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The Valley of Elah or Ella Valley ("the valley of the
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 best known as the place described in the Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Old Testament of
Since the early 1970s, the valley has also contained a large
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, owing largely to its historical importance and the desire to curtail the encroaching city limits of Beit Shemesh to its north.
'Crying King David: Are the ruins found in Israel really his palace? ,'
at
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."C.R. Conder & H.H. Kitchener, ''The Survey of Western Palestine'', vol. III, London 1883, p. 298
Numerous plant species are native to the Elah Valley, including:
* Terebinth ('' Pistacia terebinthus'')
* Kermes oak ('' Quercus calliprinos'')
* Buckthorn (''
Animal species native to the Elah Valley include:
* Mountain gazelle ('' Gazella gazella'')
* Golden jackal ('' Canis aureus syriacus'')
* Syrian fox (''Vulpes thaleb'')
* Crested porcupine ('' Hystrix cristata'')
* Egyptian mongoose (''
1 Samuel Chapter 17Porcupines, Emperors, and the New Middle EastEllah Valley (HD)
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, ''
{{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
'' Old Testament of
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 (; ). It is home to several important archaeological sites, including those identified as the ancient towns of Azekah 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, 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 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 ...
s in the area, and marks the upper end of the valley.
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 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
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 grouSave 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, owing largely to its historical importance and the desire to curtail the encroaching city limits of Beit Shemesh 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. At Khirbet Qeiyafa, southwest ofJerusalem
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 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.
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."C.R. Conder & H.H. Kitchener, ''The Survey of Western Palestine'', vol. III, London 1883, p. 298Flora and fauna
Numerous plant species are native to the Elah Valley, including:
* Terebinth ('' Pistacia terebinthus'')
* Kermes oak ('' Quercus calliprinos'')
* 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'')
* 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'')
* Globe-thistle ('' Echinops adenocaulos'')
* Ciliate vetchling ('' Lathyrus blepharicarpus'')
* Spiny broom ('' Calicotome villosa'')
Animal species native to the Elah Valley include:
* Mountain gazelle ('' Gazella gazella'')
* 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'')
See also
* Battle of Ajnadayn * '' In the Valley of Elah''References
External links
1 Samuel Chapter 17
Gallery
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 ...
'', 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