Azekah

Tel Azekah is a site overlooking the Valley of Elah, a strategic passageway from Israel's coastal plain, through the Shephelah (sheh-fay-lah, meaning lowlands), and into the Judean Moun-tains beyond.

East of Azekah are the Judean Mountains. The Mediterranean Sea is about 12 miles to the west, and can be seen from the tel. The ancient city guarded an important passageway to the mountains, and provided easy access to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. For that, and many other reasons, the Philistines and other pagan cultures often tried to capture and hold Azekah.

The great empires of the east, Babylon and Assyria, used the Valley of Elah to enter the Shephelah. After traveling down the coastal plain and into the valley, Assyrian King Sennacherib destroyed Azekah. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar also destroyed the city on his way to Jerusalem in 587 BC. Today, most of ancient Azekah lies buried. But the tel stands as a reminder that defense of the Shephelah was critical to the Israelites' survival.

Somewhere near Azekah, the epic battle of David and Goliath took place. When he confronted and defeated Goliath (some say Goliath = representation of evil), David demonstrated faith in the only true God.