Valley of Elah

For the archaeological site, see Khirbet Qeiyafa.
Valley of Elah viewed from the top of Tel Azekah

The Valley of Elah, Ella Valley ("the valley of the terebinth";[1] from the Hebrew: עמק האלה‎ Emek HaElah), or Wadi es-Sunt (Arabic: وادي السنط), is a long, shallow valley in the Shephelah area of Israel, best known from the Hebrew Bible as the place where David defeated Goliath (1 Samuel 17:2; 1 Samuel 17:19). It is home to several important archaeological sites, including those identified as the ancient towns of Azekah and Socho (1 Samuel 17:1). 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 (1 Samuel 17:52).

The valley is named after its indigenous trees - in Hebrew after the large and shady terebinth trees (Pistacia atlantica, elah), and in Arabic after the white acacia trees (Acacia albida, sunt). On the west side of the valley, near Socho, there is a very large and ancient terebinth tree, 55 feet (17 m) in height with a trunk 17 feet (5.2 m) in circumference and a canopy at least 75 feet (23 m) in diameter. This tree is notable for being one of the largest terebinths in the area, and marks the upper end of the valley.

Extension of Elah Valley on its southeastern side, Wadi es-Sur

Since the early 1970s, the valley has also contained a large satellite 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 and the grassroots group Save Adullam, among others, working to stop exploitation of the region.[2][3][4] The plan was ultimately blocked in 2014 by 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.[5]

  1. ^ Elah, Langenscheidt's Hebrew Dictionary, Dr Karl Feyerabend
  2. ^ Krantz, David (1 May 2011). "Israel: The New Saudi Arabia?". Jewcology.
  3. ^ Cheslow, Daniella (18 Dec 2011). "Shale oil project raises hackles in Israel". AFP. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012.
  4. ^ Laylin, Tafline (5 March 2013). "Saudi Turns to Solar, Israel Stuck on Shale". Green Prophet.
  5. ^ Rubin, Yuval, ed. (2019). "The Elah Valley Declared a National Park". Bakitzur - Mateh Yehuda Regional Council and Jerusalem Area (in Hebrew) (509). Tzur Hadassah: Rubin Publishers: 10. (25 July 2019)