Bible Locations

Gamad, or the Gammadites, appears only in Ezekiel 27:11, in the lament over the city of Tyre: "Men of Arvad and Helek guarded your walls on every side; men of Gammad were in your towers. They hung their shields around your walls; they brought your beauty to perfection." Tyre, like other cities, hired foreign soldiers to guard its walls, and they hung their shields on the walls for display, which made the city look impressive. The identity of Gamad is uncertain. Some scholars suggest Kumidi, a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon mentioned in the Amarna letters, at Kamid el-Loz. Others suggest a people from northern Syria or Cappadocia. Some older translations read the word as "valiant men" rather than a place. Ezekiel's picture shows Tyre as a proud, wealthy city relying on hired protection, which wouldn't save it from judgment.