Geba, located in the ancient territory of Benjamin, was a city within the kingdom of Judah, situated near the northern boundary (Joshua 18:24). It was allotted to the Levites (Joshua 21:17; 1 Chronicles 6:60) and served as a geographical marker alongside Beersheba, defining the extent of the kingdom from north to south (2 Kings 23:8). Geba was positioned south of the Wady Suweinit gorge, controlling access to the Michmash pass—a location pivotal in the account of Jonathan’s assault against the Philistine forces that led to a remarkable Israelite victory (1 Samuel 14:5). The site of the modern village Jeba`, approximately 6 miles from Jerusalem, is generally accepted as matching the location of ancient Geba.
During the reign of King Asa of Judah, Geba garnered strategic military significance when the king fortified the city using the stones and timbers previously intended by Baasha, king of Israel, to bolster Ramah’s fortifications (1 Kings 15:22). The prophet Isaiah mentions Geba in his foreboding description of the Assyrian advance towards Jerusalem, with the invaders setting up camp in Geba before making their fearful progress (Isaiah 10:28). Notably, the town is listed among those reinhabited by the Israelites upon their return from exile (Ezra 2:26; Nehemiah 11:31).
In the context of the Book of Mormon, there is mention of a location called Geba in 2 Nephi 20:29—drawing a parallel to the foreboding presence of an enemy near a place of lodging, as the scriptural text mirrors the narrative of the Old Testament. However, it is important to understand this reference is within a prophecy quoted from the book of Isaiah and does not pertain to an independent Book of Mormon geography or narrative.