One of the most interesting parts of the land of Israel is a part of the land that we rarely study. That area is called the Shephelah. In our English Bibles, this is usually translated as "lowlands". It is a small area of land between the Coastal Plain and the Central Mountain Range. During. The period of the United And Divided Kingdom, this area played a major role in many of the Biblical stories. Our first stop was at he Sorek Valley, commonly known as the stomping grounds of Samson. From the tel at Bet-Shemesh, you can see Zoar (where Samson grew up), Timnah (where Samson went to find a wife) and the overall valley (where Samson burned the fields find a wife) and the overall valley (where Samson burned the fields by using a number of foxes).
About a ten minute drive away is the Valley of Elah, the site of the famous battle between David and Goliath. By standing in this valley, and reading the passage, this story takes on a very personal and richer meaning.
After making a brief stop at Lachish, we made our way down to Beer-Sheva, the home of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. From the top of the tel, you make the transition to the Negev.
It was a wonderful day and we look forward to more adventures tomorrow.