‘The Philistines assembled their camps for war…. They encamped between Socho and Azekah…in the Terebinth Valley…The Philistines were standing…on one side and Israel was standing…on the other side and the valley was between them…A champion went forth…Goliath of Gath’ (1 Samuel 17: 1-4)
By Nosson Shulman, Licensed Tour Guide
One of the advantages I have living in Israel is the ability to wake up every morning, look outside my window, and see where the world’s most famous battle took place! Of course, I am talking about the clash between David and Goliath. Even if someone is not well versed in the Bible, it is highly unlikely that they haven’t heard of this epic duel. Even today on sports networks when the best team is facing an underdog team, the announcers will compare it to “David vs Goliath”.
Today we are visiting an off-the-beaten-track site, Tel Azekah, an Israelite city from Biblical times that was given by G-d to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15: 35).