The lush Elah Valley is one of the best-known and archaeologically rich valleys of the Shephelah, the region of low foot-hills that separates Israel’s southern coastal plain from the Judean hill country. Named after the terebinth tree, the Elah is an exceptionally fertile region that was part of the breadbasket of ancient Judah. Along the valley’s edges are several important archaeological sites, including Azekah, Khirbet Qeiyafa (its Iron Age walls shown here standing guard over the valley), Tel Socoh, and Tel Adullam. Even today, this region has many small towns, farms, and vineyards nourished by the valley’s rich soil. The […]
