Tel Azekah, is an archaeological site located in the Shephelah region of Israel, Between Jerusalem and the coastal plain. Identified at Tel Zakariah, Azekah is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, including in the battle of David and Goliath.

History and Archaeology of Azekah

Azekah is mentioned only six times in the Hebrew bible, yet it played a significant role in the history of the Holy Land. The Philistines probably camped in Azekah during the battle between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1-4). Centuries later, Sennacherib boasted about conquering Azekah, although in his words, it was like an “eagle’s nest…with towers that project to the sky like swords.”. Later, prophet Jeremiah describes Azekah as one of the last towns  the Babylonians conquered (Jeremiah 34:6-7). A letter found in nearby Lachish probably records their conquest of Azekah (Lachish letter 4).

Identified at Tel Zakariah, in 1898-9 British archaeologists Bliss and Macalister excavated the whole site. However, working under Ottoman law, they had to cover the site at the end of their research. Since 2012, a joint expedition of several universities (The Lautenschläger Azekah Expedition) has been uncovering the site again with modern excavation techniques (radiocarbon, residue analysis, zoo archaeology studies, and more). Among others, these excavations proved the site was also inhabited in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Touring Azekah

Azekah is on one of the highest hills in the central Shephelah, within Britannia Park. A paved road leads almost to its top, offering picknik tables along the way. As of 2020, the renewed excavations have uncovered architectural remains in 12 areas across the site, including possible remains of the Assyrian assault ramp. It summit provides stunning panoramas of the Jerusalem mountains, the Shephelah, and the coastal plain.

A tour of Azekah can be combined with a guided day tour in the Judean hills and the southern coastal plain of Israel.