In this chapter I argue that the “Elah Valley Clan” lived and existed on its land for 1100 years, starting from the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age I, around 1800 BCE, until the destruction by Sennacherib, King of Assyria in 701 BCE. For most of this long period, this tribe was active in the geopolitical space of the local lowlands cities, between Gath, Ekron, Beth Shemesh and Lachish, and was not connected to the geopolitical system that developed in the hill country. The city established at Tel Azekah was the center of the tribe, and for long periods in the second millennium BCE it was a strong, rich and fortified urban center.
The kings of Judah established their rule over the Elah Valley clan and the urban center of the area, in a gradual process that began after the destruction of...