Azekah

Welcome, fellow travelers and students of history, to the magnificent heights of Tel Azekah. I invite you to pause here at the base of this ancient mound, feeling the gentle breeze that sweeps through the Shephelah. …

Stepping onto the path that winds its way up the slopes of Tel Azekah, you immediately sense that this is no ordinary hike. The very earth beneath your boots is steeped in millennia of human triumph and tragedy. …

We have now reached the upper reaches of the tell, arriving first at the southern excavation zone, designated by the archaeological team simply as Area S. The work taking place across this vast site is meticulously organized into…

Moving to the western edge of the mound, we enter Area W, a sector defined by its spectacular, sweeping views and its somber military history. Standing here on the western slope, the winds from the Mediterranean Sea wash over the…

We have now reached the absolute summit of Tel Azekah, the highest elevation of the mound, designated by the excavation team as Area T, or the top of the town. Standing on this commanding Acropolis, the entire Shephelah unfolds…

Shifting our gaze to Area E on the eastern perimeter of the summit, we turn our backs to the coastal plain and look deep into the rugged heartland of ancient Judah. From this specific vantage point, the hills roll steadily upward…

Stepping slightly back from the steep eastern precipice, we focus our attention on the uppermost stratigraphy of the tell, an area that reveals a fascinating later chapter in the city's turbulent history. While the Babylonian…

We now stand at the definitive southern overlook of Tel Azekah, gazing down into the spectacular, sprawling basin of the Valley of Elah. Take a deep breath and let the sheer scale of the landscape wash over you. …

As our time atop this magnificent tell draws to a close, I invite you to take one final, deep breath of the wind rushing across the Shephelah. Let the sheer, unimaginable weight of the history you have just traversed settle…