Girgashites

The Girgashites were a Canaanite tribe (Genesis 10:16; 1 Chronicles 1:14) whose land was promised to Abraham (Genesis 15:21; Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 3:10). The land was ultimately acquired (Joshua 24:11; Nehemiah 9:8).

The tribe’s location is unknown. They may have lived in Karkisha, a city mentioned in Hittite texts, or in Kirkishati, an area east of the Tigris. The name Gresh appeared in 13th century BC Ugaritic texts and might indicate a tribe. In Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:1; and Luke 8:26, a name variously translated as “Gergesenes” (King James Version), “Gerasenes,” and “Gadarenes” may preserve the tradition that the Girgashites once lived in Palestine.