.” The nature of the grounds on which it is conjectured that Gideon’s conquest of the )Iidianites was somewhat slower than the narrative on a first reading would lead one to suppose, and that his religious reforms, far from being confined to a Solitary act of his early manhood, were rather the principal employment of his later life, is indicated in the histories of Israel by Ewald, Hitzig, and Kuenen. See
also especially \Vellhausen, Geschichte, i. 252 sq.GIEN, a town of France, at the head of an arrondissement in the department of Loiret, is situated on the right bank of the Loire, 39 miles ESE. of Orleans. The Loire is crossed at Gien by a stone bridge of twelve arches, built about the end of the 15th century. The town is the seat of a tribunal of the first instance and of a justice of peace court. The principal buildings are the prison, the hospital, the old castle, originally built by Charlemagne, and reconstructed in 1494 by Anne de Beaujeu, daughter of Louis XL, and the church of Saint Pierre, a modern structure of no particular merit, but possessing an old square tower dating from the end of the 15th century. There are manufactures of serge, leather, and earthenware, and some trade in corn and wine. The population in 1876 was 6493.
GIESELER, Johann Karl Ludwig (1792–1854), one of the most distinguished of the modern school of scientific writers on church history, was born at Petershagen, near Minden, where his father, a man of considerable vigour and independence of character, was minister, on the 3d of March 1792. In his tenth year he entered the orphanage at Halle, whence he duly passed to the university, his studies being interrupted, however, from October 1813 till the peace of 1815 by a period of military service, during which he was enrolled as a volunteer in a regiment of chasseurs. Having in 1817 taken his degree in philosophy, he in the same year became assistant head master in the Minden gymnasium, and in 1818 was appointed conrector of the gymnasium at Cleves. Here he published his earliest work (II-istorisch- hritischer l'ersuch fiber die Entstehzmy u. die frithesten Schichsale cler sch7‘iftlichcn Evangelim), a treatise which has had considerable influence on all subsequent investiga- tions and discussions of the question as to the origin of the gospels, in so far as it may be considered to have finally disposed of that theory of a “ primitive” written gospel to which most critics in the earlier part of the century had inclined. In 1819 Gieseler was appointed a professor ordinarius in theology in the newly-founded uniVersity of Bonn, where, besides lecturing on church history, he made important contributions to the literature of that subject in Bosenmiiller’s Repertorium, St'audliu u. Tschirner’s Archie, and in various university “programs.” The first part of the first volume of his well-known Church History appeared in 1824. In 1833 he accepted a call to Gettingen, where the remainder of his life was spent, marked by few noteworthy events beyond the steady publication of volume after volume of his contributions to historical science. In 1837 he was appointed a consistorialrath, and shortly after- wards was created a knight of the Guelphic order. In the winter of 1853—4 symptoms of failing health began to appear, and towards the end of the session he was able to lecture only occasionally. His death occurred on the 8th of July 1854. The fourth and fifth volumes of the Kirchen- yeschz'rhte, embracing the period subsequent to 1814, were published posthumously by Bedepenning (1855) ; and they were followed in 1856 by a Dogmenyeschichte, which is some- times reckoned as the sixth volume of the Church History. Among church historians Gieseler continues to hold a very high place. Less vivid and picturesque in style than Hase, conspicuously deficient in Neander’s deep and sympathetic insight into the more spiritual forces by which church life is always more or less pervaded, he excels these and all other contemporaries in the fulness and accuracy of his informa- tion. His Lehrbuch der K irchengeschichte, in which indeed the text as compared with the notes often occupies a very subordinate place, is invaluable to the student who wishes at each step to be brought into direct contact with all the original sources of information which it is of importance that he should know. The work, which has passed through several editions in Germany, has partially appeared also in two English translations. That published in New York (Text Book of Ecclesiastical History, 4 vols), brings the work down to the peace of \Vestphalia, while that published in “Clark’s Theological Library” (Compendium of Ecclesi- astical History, Edin., 5 vols.) closes with the beginning of the Reformation. For the life of Gieseler reference may be made to Redepenning’s biographical sketch in the fifth volume of the Kirchenyeschichte, and to Herzog’s article in the IBeal—Encyclopiidie (of which great work, it may be mentioned, Gieseler was an energetic promoter). Both biographers testify that with the habits of a devoted student be combined those of an energetic man of business. He frequently held the office of pro-rector of the university, and did much useful work as a member of several of its com— mittees. He took a warm interest also in the Gdttingen orphanage, where he was a daily visitor, knew all the children personally, and taught them to regard him as a. counsellor and friend.
of Upper Hesse, in the grand-duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, is situated in a beautiful and fruitful valley at the conflu- ence of the Wieseck with the Lalm, 33 miles N.N.W. of Frankfort. It is the seat of a bailiwick, a high court,
and a district penal court. The old streets are narrow and