Official Foundation Stone Webiste
BARNEA LEVI SELAVAN
Rabbi Barnea Levi Selavan
Foundation Stone Co-Director
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE SITE by Barnea Levi Selavan
The Elah Fortress lies just inside a ridge of tall hills that separate Philistia and the city of Gath region in the west from Judea in the east. That north-south ridge includes the site currently identified as Tel Azeka. Once penetrating past that ridge, one enters a series of connecting valleys that lie in between two parallel groups of hills. The site identified as Tel Socho lies on the southern ridge, with Tel Adullam behind it. Elah Fortress lies on the northern ridge with a commanding view of several valleys. It sees past the Tel Azeka barrier hills into Philistia in the east, and has a clear view of the Judean Mountains to the west. Tel Yarmut is visible behind it just to the northeast, in the same set of hills. It thus seems quite clear from the topography that we are in an area defined by Joshua 15:35 as a strip of Judean Foothill cities consisting of Adullam, Socho, Azeka and Yarmut.
These valleys serve as the border of Philistia and Judea, which may explain why the massive fortifications of Elah Fortress predate other regional cities which were open in this period, such as Lachish, Beer Sheva, Arad, and Tel Batash-Timna. They all share the same pottery ware dated to early Iron Age II; about 2900 years ago. The parallel valley to the north is also defined as a border in Samuel I 6, running from the inland Philistine city of Ekron to Tel Bet Shemesh; both of which have enjoyed extensive excavations. Elah Fortress straddles the next physical link to the south, of the inland city of Gath to Socho and Azeka, leading up to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Givat Shaul. The recently uncovered city gate of Elah Fortress faces due west, with a path directly descending to the road leading to the valleys of Philistia and the sea. We therefore call it "Gath Gate," or, "Sea Gate."
Historians explain that in biblical period warfare these connecting valleys are actually the last stand for the defense of the Judean Mountains and the capital cities in Judah and Benjamin. Nowhere else can one assemble an army to face an invading army. Once past this point, invaders can work their way up the myriad defiles in the hills to reach the top.
The Foothills, the Shephelah, are the traditional battleground between the sea peoples and the mountain dwellers. In Samuel I 17 the battleground of Saul and David vs. Goliath of Gath is described by a Philistine invasion of Socho. The Sea People invaders then fill in the area between Socho and Azeka, camping in "Efes Damim." Saul and the Israelite army, later joined by David coming down from Bethlehem, camp in the Valley of Elah to face them. There is little doubt that this classic confrontation scene lies under the watchful eyes of Elah Fortress.
The top layer of Elah Fortress shows the fortifications were reworked and reused in the Hellenistic period 2300 years ago. This offers a possible clue to identifying the city.
- Barnea Levi Selavan, Av 5768
The Elah Fortress lies just inside a ridge of tall hills that separate Philistia and the city of Gath region in the west from Judea in the east. That north-south ridge includes the site currently identified as Tel Azeka. Once penetrating past that ridge, one enters a series of connecting valleys that lie in between two parallel groups of hills. The site identified as Tel Socho lies on the southern ridge, with Tel Adullam behind it. Elah Fortress lies on the northern ridge with a commanding view of several valleys. It sees past the Tel Azeka barrier hills into Philistia in the east, and has a clear view of the Judean Mountains to the west. Tel Yarmut is visible behind it just to the northeast, in the same set of hills. It thus seems quite clear from the topography that we are in an area defined by Joshua 15:35 as a strip of Judean Foothill cities consisting of Adullam, Socho, Azeka and Yarmut.
These valleys serve as the border of Philistia and Judea, which may explain why the massive fortifications of Elah Fortress predate other regional cities which were open in this period, such as Lachish, Beer Sheva, Arad, and Tel Batash-Timna. They all share the same pottery ware dated to early Iron Age II; about 2900 years ago. The parallel valley to the north is also defined as a border in Samuel I 6, running from the inland Philistine city of Ekron to Tel Bet Shemesh; both of which have enjoyed extensive excavations. Elah Fortress straddles the next physical link to the south, of the inland city of Gath to Socho and Azeka, leading up to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Givat Shaul. The recently uncovered city gate of Elah Fortress faces due west, with a path directly descending to the road leading to the valleys of Philistia and the sea. We therefore call it "Gath Gate," or, "Sea Gate."
Historians explain that in biblical period warfare these connecting valleys are actually the last stand for the defense of the Judean Mountains and the capital cities in Judah and Benjamin. Nowhere else can one assemble an army to face an invading army. Once past this point, invaders can work their way up the myriad defiles in the hills to reach the top.
The Foothills, the Shephelah, are the traditional battleground between the sea peoples and the mountain dwellers. In Samuel I 17 the battleground of Saul and David vs. Goliath of Gath is described by a Philistine invasion of Socho. The Sea People invaders then fill in the area between Socho and Azeka, camping in "Efes Damim." Saul and the Israelite army, later joined by David coming down from Bethlehem, camp in the Valley of Elah to face them. There is little doubt that this classic confrontation scene lies under the watchful eyes of Elah Fortress.
The top layer of Elah Fortress shows the fortifications were reworked and reused in the Hellenistic period 2300 years ago. This offers a possible clue to identifying the city.
- Barnea Levi Selavan, Av 5768