Page 82 - Advanced Bible Geography ebook
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The archeological park is fascinating and unique as the area has been positively identified with the age
of the biblical patriarchs and other biblical events.
Tekoa
Tekoa is about 12 miles south of Jerusalem and is
visible from the city. From this place Joab procured a
wise woman, “who pretended to be in great affliction,
and skillfully made her case known to David.
Her address to the king was in the form of an
apologue, like that of Nathan (2. Sam 12:1-6). The
object of Joab was, by the intervention of this
woman, to induce David to bring back Absalom to
Jerusalem (2. Sam. 14:2). This was also the birthplace
of the prophet Amos (Amos 1:1).
The Anatomy of a Tel
Azekah Archaeologists speak of “tels,” as in “Tel Lachish,” which is pictured in
It was the main border city of Judah. In the Bible it is the top photo here. A tel is an artificial hill, and at the same time, a
one of the places where the Amorite kings were city. In ancient cultures, people built their fortified towns on top of
defeated by Joshua, and one of the places their army natural hills. When an enemy conquered that town, they would build a
new town on top of the old ruins. Today, if you want to discover the
was destroyed by a hailstorm (Josh 10:10-11). It was past, you’ll have to dig down through layers of civilizations, finding
given to the tribe of Judah. In the time of Saul, the clues about each town that once stood on the hill. When a winter
Philistines massed their forces close to here, putting storm damaged a beach-front piece of earth at Caesarea in 2012, it
forth Goliath as their champion in the Valley of Elah. was easy to see multiple layers of that city’s life. Each layer had much
broken pottery and pieces of tile.
Rehoboam fortified this city along with Lachish and
other strategic sites (2 Chr. 11:5-10). Both these
towns fell to the Babylonians before the overthrow of Jerusalem.
A view of the Mount of Olives from inside Jerusalem’s Old City. Bethany and
the Judean Wilderness are just over the hill.
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