The Great Valley of Elah—The Region of the Battlefield!

I remember what I heard when I was a cute, little boy about the story of David and Goliath. I was so fascinated about the trend of the story, especially when little David overpowered the giant Goliath. The Valley of Elah is exactly where this 3,000 year old show took place. It is widely identified as the place of the battle between David and Goliath. So what is Elah? Elah means terebinth, a Mediterranean tree which is found in this area. Situated here is a small stream right in the center of the Valley.

In the summer, the beck dries like a bone. In this small river, David gathered a “victory stone” to defeat Goliath. These five stones were probably the special or lucky ones for David and his peep. Unfortunately, there’s no need to worry about seeing historical stray bolt from the giant Goliath’s armor or David’s old rubber strap. Instead, you will see the large piece of land where the battle started. Including a few foot marks of Goliath. Let me now delve into the story of the conflict between Israel and the Philistines.

Historically, Khirbet Qeiyafa, a professor in southwestern Jerusalem in the valley discovered the fortified city between 1050 and 915 BC. It was related to the story of David and Goliath. Of course, some people were doubtful about this relationship and argued that it could be a Jewish fortress or the Canaanites. According to the Christian Bible, both the Israelites and the Philistines were in the valley of Ela, while the Philistines stood across the southern river between Socoh and Azekah and the Israelites at the northern part between Tel Azekah and Socoh.

When David conquered Goliath in 1200 BC, the valley of Elah was earmarked to the sons of Israel; of which Samson, the strongest Philistine to have lived, was a member. At that time, the Philistines came to ancient Israel when the 12 tribes came east of Israel. Their armies were so strong and wise that they tortured Israel for many years and occupied the whole country. After the great attack, the Philistine army conquered the land expanded by Israel. David eventually became King and could have surmounted the Philistines, but he did not. At that time, instead of fighting the whole crowd with one goal, they often put two people against each other. Goliath appeared to the Israelites in the Valley of Elah for 40 days, and challenged that one man should be courageous enough to fight him. Interestingly, there was no one who stepped forward to battle it up with Goliath.

At the same time, swain David came to Israel (the camp of Israelites) to visit the brothers who served in Saul’s army. Listening to the call of Goliath, the boy faced this difficult competition on the permission of King Saul. Brave David moved forward, looked around and saw a small river nearby. He approached the river and to the surprise of the congregation, he removed five stones from it. I'm pretty sure some of them were thinking... " What is this boy doing?" He put them in a bag with a rope. Then he agreed to fight. Imagine what transpired.

Regardless of the heavy weapons against the smallish, vulnerable, but agile David, Goliath couldn't stand the "heat" of David. David had a hard time fighting; but in the end, he was praised by the gathered people for his prowess. David’s story is a great source of inspiration and support for many, especially the weak and desperate. Many people use this historic defeat as an example of how small and weak people can also be strengthened in difficult situations.

On the Grounds of the Valley of Elah

At the end of the 19th century, two explorers, Conder and Kitchener, described the Elah Valley as one of the most fertile territory in Palestine. It is covered with corn and a variety of white stones that produce water in winter. Mediterranean and solitary trees are very common here as they grow along the water course. The Elah area is associated with Socoh, also known as Givat HaTurmusim or the hill of Lupine. During the first three months of the year, the hills are completely covered with a wild blue looper. This invites lots of people including families from both Israel and the rest of the world. Expect to see many people who are always here to witness the site believed to be the field of the battle. In this area, you can see one beautiful Mizpeh Massua tower, which is easy to see when you enter the Valley.

The Goliath Defect

According to some scholars, the stature of Goliath was questionable. They believed he might have been suffering from acromegalia, a disease of a completely disturbed growth hormone. Studies show that one of the symptoms of this condition is an increase in the number of soft tissues, which increases the susceptibility of parts of the body that are not protected by the skin layer. On the other hand, ancient traditions claim that all Philistine heroes of the same family were born in that way. They are very tall with extra fingers and toes of each leg in each extra hand. This family was identified as descendants of Moabite.

Getting to the Valley of Elah

Start your 20 minute journey from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Israel. Bet on Shemesh and Jamal on the Number One Highway. Go close to a gas station in Zechariah to cross the geographical area between the coastal plain and the Jewish hill. Then turn left to the river and walk about 24 meters. Valley of Elah has gained popularity in Israel because of the famous biblical battle of the Philistines and Israelites.

The walking place of David

In this modern era, the Valley of Elah has a new face. Currently, there is a large satellite relay station with an antenna farm containing with more than 100 parabolic antennas of various sizes. This is due to the fact that in the period from 2010 to 2014, oil companies, several times, tried to find ways and means of unintentionally performing work in the Ella Valley. Unfortunately, their plans were halted in 2014 by decision of the Zoning Committee Decision of Israel.

About the Author

Osei Agyemang is a passionate, creative writer and editor with a zeal for creating exciting and innovative content. Osei is also a junkie fan who loves to visit and tell interesting sites around the world. He is a useful National artist who has studied Psychology and Journalism. Osei is also a Fashion enthusiast.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter

Linkedin