Rooted and Grounded

We are still on day one of the tour. After leaving Beit Shemesh, we travel to the Elah Valley to remember the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines, between David and Goliath. Last time we came, we remembered this battle from the top of tel Azeka. This time, we are actually across the valley to the east of tel Azeka, on tel She’arayim, an Israelite city known for having two gates. That is what the word she’arayim means in Hebrew – “two gates.” This is significant because at the time of David, most Israelite cities had one gate. The city would be easier to defend if it only had one gate. This city, which overlooked the valley of Ela had two. It is also identified as Khirbet Qeiyafa. This city was a likely place for staging and supplying the Israelite army when it was facing off with the Philistines as recounted in 1 Samuel 17. It sits just north of where the Israelites were probably encamped.