Day 1-4: Tel Shaaraim (Elah Valley of Judean Lowlands)

The Valley of Elah

Shaaraim sit in the valley of Elah where the famous battle between David and Goliath occurred. The valley of Elah is a triangle shaped flat valley, located on the western edge of the Judah low hills. Its Hebrew name, Elah, is named after the Terebinth (Pistacia Palaestina) tree. This valley was an important corridor from the coast cities, up to the center of the land Judah and its cities - Bethlehem, Hebron and Jerusalem.

Panoramic Photo of the Valley of Elah

Tel Shaaraim

It was only recently, however, that the city of Shaaraim (also, She’arayim) was discovered when a tourist stumbled upon a second gate to the city. She’arayim means “two-gates” which was a very unique concept for any city since the weakest siege point of any city is its gate. Cities only had 1 gate because of the gate was the most vulnerable part of a city wall.

The 1st city gate of Shaaraim.

Our group is standing in the 2nd city gate, which was discovered by a tourist.

The city of Shaaraim is one of the cities of the tribe of Judah.

20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans. 35 ... Shaaraim... 36 ... fourteen cities with their villages. (Joshua 15:20, 35, 36)

It is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles, as part of the list of cities occupied by the tribe of Simeon, who co-shared cities with Judah until the reign of David.

31 The sons of Simeon  ... at Bethbirei, and at Sha'araim. These were their cities unto the reign of David".  (1 Chronicles 4:31)

The city also appeared in the Biblical account of the aftermath of the battle between David and Goliath of Gath. According to the Bible, Sha'araim is located near the place of the battle in the valley of Elah.

And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. ( Samuel 17:52)

Archaeologists have found only one Iron Age phase, dated to the early Iron IIa period (1000-925 BC) - the times of Judean Kings David and Solomon.

Sha'araim was probably the largest Iron age IIa city in Judea, and was abandoned during the end of the Iron age IIa - at about 925BC. It came to an end in a sudden destruction. The reasons for the destruction was either by war, earthquake or other reasons.

David and Goliath

In the valley of Elah was the great battle between young David and the Giant Goliath, who settled the war between the Israelites and the  Philistines by a single combat between the two champions of each side.

The battle happened at about 1010 BC ,after the Philistines attempted to push along the valley of Elah towards the heart of the kingdom of Judah. King Saul and his Israelite army blocked them, facing the Philistines at Sochoh in the center of the valley.

The Philistine giant, Goliath of the nearby city Gath, challenged the Israelites to fight him in order to determine the  fate of the battle, but no Israelite soldier dared to take this challenge. Only the young David, an untrained shepherd who came to assist his elder brothers, bravely volunteered for this fight.  The two camps watched the fight on both sides of the valley.
 
To summarize the battle:  David, with just 5 stones and a sling, faced the giant Goliath which was heavily armed. The young shepherd, drawing his strength from his faith in God, shot the rock into the center of the giant's forehead, knocking him down, then took his sword and cut of his head.  Israel wins, chasing the Philistines out of the valley of Elah. Here is the fascinating Biblical account from 1 Samuel.

The battlefield is described.

1 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. (1 Samuel 17: 1-4, 50)

Goliath, the Philistine giant from the city Gath (located about 10km downstream), is heavily armed.

5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. 6 And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. (1 Samuel 17:5-7) 

Goliath challenges King Saul's soldiers.

8 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” (1 Samuel 17:8-10)

No Israelite soldier was brave enough to fight Goliath.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. (1 Samuel 17:11)

Only David took the challenge.

32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel  17:32)

David refused to be armed, taking only 5 stones and a sling.

38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:38-40)

David approached Goliath, who mocked him.

41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.”  (1 Samuel 17:41-44)

David speaks with the courage of the LORD.

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

David kills Goliath.

48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. 51a Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. 1 Samuel 17:48-51a)

Israel routes the Philistines.

51b When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 And the people of Israel came back from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their camp. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. (1 Samuel 17:51b-54)