One of the most familiar stories of the Old Testament happened in the Valley of Elah. The main characters involved in the account are the armies of Israel and the Philistines, a young shepherd boy named David, and a giant of an enemy named Goliath. That’s right; Elah Valley is the area of the slaying of Goliath. The event is recorded in 1st Samuel 17.
The name Elah means “Terebinth,” a tree noted for its longevity. It is also called an “oak” (as the RSV renders it in Genesis 35:4). The Elah Valley is located about 15 miles west-southwest of Bethlehem.
Tourists to Elah Valley like to take 5 small, smooth stones as souvenirs of their visit. It is rather humorous that from where the buses drop you off to see the area, you have to walk a couple of hundred yards before you can find a significant amount of stones because the ancient riverbed has been picked clean!
(Read more about the Elah Valley on my Tel Azekah post)
(Read more about the Elah Valley on my Tel Azekah post)
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