A sacerdotal city in Benjamin, on a height near Jerusalem; the last stage of Sennacherib's march from the north on Jerusalem, from whence he could see and "shake his hand against Zion" (Isaiah 10:28-32). The high priest Ahimelech's residence in Saul's time, near Anathoth and Gibeah of Saul. (See AHIMELECH; DOEG; DAVID.) The scene of Saul's murder of the priests and smiting of the townspeople, on Doeg's information that Ahimelech had given David shewbread (1 Samuel 20:1-19; 1 Samuel 21:1-9; 1 Samuel 22:9-19). Inhabited again on the return from Babylon (Nehemiah 11:31-35). E. of the north road, opposite Shafat, is a tell with cisterns hewn in the rock and traces of a town (Courier, Israel Exploration Quarterly Statement).
        From the hill-top is a full view of Zion, though Moriah and Olivet are hid by an intervening ridge. "The hill of God" (1 Samuel 10:5; 1 Samuel 10:10), where the Spirit came on Saul on his way from Bethlehem after Samuel's anointing, was probably Nob, the seat then of the tabernacle, and meaning "prophecy." Shafat is Arabic for "view," answering to Josephus' Greek name Scopus. Nob may be related to Nabat, "to view." namely, the point from whence the full view of Zion breaks on the traveler from the N. Mizpeh is mentioned in Joshua (Joshua 18:26) and in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 3:7) in connection with Gibeon. At Mizpeh probably the tabernacle was erected on its removal from Shiloh. Mizpeh, "watchtower," corresponds to Nob "a high place commanding a view."
        They never are named in the same passage as distinct. They both are mentioned in connection with the royal town Gibeon. Gilgal was the first temporary abode of the tabernacle, then Shiloh for more than three centuries and a half, then the Nob or high place of Gibeon, finally Jerusalem. Warren (Israel Exploration Quarterly Statement) objects to Nob's being identified with Nebi Samwil that the latter is four miles and a half from Jerusalem, and separated from it by the deep ravine, wady Beit Hanina; the Assyrian king marching (Isaiah 10) from Geba to Jerusalem would be more likely to find Nob on his way, at that Scopus (near the city) from whence Titus looked down upon Jerusalem, rather than turning away four miles and a half to Nebi Samwil. Warren makes Nob distinct from Gibeon (el Jib), from which latter Nebi Samwil is one mile and a quarter distant. (See MIZPEH.)