Places Study on Azekah

Joshua 10: And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.

Joshua 10: And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

Joshua 15: Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,

1 Samuel 17: Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim.

2 Chronicles 11: And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

Nehemiah 11: Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages, at Lachish, and the fields thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom.

Jeremiah 34: When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

Chain Links

Topics

Azekah

Dictionary

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Azekah

A town in the tribe of Judah, about fifteen miles south-west of Jerusalem; mentioned in the narratives of Joshua and Saul, Joshua 10:10 ; 1 Samuel 17:1 ; taken by Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah 34:7 , but afterwards repeopled by the Jews, Nehemiah 11:30 .

Morrish Bible Dictionary - Azekah

City in the plain of Judah with adjacent villages, near Shochoh, the scene of one of Joshua's victories. It was fortified by Rehoboam, and was in existence at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion. The Jews inhabited it after the return. Joshua 10:10,11 ; Joshua 15:35 ; 1 Samuel 17:1 ; 2 Chronicles 11:9 ; Nehemiah 11:30 ; Jeremiah 34:7 . Identified with Tell Zahariya 31 42' N, 34 55' E .

Easton's Bible Dictionary - Azekah

Dug over, a town in the Shephelah or low hills of Judah (Joshua 15:35 ), where the five confederated Amoritish kings were defeated by Joshua and their army destroyed by a hailstrom (10:10,11). It was one of the places re-occupied by the Jews on their return from the Captivity (Nehemiah 11:30 ).

Holman Bible Dictionary - Azekah

(uh zee' kah) Place name meaning, “cultivated ground.” 1. City where Joshua defeated southern coalition of kings led by Adonizedek of Jerusalem (Joshua 10:10 ), as God cast hailstones from heaven on the fleeing armies. In the battle Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still (Joshua 10:12 ). Joshua allotted it to Judah (Joshua 15:35 ). Near it, the Philistines lined up their forces for battle against Saul (1 Samuel 17:1 ), resulting in the David and Goliath confrontation. Rehoboam, king of Judah, (931-913 B.C.), built up its fortifications (2 Chronicles 11:9 ). The tribe of Judah occupied it in Nehemiah's day (Nehemiah 11:30 ), after it had been one of the last cities to fall to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 588 B.C. (Jeremiah 34:7 ). One of the letters found at Lachish tells of searching for signal lights from Azekah but not being able to see them. This can be dated to 588 B.C. An earlier Assyrian inscription, perhaps from 712 B.C. speaks of Azekah's location on a mountain ridge, being inaccessible like an eagle's nest, too strong for siege ramps and battering rams.

Later tradition connected Azekah with the tomb of the prophet Zechariah and then with Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, to whom a large church was dedicated. Thus the Madeba map from about 550 A.D. calls Azekah, “Beth Zechariah,” or “house of Zechariah” and pictures a large church there.

Azekah is located at tell Zakariya five and one half miles northeast of Beth Govrin above the Valley of Elah. Excavations show the site was occupied before 3000 B.C. and had a strong fortress in the period of the judges.

Hitchcock's Bible Names - Azekah

Strength of walls

Sentence search

Pas-Dammim - ), between Shochoh and Azekah (1 Samuel 17:1 ; 1 Chronicles 11:13 )

e'Lah, the Valley of - ( 1 Samuel 17:2,19 ) It lay somewhere near Socoh of Judah and Azekah, and was nearer Ekron than any other Philistine town

Pasdammin - The site is probably between Socoh and Azekah, the same as Ephes-dammin (1 Samuel 17:1 )

Azekah - One of the letters found at Lachish tells of searching for signal lights from Azekah but not being able to see them. speaks of Azekah's location on a mountain ridge, being inaccessible like an eagle's nest, too strong for siege ramps and battering rams. ... Later tradition connected Azekah with the tomb of the prophet Zechariah and then with Zechariah the father of John the Baptist, to whom a large church was dedicated. calls Azekah, “Beth Zechariah,” or “house of Zechariah” and pictures a large church there. ... Azekah is located at tell Zakariya five and one half miles northeast of Beth Govrin above the Valley of Elah

Gederah - Near the "valley of the terebinth", near Azekah and Socoh

Ephes-Dammin - ” Town between Shocoh and Azekah where Philistines gathered to fight Saul (1 Samuel 17:1 ) preceding David's killing of Goliath

Makkedah - It lay in the vicinity of Libnah, Azekah, and Lachish, southwest of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 10:10-28 ; 12:16 ; 15:41

Elah, Valley of - Near Shocoh of Judah and Azekah; Ekron was the nearest Philistine town. A mile down the valley is Tell Zakariyeh, probably Azekah

Shaaraim - Some would locate it at khirbet esh-Sharia a mile northeast of Azekah

Socoh or Shochoh - 1 1 Kings 4:10 , a town in the plain of Judah, near Azekah, famous for a battle of David and Saul with the Philistines, 1 Samuel 17:1 ; against whom Rehoboam fortified it, and by whom it was afterwards taken, 2 Chronicles 11:7 28:18

Beth-ho'Ron - (house of caverns ), the name of two towns or villages, an "upper" and a "nether," ( Joshua 16:3,5 ; 1 Chronicles 7:24 ) on the road from Gibeon to Azekah, (Joshua 10:10,11 ) and the Philistine plain

Ephesdammim - Between Shochoh and Azekah, in Judah, the Philistine encampment when David slew Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1). The site of Saul's battle with the Philistines and Goliath was at the bend of the valley, where the Jerusalem road down which probably Saul came crosses the valley, at Ephesdammim, between Socoh (Shuweikeh) and Azekah (El-Azek)

Socho - Between Socho and Azekah the Philistines were posted for the battle wherein Goliath fell (1 Samuel 17:1)

Soco, Socoh - A fortified town in the ShephÃ§lah of Judah, mentioned in Joshua 15:35 along with Adullam and Azekah; the Philistines ( 1 Samuel 17:1 ) ‘pitched between Socoh and Azekah’: Ben-hesed, one of Solomon’s twelve officers, had charge of it ( 1 Kings 4:10 ); it was re-fortified by Rehoboam ( 2 Chronicles 11:7 ); during the reign of Ahaz it was taken, along with other prominent fortress cities of the ShephÃ§lah, by the Philistines

Rehoboam - Some of his fortifications may be those at Lachish and Azekah

Adoni-Zedek - Routed they fled to Bethhoron, thence to Azekah and Makkedah, amidst the fearful hailstorm from God, followed by the sun's standing still at Joshua's command

Elah - It was near Shochoh of Judah and Azekah (17:1)

Bethhoron - On the road from Gibeon (now el Jib) to Azekah and the Philistine plain (Joshua 10:10-11; Joshua 16:3; Joshua 16:5; Joshua 18:13-14), on the boundary between Benjamin and Ephraim, but counted to the latter and given to the Kohathites (Joshua 21:22)

Lachish - Lachish and Azekah were the last cities to stand against the king of Babylon ( Jeremiah 34:7 )

Fortified Cities - At the end of the monarchy, Jeremiah reported that the Babylonians had conquered all the fortified cities of Judah except Lachish and Azekah (Jeremiah 34:6-7 )

Zedekiah - ... Then King Nebuchadnezzar marched his army against Zedekiah, and took all the fortified places of his kingdom, except Lachish, Azekah, and Jerusalem

Jeshua - On the line of retreat of the five kings who fought at Gibeon, midway between the lower Bethhoron and Shochoh, near Azekah, is the large village Yeshua, which probably commemorates Joshua's commanding the sun to stand still upon Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, a day without a parallel (Joshua 10:12-14)

Zedeki'ah - This was done, and the whole country reduced, except Jerusalem and two strong places in the western plain, Lachish and Azekah, which still held out

Zedekiah - ... Nebuchadnezzar on learning Zedekiah's treachery had sent a Chaldaean army which reduced all Judaea except Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah (Jeremiah 34)

Saul - The Philistines once more invaded the land, and gathered their army between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim, on the southern slope of the valley of Elah

Fortification And Siegecraft - More easily accessible to the ordinary student is the detailed account, with measurements and plans, of the citadel of Tell Zakariya perhaps the ancient Azekah fortified by Rehoboam ( 2 Chronicles 11:9 , cf