Unique Sites of Israel: Tel Azekah | The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com | Nosson Shulman | 21 Iyyar 5782 – May 22, 2022

Picture Credit history: AVRAMGR – CC BY-SA 4.

“The Philistines assembled their camps for war…. They encamped in between Socho and Azekah…in the Terebinth Valley…The Philistines were standing…on just one aspect and Israel was standing…On the other facet and the valley was concerning them…A winner went forth…Goliath of Gath (1 Samuel 17: 1-4).”

A person of the strengths I have residing in Israel is the capability to wake up each individual early morning, glimpse outdoors my window and see wherever the world’s most well-known fight took put!  Of training course, I am chatting about the clash between David and Goliath.  Even if a person is not properly versed in the Bible, it is extremely unlikely that they haven’t read of this epic duel.  Even today on sports networks when the greatest crew is going through an underdog staff, the announcers will review it to “David vs Goliath”.

These days we are checking out an off the beaten observe web page, Tel Azekah, an Israelite city from Biblical occasions which was supplied by G-d to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15: 35).

Right after Joshua and his military defeated the city states of Jericho and Ai, the strong town of Gibeon designed an alliance with the Israelites (see former posting on Hazor wherever I discuss the construction of Canaanite town states Tel Hatzor).  Five Canaanite kings attacked Gibeon, to send out a information that generating peace with the Jews was not in their fascination.  When they attacked, Joshua felt sure by his oath and came to their rescue.  As the armies of the 5 kings observed him coming, G-d set worry into their hearts and they had been smitten, with the survivors fleeing all the way till Azekah, wherever a hail storm then completed off the relaxation (Joshua 10). In accordance to Jewish sources, this was remaining above from the plague of hail in Egypt.  When Moses questioned G-d to prevent the plague, the remaining hail was saved for Azekah.

When the Babylonians conquered Israel generations later on, the final three cities to be conquered had been the besieged metropolitan areas of Jerusalem, Lachish and Azekah (Jeremiah 34: 6-7).  Indeed, excavators observed a letter penned by troopers at Lachish, to be sent as a warning to fighters in Jerusalem, which said “We can not see any far more, the fire-signals of Azekah.” This “Lachish Ostraca” backs up the Biblical narrative which says these were being the past three towns conquered.

The principal motive I just take men and women to this internet site, is to relive this well known Biblical battle in between David and Goliath the Philistine.

Who were the Philistines we study so much about in the Bible?

The Philistines ended up originally from Greece.  Beginning close to 1200 BCE, for the upcoming 800 years, the Greek Peninsula went by means of a despair named “The Greek Dim Ages”.  A specified Sea people still left Greece and settled in Crete, wherever civilization hadn’t however collapsed.  Due to volcanos and unrest, these sea folks were being at the time all over again uprooted.  Approximately 220 yrs beforehand, Egypt controlled Canaan, with the city point out kings being tributaries.  With the collapse of Egypt’s empire, prompted by the Exodus from Egypt (the place Pharaoh’s military were drowned), there was quickly a vacuum left with no just one empire jogging the display.  The Jewish individuals entered from the Jordan River reverse Jericho (see yellow circle on the photograph below) and took more than almost the total Mountainous area (see the large red circle beneath). The Philistines entered from the Sea and took around the overall coastal area (see underneath the flat dim inexperienced place amongst the pink circle and the sea).

While the Philistines experienced remarkable arms (due to the point that they ended up just one of the primary manufacturers of deadly iron weapons) they were not ready to conquer and keep the extra mountainous region, as their chariots essential flatter land (Judges 1:19).

The Philistines oddly entered into Judean territory to wage war with self confidence, even though they had just suffered a crushing defeat at the arms of King Saul (1 Samuel: 14). Just as weird, Saul and his guys have been much too frightened to battle.  According to a person Jewish supply, G-d manufactured it this way in order to deliver King David into the image, placing him in a situation to realize success the throne.  G-d experienced just told Saul the kingship would be taken from him (1 Samuel 16).

The Philistines mobilized at Socho (see above map with black scribble) and the Jews at Azeka (blue scribble above) and the Terebinth valley, which gets its identify from the trees escalating there in abundance, was among them.

Each individual morning for forty days, the mighty Goliath (just under 13 ft tall and lined from head to toe with weighty armor)  approached the Israelite camp and stated “Choose for on your own a person and permit him appear down to me. If he can combat me and get rid of me, we will be slaves to you. And If I defeat him…You will be slaves to us (1 Samuel 17: 8-9).”  As a facet notice, just one can clearly see the Greek origins of the Philistines.  Nowhere in history, outside of historic Greece, were being wars fought in between two heroes with “winner acquire all” stipulations effecting the overall nation.

Even though this was occurring, Jesse asked his son David, who was shepherding his sheep in Bethlehem, to check out on 3 of his more mature brothers on the battle area and convey them provisions (In historical armies, it was not unusual for soldiers to supply their possess weapons, clothing, foodstuff, and so forth.).  When David arrived, he observed a frightened military.  The predicament was so dire, that Saul promised any individual who could slay Goliath his daughter’s hand in marriage (which intended prosperity and a royal court position). When David read Goliath disgracing “The battalions of The Residing G-d”, he was disgusted and preferred to take down the Giant himself.  He started inquiring as to what the reward from the King would be for slaying the giant.  He presently knew the response, but required to have interaction men and women in discussion, hoping that phrase would travel back again to the King that David desired to struggle.

Term did travel back to Saul and he summoned David.  He stated “You simply cannot go forth…to battle with him, for you are a lad, when he is a warrior from his youth (1 Samuel: 17:33)”  In historical moments to be in this sort of battle, a person was expected to have at minimum a ten years or two of war experience, even though he experienced none.  David answered “G-d…will rescue me from this Philistine.”  When Saul listened to this amount of religion, he reported “Go, and may G-d be with you (Ibid 17:37).”

David went to the valley’s brook and picked 5 “smooth” stones.

David put a one stone into his slingshot, aimed it at Goliath and strike him, producing him to collapse. David then slice off the giant’s head and the Philistines fled, hence getting rid of their risk to Israel for a long time to occur.  David married Saul’s daughter Michal, and with David now becoming in the Royal courtroom, G-d experienced set the stage for David’s increase to Kingship.

I highly recommend browsing Azekah and the Terebinth valley on your up coming journey.  In addition to getting historic and biblical, it provides some of Israel’s ideal panoramic views and wildflowers.  On the way we can even prevent at the brook, where by you can choose up a single of the stones and consider it home with you!

Be sure to stop by the author’s web page: https://guidedtoursofisrael.com

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