Shephelah (Hebrew: הַשְפֵלָה) - which means "lowland" - is a designation usually applied to the region of low hills between Israel's central mountain range and the coastal plains of Philistia. The area is fertile, and a tempered climate prevails there. Shephela was one of the regions given to the tribe of Judah. The word Hebrew can variously mean: The Hebrew language or Hebrew languages The ancient Hebrew people, or their descendants the Jews The New Testament book Hebrews The term Hebrew is sometimes used by certain Christian groups to distinguish the Jews in ancient times (before the birth of Jesus) from Jews... The historic Philistines (see note Philistines below) were a people that inhabited the southern coast of Canaan around the time of the arrival of the Israelites, their territory being named Philistia in later contexts. ... Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hûá¸Äh) is the name of several Biblical and historical figures. ...
In each of the Shephelah valleys, prominent cities developed. Ajalon, the northernmost valley, was guarded by Tel Gezer. The Valley of Sorek and the Valley of Elah were guarded by Beth-shemesh and Azekah, respectively. And to the south, the city of Lachish stood over the Lachish Valley. These strategic cities were the location of many battles. This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... Gezer was a town in ancient Israel. ... The Brook of Sorek, also called the Valley of Sorek, (in Hebrew nachal sorek), mentioned in the Book of Judges 16:4 of the Hebrew Bible, is probably a point on the border between the ancient Philistines and the Tribe of Dan of the ancient Israelites. ... Valley of Elah - terebinth or oak - Where the Israelites were encamped when David killed Goliath. ... Bet Shemesh is a large Jewish neighborhood near Jerusalem in the modern State of Israel. ... Azekah - dug over - a town in the Shephelah or low hills of Judah. ... Lachish was a town located in the Shephelah, or maritime plain of Palestine (Joshua 10:3, 5; 12:11). ...
Wady ec-Surar, the Valley of Sorek, crosses the Shephelah South of Gezer, and pursues a tortuous course past Beth-shemesh and Kiriath-jearim to the plateau Southwest of Jerusalem.
From the Shephelah thus opened the gateways by which Judea and Jerusalem might be assailed: and the course of these avenues determined the course of much of the history.
It is evident that the shephelah lay open to attack from both sides, and for centuries it was the debatable land between Israel and the Philistines.
South of Jerusalem, the mountain of the Tribe of Judah from Bethlehem to Hebron, is definitely distinguishable graphically from Shephelah, the low hills situated between the central mountain and the Mediterranean coast.
On the second road, the one that passes by Shephelah and that starts from Bethlehem there can be seen an isolated vignette of Emmaus-Nikopolis, in memory of the deeds of Judas Maccabee.
On a higher plain there are: Socho, Bethzakar with the shrine of Saint Zakarias the prophet who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary, Saphitha and the village of Morashti whence was Micah the Prophet with the church of Saint Micah mentioned by St. Jerome.
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