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	Valley of Elah Photos Scriptures ref. David vs Goliath

Valley of Elah - location profile

Location and Setting

• The Valley of Elah was one of the four main east-west valleys through the Shephelah, connecting the Coastal Plain with the Judean Hill Country. (The valleys, north to south: Aijalon, Sorek, Elah, and Lachish.)
• Several cities lay along the length of this well-traveled valley, including Gath, Azekah, Socoh and Adullam.
• Watered by a seasonal stream, the valley floor provided excellent agricultural land for the residents of these cities. Typical natural vegetation of the Shephelah region included acacia, terebinth and oak trees, which covered the hills above the valley.

Historical and Biblical Significance

• Although Joshua’s military campaigns early in the conquest were generally successful, the Israelites failed to drive out all of the Canaanites, including the Philistines. These inhabitants of the Coastal Plain became a source of perpetual aggravation for Israel, frequently raiding the interior towns of Judah and the surrounding Israelite tribes. Their purpose was to penetrate Israel’s territory, first by controlling the valleys of the Shephelah, and then, through them reaching the heartland of the Hill Country of Judah. It was important, therefore, to bar the Philistines from this eastward advance. On one raid, about 1020 B.C., the Philistines camped on the southern side of the Valley of Elah between the cities of Socoh and Azekah. In response, Saul and the Israelite army moved into a defensive position on the northern ridge overlooking the Valley of Elah opposite the Philistine camp. David was a young man at the time, perhaps in his teens, whose primary responsibility in life was to tend his father’s sheep. Sent on a mission from his father to bring provisions to his three older brothers, who served with Saul’s army, David made the fifteen-mile trek from his hometown of Bethlehem down to the Israelite camp in the Valley of Elah. When he arrived, he heard the challenge of Goliath, the giant from the city of Gath, for Israel to provide an opponent for him. The winner would decide the outcome of the confrontation between the Israelites and the Philistines. David was deeply offended that this uncircumcised Philistine would taunt the people of the living God. Obtaining permission from the reluctant, cowardly King Saul, David entered the valley, gathered five smooth stones from the bed of the seasonal stream, and approached Goliath. Their meeting took place in full view of both armies. Each man watched with bated breath from the slopes of their respective hills. David placed one of the stones into his sling, rotated it several times to produce momentum, and launched the stone at Goliath. It struck the giant in the forehead, dropping him to the ground. Seeing the giant lying dead, the Israelite forces swarmed down the hillside into the valley, chasing the Philistines westward through the Valley of Elah and pursuing them as far as Ekron, seven miles away.

Bibliography

1. Aharoni, Y. and M. Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1993.
2. Monson, J. Student Map Manual. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979.
3. Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Howard F. Vos. The Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands. Chicago: Moody Press, 1967.
4. Schultz, A. C., "Elah, Vale (Valley) of" The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.