Azekah
עזקה | |
Tel Azekah | |
| Alternative name | Tel Azeka |
|---|---|
| Location | Israel |
| Region | Shfela |
| Coordinates | 31°42′01″N 34°56′09″E / 31.70028°N 34.93583°E |
| Grid position | 144123 PAL |
| Type | settlement |
| Part of | Kingdom of Judah |
Azekah (Hebrew: עֲזֵקָה, ʿazēqā) was an ancient town in the Shephela ("lowlands of Judea") guarding the upper reaches of the Valley of Elah, about 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Hebron.
The current tell (ruin) by that name, also known as Tel Azeka (Hebrew: תל עזקה, ʿtel azēqā) or Tell Zakariya, has been identified with the biblical Azekah, dating back to the Canaanite period. Today, the site lies on the purlieu of Britannia Park.
According to Epiphanius of Salamis, the name meant "white" in Hebrew. The tell is pear shaped with the tip pointing northward. Due to its location in the Elah Valley it functioned as one of the main Judahite border cities, sitting on the boundary between the lower and higher Shfela. Although listed in Joshua 15:35 as being a city in the plain, it is actually partly in the hill country, partly in the plain.