A fortified town in the foothills of the territory of Judah.
About Azekah
A town in the agricultural plain known as the Shephelah. It existed at least as early as the conquest of Canaan (the Promised Land), since Joshua drove the alliance of Amorite kings to Azekah (Joshua 10:10, 22). It is also mentioned in the story of the encounter of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1). Archaeological digs have shown that Azekah was heavily defended with a system of underground refuge chambers (2 Chronicles 11:9, 11). Azekah, Lachish, and Jerusalem are mentioned as the only remaining walled cities of the southern kingdom of Judah at the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Jerusalem (Jeremiah 34:7). Some returnees from the exile in Babylon moved into Azekah (Nehemiah 11:30). Today it is known as Tell Zakariyeh.
Key References
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; and in Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.
as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.
All Scripture References (7)
Joshua (3)
And the LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, who defeated them in a great slaughter at Gibeon, pursued them along the ascent to Beth-horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.
As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites.
Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah,
1 Samuel (1)
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
2 Chronicles (1)
Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,
Nehemiah (1)
Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages; in Lachish and its fields; and in Azekah and its villages. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.
Jeremiah (1)
as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah.