 American scholar Edward Robinson visited Gaza in 1838 , describing it as a " thickly populated " town larger than Jerusalem , with its Old City lying upon a hilltop , while its suburbs laid on the nearby plain . He further stated that its soil was rich and supported groves of " delicious and abundant " apricots and mulberries . Although Gaza 's port was by then inactive , it benefited from trade and commerce because of its position on the caravan route between Egypt and Syria , as well as from the production of soap and cotton for trade with the Bedouin . The governor of Gaza at the time was Sheikh Sa 'id . Robinson noted that virtually all of Gaza 's vestiges of ancient history and antiquity had disappeared due to constant conflict and occupation . 
