The Valley of Elah or Ella Valley ("the valley of the

terebinth ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus '' Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western an ...

"; from the he, עמק האלה ''Emek HaElah''), called in ar, وادي السنط, Wadi es-Sunt, is a long, shallow valley in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and the

West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...

best known as the place described in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

) where the

Israelite The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stel ...

s were encamped when

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

fought

Goliath Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified King Sau ...

(; ). It is home to several important archaeological sites, including those identified as the ancient towns of

Azekah Azekah ( he, עֲזֵקָה, ''ʿazēqā'') was an ancient town in the Shfela ("lowlands of Judea") guarding the upper reaches of the Valley of Elah, about 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Hebron. The current '' tell'' (ruin) by that name, ...

and Socho (). 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 Khirbet Qeiyafa ( ar, خربة قيافة), also known as Elah Fortress and in Hebrew as Horbat Qayafa ( he, חורבת קייאפה), is the site of an ancient fortress city overlooking the Elah Valley and dated to the first half of the 10th ...

, which is identified with the ancient town of Sha'araim (). The valley is named after the large and shady terebinth trees (''

Pistacia atlantica ''Pistacia atlantica'' is a species of pistachio tree known by the English common name Mt. Atlas mastic tree, Atlas pistachio, Atlantic pistacio, Atlantic terebinth, Cyprus turpentine tree, and Persian turpentine tree. ''P. atlantica'' has th ...

'') which are indigenous to it. On the west side of the valley, near Socho, there is a very large and ancient tree of this kind, in height with a trunk in circumference and a canopy at least in diameter. This tree is notable for being one of the largest

s in the area, and marks the upper end of the valley. Elah Valley - Passover 2014

Since the early 1970s, the valley has also contained a large

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...

relay station, with an

antenna farm Antenna farm or satellite dish farm or just dish farm are terms used to describe an area dedicated to television or radio telecommunications transmitting or receiving antenna equipment, such as C, Ku or Ka band satellite dish antennas, UHF/V ...

containing some 120

satellite dish A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive or transmit information by radio waves to or from a communication satellite. The term most commonly means a dish which receives direct-broadcast satellite televisio ...

es 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 Aytzim (meaning "trees" in Hebrew), formerly the Green Zionist Alliance (GZA), is a New York-based Jewish environmental organization that is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity. A grassroots all-volunteer organization, Ay ...

and the grassroots grou
Save Adullam
among others, working to stop exploitation of the region. The plan was ultimately blocked in 2014 b
a zoning committee decision.
In July 2019, the Elah Valley came under the

Israel Nature and Parks Authority The Israel Nature and Parks Authority ( he, רשות הטבע והגנים ''Rashut Hateva Vehaganim''; ar, سلطة الطبيعة والحدائق) is an Israeli government organization that manages nature reserves and national parks in Israel, ...

, owing largely to its historical importance and the desire to curtail the encroaching city limits of

Beit Shemesh Beit Shemesh ( he, בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ ) is a city located approximately west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of in . History Tel Beit Shemesh The small archaeological tell northeast of the modern city w ...

to its north.

History

The Valley of Elah has gained new importance as a possible point of support for the argument that Israel was more than merely a tribal chiefdom in the time of

King David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

. At

, southwest of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in the Elah Valley, Professor Yosef Garfinkel has discovered a fortified city from the

Iron Age II The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

dated sometime between 1050 and 915 BC. The fortifications have been said to support the biblical account of the

United Monarchy The United Monarchy () in the Hebrew Bible refers to Israel and Judah under the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon. It is traditionally dated to have lasted between and . According to the biblical account, on the succession of Solomon's son Re ...

at the beginning of Iron Age II. Others are skeptical and suggest it might represent either a Judahite or

Canaan Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...

ite fortress.Julia Fridman
'Crying King David: Are the ruins found in Israel really his palace? ,'
at

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner ...

, 26 August 2013. HaElaFortressDSCN2167

The Valley of Elah, on its south-eastern side, December 2014

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 An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

(''Ballûtet Kŭssis''). On either side rise the stony hills covered with brushwood and wild growth."C.R. Conder & H.H. Kitchener, ''The Survey of Western Palestine'', vol. III, London 1883, p. 298

Flora and fauna

Numerous plant species are native to the Elah Valley, including: * Terebinth (''

Pistacia terebinthus ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus ''Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and s ...

'') * Kermes oak (''

Quercus calliprinos ''Quercus calliprinos'' is an oak classified as part of the '' Ilex'' section of the genus growing in the Mediterranean climate zone, mainly on limestone, in mid-elevations, often dominating the flora, alongside terebinths ('' Pistacia tere ...

'') * Buckthorn (''

Rhamnus lycioides ''Rhamnus lycioides'', the black hawthorn, European buckthorn, or Mediterranean buckthorn, is a shrub up to about 1 metre tall in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae. It is found in the Mediterranean region, in southern Europe and northern Africa. ...

'') * Carob (''

Ceratonia siliqua The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit pods, and as an ornamental tree in gardens and lands ...

'') * Sweet marjoram ('' Majorana syriaca''; syn. '' Origanum syriacum'') * Sage (''

Salvia fruticosa ''Salvia fruticosa'', or Greek sage, is a perennial herb or sub-shrub native to the eastern Mediterranean, including Southern Italy, the Canary Islands and North Africa. It is especially abundant in Israel and Lebanon. Description Greek sage ...

'') * Toothpick ('' Ammi visnaga'') * Florence fennel (''

Foeniculum vulgare Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

'') * Anemone (''

Anemone coronaria ''Anemone coronaria'', the poppy anemone, Spanish marigold, or windflower, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to the Mediterranean region. Description ''Anemone coronaria'' is a herbaceous pere ...

'') * Cyclamen (''

Cyclamen persicum ''Cyclamen persicum'', the Persian cyclamen, is a species of flowering plant, flowering herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant growing from a tuber, native plant, native to rocky hillsides, shrubland, and woodland up to above sea level, fro ...

'') * Lupine (''

Lupinus pilosus ''Lupinus pilosus'', commonly known as blue lupine, ( he, תורמוס ההרים, ar, ترمس برّي) is a species of flowering plant from the family Fabaceae which is endemic to Israel where it is found in Mediterranean scrubland. It has a ...

'') * Daisy ('' Glebionis coronaria'') * Syrian cornflower-thistle (''Centaurea cyanoides'') – rare * Mallow (''

Malva nicaeensis ''Malva nicaeensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names bull mallow and French mallow. Description ''Malva nicaeensis'' is an annual or biennial herb producing a hairy, upright stem up to 60 centimete ...

'') * Asparagus (''Asparagus palaestinus'') * Chicory (''

Cichorium pumilum ''Cichorium pumilum'' is a Mediterranean species of plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae . Like the two other species of ''Cichorium'', its leaves are edible by humans. The plant produces bluish-violet flower heads A pseu ...

''; syn. ''

Cichorium endivia ''Cichorium endivia'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus '' Cichorium'', which is widely cultivated as one of the species of similar bitter-leafed vegetables known as endive and escarole Endive () is a leaf vegetable belon ...

'') * Broom lettuce (''

Lactuca serriola ''Lactuca serriola'', also called prickly lettuce, milk thistle (not to be confused with '' Silybum marianum'', also called milk thistle), compass plant, and scarole, is an annual or biennial plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Aster ...

'') * Stinging nettle (''

Urtica urens ''Urtica urens'', commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle, or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia, including the Himalayan regions ...

'') * Asphodel ('' Asphodelus aestivus'') * Wild oat ('' Avena sterilis'') * Wild barley (''Hordeum spontaneum''; syn. ''H. ithaburense'') * Wild mustard ('' Sinapsis alba'') * Arum; cuckoo-pint ('' Arum palaestinum'') * Caper ('' Capparis spinosa'') * Wild carrot (''

Daucus carota ''Daucus carota'', whose common names include wild carrot, European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Old Wo ...

'') * Globe-thistle ('' Echinops adenocaulos'') * Ciliate vetchling ('' Lathyrus blepharicarpus'') * Spiny broom (''

Calicotome villosa ''Calicotome villosa'', also known as hairy thorny broom and spiny broom, is a small shrubby tree native to the eastern Mediterranean region. Etymology ''Calicotome'' is derived from the Greek ''Kalux'', calyx and ''tomos'', cut ; this refers to ...

'')

Animal species native to the Elah Valley include: * Mountain gazelle (''

Gazella gazella The mountain gazelle (''Gazella gazella''), also called the Palestine mountain gazelle, is a species of gazelle widely but unevenly distributed. Description Mountain gazelle are one of the few mammals in which both sexes have horns. Males ha ...

'') * Golden jackal ('' Canis aureus syriacus'') * Syrian fox (''Vulpes thaleb'') * Crested porcupine ('' Hystrix cristata'') * Egyptian mongoose (''

Herpestes ichneumon The Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''), also known as ichneumon (), is a mongoose species native to the coastal regions along the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Turkey, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and sh ...

'') * Hedgehog ('' Erinaceus concolor'') * Middle East blind mole-rat ('' Spalax ehrenbergi''; syn. ''Nannospalax ehrenbergi'') * Spur-thighed tortoise (''

Testudo graeca The Greek tortoise (''Testudo graeca''), also known commonly as the spur-thighed tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. ''Testudo graeca'' is one of five species of Mediterranean tortoises (genera '' Testudo'' and '' Ag ...

'') * Günther's vole ('' Microtus guentheri'') * Legless lizard (''

Pseudopus apodus ''Pseudopus'' is a genus of anguid lizards that are native to Eurasia. One extant species remains, the sheltopusik, with four fossil species. They are the most robust members of subfamily Anguinae. The oldest fossils of the group date to the Earl ...

'')

References

External links

1 Samuel Chapter 17Porcupines, Emperors, and the New Middle EastEllah Valley (HD)

Gallery

File:View_of_Elah_Valley_from_atop_Aderet,_March_2015.jpg, Panoramic view of Elah Valley and Neve Michael as seen from atop Moshav Aderet File:Elah Valley below Adullam.jpg, The Valley of Elah, near Adullam File:Elah_Valley_as_seen_from_Tel_Socho,_Feb._2015.jpg, Elah Valley as seen from atop of Tel Socho File:Elah_Valley_from_Tel-Socho,_Feb._2015.jpg, View of Elah Valley, looking east from atop of Tel Socho File:The Elah Valley, en route to Tel Socho, Feb 2015.jpg, Elah Valley, en route to Tel Socho File:Elah Valley Wheat Fields.jpg, Elah valley in Spring, with ripening grain File:Crown_Daisy_(Chrysanthemum_coronarium),_March_2015.jpg, Crown daisy ( Glebionis coronaria) File:Pistacia atlantica, Elah Valley, June 2015.jpg, ''

'', from which the valley takes its name File:Pistacia atlantica, in sunlight.jpg, Beneath the shady boughs of a Persian turpentine tree (''Pistacia atlantica'') in the Elah valley File:Asphodel flowers.jpg, Asphodel in blossom, in the Elah Valley {{DEFAULTSORT:Valley Of Elah Elah Land of Israel Valleys of Israel Valleys of the West Bank Ancient Israel and Judah District of Jerusalem Mateh Yehuda Regional Council Goliath

History

Flora and fauna

See also

References

External links

Gallery