The Jezreel Valley is the largest and most fertile valley in the land of Israel. It was named after the town of Jezreel. At first, Jezreel was the only town in the valley that the Israelites controlled during their early battles in the land (compare Judges 1:27–30).
Later Greek writers called the valley “Esdraelon” (Judith 1:8). Some people have wrongly used this name only for the western part of the valley. Others have used “Jezreel” for the narrow part leading east toward the city of Beth-shan. But the Bible shows these are two different areas (compare Joshua 17:16; Judges 1:27–28; Joshua 17:11). Jezreel Valley included towns like Taanach and Megiddo. Beth-shan was nearby but counted separately (compare also Hosea 1:5).
The Midianites camped in the Jezreel Valley, between the hill of Moreh and Mount Tabor (Judges 6:33; 7:1). Barak defeated the army of Sisera and Jabin there, near Endor (Psalm 83:9–10). Later the Philistines gathered there to oppose King Saul (1 Samuel 29:1, 11; 2 Samuel 4:4). During the time of Israel's kings, this valley was part of an administrative district (2 Samuel 2:9; 1 Kings 4:12). The southern part of the valley may also be called the plain of Megiddo (2 Chronicles 35:22; Zechariah 12:11).
Egyptian kings such as Thutmose III and Amenhotep II fought battles in this valley. In the late Bronze Age, towns like Megiddo were under Egypt’s control. The southwest part of the valley may have been called Harosheth-haggoyim, where armies gathered for war (Judges 4:2, 13–16).