Part 7 - David and Goliath

March 22 - Today we drove from Haifa, along the northern coastline, down through the Judean foothills.  This is where the topography transitions from the level coastal plain where the Philistines dwelled to the more mountainous region where the Hebrew tribes lived.  This was the border region where the two kingdoms clashed.  We wanted to see where the philistine giant Goliath battled the Israeli stripling named David. 

Our first granddaughter is named Ayla.  We heard back when she was born that the Hebrew word "Elah," pronounced the same, meant Oak tree.  So Ayla Oakes was Oak Oakes.  Well, it turns out that David fought Goliath in the Valley of Elah.  So we were kind of interested to see the site, and it lie on our route down to Beersheva.  We have, since then, learned that the Elah tree of the Bible was probably a wild pistachio, which spoils a good story.

1 Samuel 17:1   "Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered at Sochoh, which belongs to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.  And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them."

The Israelites encamped on the left and the Philistines on the right.  The stream looks like a yellow line and passes under the road right where it straitens on the right.

This picture was taken from the hilltop town of Azekah, which is mentioned in the text.

"Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.  So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.  And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking...............   So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head."

This is the small stream that flowed between the two armies.