The Shephelah

Our day began before the sunrise. Many of us spent the night tossing, trying to adjust from the jetlag from yesterday’s travels. However early it was, it was beautiful to watch the sun rise over the hill country of Israel. Our hotel was near Kiriath Jearim, in the central hill country of Israel. We began the tour in an open air chapel overlooking the hills of the Shephelah, and the flat coastal plains. Here we began the tour with the reading of Psalm 121, and then we dove into a geography lesson. This geography will be critical, so please bear with me as I explain it. There are three regions we focused on this first day of our tour- the coastal plains, the Shephelah, and the central hill country. The coastal plains are the wide tracts of arable land nearest the coast. The richness of the soil, along with the international trade occurring on its highways, meant that the coastal plains were a very desirable piece of property. However, it was often occupied by outside powers, most notably in the Old Testament by the Philistines. The Shephelah is the region in between the coastal plains and the central hill country. It is green rolling hills with valleys cutting inward toward the central hills. The central hill country made up rugged ridges and ravines, and agriculture is tough because of how rocky it is. It is this region that the Israelites first settle when they move into the land. So we have the Philistines on the coast, the Israelites in the hills, and the Shephelah in the middle, acting as both a buffer and a highway between the two. So it comes as no surprise that it is in these valleys of the Shephelah the Bible records so many conflicts between Israel and the Philistines. It is this buffer zone that we spent our first day touring.

One of our first stops was at the tel at Beth Shemesh. A tel is the mound that forms over a settlement over generations of habitation, and destruction. Beth Shemesh is a Jewish settlement in a commanding position in the Sorek valley, and was sort of a border town. The archeological work there has discovered Philistine pottery, as one might expect to find in a Philistine settlement. However, they’ve confirmed that this was indeed a Jewish settlement because of the lack of pig bones. What this communicated is that in Beth Shemesh in the Valley of Sorek, there was at least trade happening between the Israelites and Philistines, and maybe points to intermarriage. This is noteworthy due to the story of Sorek Valley’s most famous inhabitant, Samson. Samson was born in Zorah, just across the valley from Beth Shemesh, and when I say just across the valley, I mean it was probably under an hour walk. Samson was notorious for both killing and wanting to marry Philistines, and here at Beth Shemesh there is evidence supporting that sort of behavior going on. It was surreal standing on the tel, and being able to see how close everything really was. Like I said, Zorah was a couple miles away, and Timnah, the site of Samson’s first attempted marriage, was only a short walk away as well. Seeing the close proximity of all these sites made it clear how the fame and exploits of Samson could so quickly spread. Beth Shemesh later became a regional outpost, guarding the region, under the united monarchy, particularly under King Hezekiah.

We also visited the tel of the Biblical city of Gath, which was only 10-15 minute drive from the Sorek Valley. What struck me instantly was how strategically placed Gath was. It was on the edge of the coastal plain, and built on an outcropping at the mouth of the valley of Elah. Its geography gave it the command of the region. One of the most recent exciting discoveries that archeologist have made here are the uncovering of two Philistine temples. These temples are designed with two central pillars that support the weight of the structure. This architectural design is also found in the Biblical account of the death of Samson in the great temple of Gaza, where he collapsed the two central pillars and destroyed the temple and all who were in it. It was really cool to see archeology line up with the biblical narrative like that. However, Gath is probably best known for being the hometown of Goliath, the giant who was slain by David. We talked a good deal about Goliath, but I’ll leave that for another to talk about.

What has been amazing to see is these places where Bible characters lived. To put locations and geography into context with the narrative of the Bible. It also struck me how close all of these sites are. I would read the Bible and the names of these cities, and I gloss over them, never giving them much thought. But visiting these locations has really brought to life the narrative in a new way. There is so much more history that I would like to share with you, but I’m afraid my allotted space has been filled. I hope that you enjoy following along with this tour, and I hope that it is both educational and enjoyable.

Written by Austin D.

After visiting Beit Shemesh, we went to Tel-Azekah. Azekah is in the Shephelah. It was an important city in Bible times because of its strategic location. From the top of the Tel, there is a clear view of many nearby cities including Gath and Beit Shemesh. It also overlooks the Elah valley, where David fought and defeated the Philistine champion Goliath. Because of its strategic location, Azekah was fortified under the reigns of Solomon, Rehoboam, and Hezekiah. Thus, Azekah, along with a few other fortified cities (including Lachisch), were guard cities. In order for an invader to penetrate into the heart of the Judean hill country, they would have to pass through these.

From there, we went to Maresha. We enjoyed a lunch, prepared by Eli, our bus driver, of delicious pitas filled with meat, humus, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. Then, Yehuda, our guide, showed us an ancient tomb and a system of caves that had been dug under the ancient houses on the hillside of Maresha. These caves were expansive! Throughout their history they had been put to a variety of uses including as housing, as water cisterns, as a quarry, and to house and grow pigeons. Several of these caves were connected by small passageways and rock stairways. And, at the end of the system there is an ancient oil press cave with four large oil presses.

Our last stop of the day was Tel-Lachish. Lachish was first inhabited literally thousands of years ago; in fact, material remains found there date as far back as 5000 B.C. In the time of the Israelite monarchy, like Azekah, Lachish was a fortified guard city that protected the central Judean Hill Country. It is mentioned several times in the Bible and was the site of confrontations between Israel and both Assyrian (Isa 36:1) and Babylonian armies. In ancient times, Lachish was surrounded by a massive wall. Today, the remains of this wall and the city gates are still visible. In addition, at the foot of the Tel, the battle ramp that the Assyrian’s used to breach the wall can be seen. On the top of the Tel, what was once a city with many inhabitants is covered with dirt and plants. Much of it has yet to be excavated. However, there is a large palace in the center of the Tel that offers a great view of the surrounding terrain.

Throughout the day, we were reminded how much geography plays into the Biblical story. On a day with good visibility, Israelites at Azekah could see the Philistine city of Gath. We saw how essential water is, something that is easy to forget when all we have to do is open a tap today. Finally, we remembered how God chose this land as the place where His people would live and the Biblical narrative would unfold.

Written by Andrew P.