Valley of Elah
Where the young David slew the Philistine giant Goliath with a sling and stone.
First mentioned in the Bible
David thrust his hand into his bag and took a stone from there and slung it. He struck the Phi·lisʹtine in the forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead and he fell facedown on the ground.— 1 Samuel 17:49
Background
The Valley of Elah lies in the Shephelah foothills of Judah, a major corridor from the Philistine coastal plain into the Judean highlands. First Samuel 17 records how the Philistine army camped on one side and Israel on the other, with the giant Goliath challenging Israel for forty days. The shepherd boy David, trusting in God, picked five smooth stones from the brook and struck Goliath on the forehead with his sling. This victory catapulted David to fame and set him on the path from shepherd to throne.
Related Scriptures (New World Translation)
David thrust his hand into his bag and took a stone from there and slung it. He struck the Phi·lisʹtine in the forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead and he fell facedown on the ground.— 1 Samuel 17:49
Appears in these Bible journeys
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