BIBLICAL REFERENCES RELATING TO THE NORTHERN SHEFELA AND THE ELAH VALLEY

1. JOSHUA 15:36 - Shefala Cities*
2, SAMUEL I - CHAPTER 17: Battle of David & Goliath
3. CHRONICLES I 11:13 - Recount of the Battle of David & Goliath


SITE SOURCES

*Note: Fourteen cities are counted in the text from a list that appear to name 15 cities. Three opinions are offered by classical commentaries to deal with this contradiction
A. Tapuach Ve’Haeinam are one city - Rashi (traditional)
B. Gederot ve’Gederotayim are one city - Radak (Rabbi David Kimche)
C. Ashna - recorded in the list here is again recorded in the list of 9 cities 10 verses later.

Here are some of the sites in our immediate vicinity:

ADDERET (about 1.5kms east of Kh. Qeiyafa)

ADULLAM

AZEKA (TEL AZEKA) (1 km west of Kh. Qeiyafa)
The nearby Tel Azeka is known from three different historical sources:

• It is mentioned seven times in the Bible.
• It is known from a letter written in Akkadian by an Assyrian king in the late 8th century BC.
• It is mentioned in an ancient Hebrew letter written on a pottery sherd (ostracon) uncovered in the excavations of Lachish, dated to 586 BC, the last days of the kingdom of Judah.

BEIT SHEMESH (about 7kms north of Kh. Qeiyafa)

EIN GANIM (location unknown)

EMEK HA’ELAH (ELAH VALLEY)

EFES DAMIM (OR PAS DAMIM) (location unknown)

1. Radak: Samuel II 23:11
“...rural city that has no wall (around it), this place is called Efes Damim, like it is mentioned in Chronicles in regard to this battle.”
2. Radak: Chronicles I 11:13
“...and this is colloquial language for a rural city without a wall - and that place was called Efes Damim or Pas Damim - it is all one thing.”
3. Malb”im: Samuel I 17:1
“...and immediately after they (Philistines) gathered in Socho, they moved to Efes Damim to be closer to the Israelite encampment.”
4. Malb”im: Samuel I 17:1

SHA’ARAYIM (location unknown)

SOCHO (TEL SOCHO, GIVAT HA’TURMUSIM) (about 1km east of Kh. Qeiyafa)

YARMUT (about 2kms north of Kh. Qeiyafa)