Valley of Elah

Last updated
Valley of Elah viewed from the top of Tel Azekah Valley of Elah from Tel Azeka.jpg
Valley of Elah viewed from the top of Tel Azekah

The Valley of Elah, Ella Valley ("the valley of the terebinth"; [1] from the Hebrew : עמק האלהEmek HaElah), or Wadi es-Sunt (Arabic : وادي السنط), is a long, shallow valley in the Shephelah area of Israel, best known from the Hebrew Bible as the place where David defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2; 1 Samuel 17:19). It is home to several important archaeological sites, including those identified as the ancient towns of Azekah and Socho (1 Samuel 17:1). Rising up from the valley on its extreme southeast end lies the hilltop ruin Adullam, and on its north lie the ruins of the ancient fortress city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, which is identified with the ancient town of Sha'araim (1 Samuel 17:52).

Contents

The valley is named after its indigenous trees - in Hebrew after the large and shady terebinth trees ( Pistacia atlantica , elah), and in Arabic after the white acacia trees ( Acacia albida , sunt). On the west side of the valley, near Socho, there is a very large and ancient terebinth tree, 55 feet (17 m) in height with a trunk 17 feet (5.2 m) in circumference and a canopy at least 75 feet (23 m) in diameter. This tree is notable for being one of the largest terebinths in the area, and marks the upper end of the valley.

Extension of Elah Valley on its southeastern side, Wadi es-Sur Elah Valley - Passover 2014.jpg
Extension of Elah Valley on its southeastern side, Wadi es-Sur

Since the early 1970s, the valley has also contained a large satellite relay station, with an antenna farm containing some 120 satellite dishes of various sizes. From 2010 to 2014, the region around the valley was believed to be threatened by shale oil extraction through the CCR ground-heating process, with the Green Zionist Alliance and the grassroots group Save Adullam, among others, working to stop exploitation of the region. [2] [3] [4] The plan was ultimately blocked in 2014 by a zoning committee decision. In July 2019, the Elah Valley came under the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, owing largely to its historical importance and the desire to curtail the encroaching city limits of Beit Shemesh to its north. [5]

History

In 2009, Professor Yosef Garfinkel discovered a fortified city from the Iron Age II dated sometime between 1050 and 915 BC at Khirbet Qeiyafa, southwest of Jerusalem in the Elah Valley. [6] The fortifications have been said to support the biblical account of the United Monarchy, the theory that Israel in the time of King David at the beginning of Iron Age II was more than simply a tribal chiefdom. [7] Others are skeptical and suggest it might represent either a Judahite or Canaanite fortress. [8]

Khirbet Qeiyafa overlooking the Elah Valley HaElaFortressDSCN2167.JPG
Khirbet Qeiyafa overlooking the Elah Valley
The Valley of Elah after the winter rains, Wadi es Sur The Valley of Elah, on its south-eastern side, December 2014.jpg
The Valley of Elah after the winter rains, Wadi es Sur

In the late 19th century, Claude Conder and Herbert Kitchener described the Elah Valley as being "one of the most fertile districts in Palestine. It is an open flat vale about half a mile across, and covered with corn; a narrow trench runs down the center full of white pebbles worn by the water in winter. Here and there large terebinths grow along its course (Butmet Wâdy es Sûr), and solitary oak trees (Ballûtet Kŭssis). On either side rise the stony hills covered with brushwood and wild growth." [9]

Flora and fauna

Terebinth (Pistacia atlantica) growing in the Elah Valley Pistacia atlantica (Elah valley).JPG
Terebinth (Pistacia atlantica) growing in the Elah Valley

Numerous plant species are native to the Elah Valley, including:

Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) Cyclamen flower, December 2014.jpg
Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)
Blue lupine in Tel Socho of the Elah Valley Lupines growing on Tel Socho, Feb. 2015.jpg
Blue lupine in Tel Socho of the Elah Valley
Elah Valley, spring of 2010 Ella Valley2.jpg
Elah Valley, spring of 2010

Animal species native to the Elah Valley include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adullam</span> Archaeological site in Israel

Adullam is an ancient ruin once numbered among the thirty-six cities of Canaan whose kings "Joshua and the children of Israel smote" (Joshua 12:7–24). After that, it fell as an inheritance to the tribe of Judah and was included in the northern division of the Shephelah "lowland" cities of the land of Judah (Joshua 15:35).

<i>Pistacia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the sumac family Anacardiaceae

Pistacia is a genus of flowering plants in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae. It contains 10 to 20 species that are native to Africa and Eurasia from the Canary Islands, all of Africa, and southern Europe, warm and semidesert areas across Asia, and North America from Guatemala to Mexico, as well as southern Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shittah tree</span> Acacia-like tree species mentioned in the Hebrew Bible

Shittah tree or the plural "shittim" was used in the Tanakh to refer to trees belonging to the genera Vachellia and Faidherbia. Faidherbia albida, Vachellia seyal, Vachellia tortilis, and Vachellia gerrardii can be found growing wild in the Sinai Desert and the Jordan River Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Givat HaMoreh</span> Mountain in Israel

Givat HaMoreh is a hill in northern Israel on the northeast side of the Jezreel Valley. The highest peak reaches an altitude of 515 metres (1,690 ft), while the bottom of the Jezreel Valley is situated at an altitude of 50–100 metres (160–330 ft). North of it are the plains of the Lower Galilee and Mount Tabor. To the east, Giv'at HaMoreh connects to the Issachar Plateau. To the southeast it descends into the Harod Valley, where the 'Ain Jalut flows eastwards into the Jordan Valley.

Elath, or Eloth, was an ancient city mentioned in several places in the Hebrew Bible on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. It was in the same vicinity as Ezion-Geber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jebel Akhdar (Libya)</span> Mountains in Libya

The Jebel Akhdar is a heavily forested, fertile upland area in northeastern Libya. It is located in the modern shabiyahs or districts of Derna, Jabal al Akhdar, and Marj.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shephelah</span> Lowland region in south-central Israel

The Shephelah or Shfela, or the Judaean Foothills, is a transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in south-central Israel stretching over 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) between the Judaean Mountains and the Coastal Plain. The different use of the term "Judean Plain", as either defining just the Coastal Plain segment stretching along the Judaean Mountains, or also including, or only referring to, the Shfela, often creates grave confusion.

<i>Pistacia terebinthus</i> Species of flowering plants in the sumac family Anacardiaceae

Pistacia terebinthus also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous shrub species of the genus Pistacia, native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and southeastern Turkey. At one time terebinths growing on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea were regarded as a separate species, Pistacia palaestina, but these are now considered to be a synonym of P. terebinthus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keilah</span> Biblical settlement

Keilah was a city in the lowlands of the Kingdom of Judah. It is now a ruin known as Khirbet Qeyla near the modern village of Qila, Hebron, 7 miles (11 km) east of Bayt Jibrin and about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of Kharas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sokho</span> Archaeological sites in Israel mentioned in the Bible

Sokho is the name given to two ancient towns in the territorial domain of Judah as mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, west of the Judean hills. Both towns were given the name Shuweikah in Arabic, a diminutive of the Arabic shawk, meaning "thorn". The remains of both have since been identified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khirbet Qeiyafa</span> Archaeological site in Israel

KhirbetQeiyafa, also known as Elah Fortress and in Hebrew as Horbat Qayafa, is the site of an ancient fortress city overlooking the Elah Valley and dated to the first half of the 10th century BCE. The ruins of the fortress were uncovered in 2007, near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, 30 km (20 mi) from Jerusalem. It covers nearly 2.3 ha and is encircled by a 700-meter-long (2,300 ft) city wall constructed of field stones, some weighing up to eight tons. Excavations at site continued in subsequent years. A number of archaeologists, mainly the two excavators, Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor, have claimed that it might be one of two biblical cities, either Sha'arayim, whose name they interpret as "Two Gates", because of the two gates discovered on the site, or Neta'im; and that the large structure at the center is an administrative building dating to the reign of King David, where he might have lodged at some point. This is based on their conclusions that the site dates to the early Iron IIA, ca. 1025–975 BCE, a range which includes the biblical date for the biblical Kingdom of David. Others suggest it might represent either a North Israelite, Philistine, or Canaanite fortress, a claim rejected by the archaeological team that excavated the site. The team's conclusion that Khirbet Qeiyafa was a fortress of King David has been criticised by some scholars. Garfinkel (2017) changed the chronology of Khirbet Qeiyafa to ca. 1000–975 BCE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neve Michael</span> Place in Jerusalem, Israel

Neve Michael also known as Roglit, is a moshav in central Israel. Located in the Adullam region and built upon an eminence in the far south-east end of the Elah Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 883.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaaraim</span> Israelite city mentioned in the Hebrew Bible

Shaaraim, possibly meaning "Two Gates", is an Israelite city mentioned several times in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. It has been identified by some with Khirbet Qeiyafa, an archaeological site on a hilltop overlooking the Elah Valley in the Judean hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nahal Tavor</span>

Nahal Tavor, lit.Tabor Stream, is an intermittent stream in the Lower Galilee, Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adullam-France Park</span> National Park and Nature Reserve in Israel

Adullam-France Park, also known as Parc de France-Adoulam, is a sprawling park of 50,000 dunams (ca. 12,350 acres) in the Central District of Israel, located south of Beit Shemesh. The park, established in 2008 for public recreation, features two major hiking and biking trails, and four major archaeological sites from the Second Temple period. It stretches between Naḥal Ha-Elah, its northernmost boundary, to Naḥal Guvrin, its southernmost boundary. To its west lies the Beit Guvrin-Beit Shemesh highway, and to its east the "green line" – now territories under joint Israeli-Palestinian Arab control – which marks its limit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Samuel 17</span> First Book of Samuel chapter

1 Samuel 17 is the seventeenth chapter of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible or the first part of the Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition the book was attributed to the prophet Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan, but modern scholars view it as a composition of a number of independent texts of various ages from c. 630–540 BCE. This chapter contains the battle of David with Goliath, the Philistine. This is within a section comprising 1 Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 5 which records the rise of David as the king of Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chezib of Judah</span> Canaanite - Israelite town of Judah

Chezib, also known as Achzib of Judah, is a biblical place-name associated with the birth of Judah's son, Shelah (Genesis 38:5), corresponding to the Achzib of the Book of Joshua (15:44), a town located in the low-lying hills of the plain of Judah, known as the Shefela. In I Chronicles 4:22, the town is rendered as Chozeba. The place is now a ruin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebbo</span> Archaeological site in Israel

Rebbo or Horvat Rebbo, alternative spellings: Robbo, Ribbo; in Arabic Khurbet Rubba, is an ancient site in Israel, mentioned by Eusebius in his Onomasticon as possibly referring to a site by a similar name in the Book of Joshua. The site, which is now a ruin, sits on a hill 414 metres (1,358 ft) above sea level, in the Shephelah region, and is now part of the Adullam-France Park, maintained by the Jewish National Fund (KKL). It lies about 1.5 km. to the west of Aderet as the crow flies, and about 11 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Beit Guvrin National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavnin</span>

Lavnin (Hebrew: חורבת לבנין)(Arabic: خربة تل البيضة), is a late Bronze Age archaeological site situated in Israel's Adullam region, rising some 389 metres (1,276 ft) above sea level. The site lies 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northwest of Beit Gubrin, and about 1 kilometer west-north-west of Khirbat Umm Burj, directly south of Nehusha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HaMasrek Reserve</span> Israeli nature reserve

HaMasrek Reserve is a nature reserve situated in the western Jerusalem Mountains, Israel, near moshav Beit Meir.

References

  1. Elah, Langenscheidt's Hebrew Dictionary, Dr Karl Feyerabend
  2. Krantz, David (1 May 2011). "Israel: The New Saudi Arabia?". Jewcology.
  3. Cheslow, Daniella (18 Dec 2011). "Shale oil project raises hackles in Israel". AFP. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012.
  4. Laylin, Tafline (5 March 2013). "Saudi Turns to Solar, Israel Stuck on Shale". Green Prophet.
  5. Rubin, Yuval, ed. (2019). "The Elah Valley Declared a National Park". Bakitzur - Mateh Yehuda Regional Council and Jerusalem Area (in Hebrew) (509). Tzur Hadassah: Rubin Publishers: 10. (25 July 2019)
  6. “Newly Discovered: A Fortified City from King David’s Time,” Biblical Archaeology Review 35.1 (2009): 38, 40–43.
  7. Govier, Gordon "Archaeology: What an Ancient Hebrew Note Might Mean" Christianity Today 1/18/2010
  8. Julia Fridman, 'Crying King David: Are the ruins found in Israel really his palace? ,' at Haaretz, 26 August 2013.
  9. C.R. Conder & H.H. Kitchener, The Survey of Western Palestine, vol. III, London 1883, p. 298

31°41′25.10″N34°57′07.70″E / 31.6903056°N 34.9521389°E / 31.6903056; 34.9521389