the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Encyclopedias
Azekah
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
or (Hebrews Azekah', עֲזֵקָה, dug over; Sept. in Joshua 15:35, Ι᾿αζηκά Jeremiah 34:7, ῎Αζηκα; elsewhere Ἀζηκά ), a town in the plain of Judah (Joshua 15:35; 1 Samuel 17:1). It had suburban villages (Nehemiah 11:30), and was a place of considerable strength (Jeremiah 34:7). The confederated Amoritish kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon, were here defeated and slain by Joshua, and their army totally destroyed by an extraordinary shower of hailstones from heaven (Joshua 10:10-11). It is named with Adullam, Shaaraim, and other places known to have been in that locality (Joshua 15:35; 2 Chronicles 11:9; Nehemiah 11:30), but is most clearly defined as being near Shochoh (that is, the northern one) [(See SHOCHOHM) (1 Samuel 17:1). Joshua's pursuit of the Canaanites after the battle of Beth-horon extended to Azekah (Joshua 10:10-11).
Between Azekah and Shochoh, an easy step out of their own territory, the Philistines encamped before the battle in which Goliath was killed (1 Samuel 17:1). It was among the cities fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:9), was still standing at the time of the invasion of the kings of Babylon (Jeremiah 34:7), and is mentioned as one of the places reoccupied by the Jews after their return from captivity (Nehemiah 11:30). Eusebius and Jerome state (Onomast. s.v.) that there was in their time a town in this quarter called Ezeca, situated between Jerusalem and Eleutheropolis, which was probably the same as that mentioned by Joshua (see Reland, Palest. p. 603). According to Schwarz (Palest. p. 102), it is represented by the modern village Tell Ezakaria, three miles east of Saphia or Alba Specula; but this appears rather to be from the name Zechariah (Tell Zachariya, Robinson's Researches, 2, 343). The notices would correspond better to the present Zaakuka, marked on Zimmermann's Map a little to the north-east of Beit-Jibrin (Eleutheropolis); but that is in the hill country, beyond the Jerusalem road, which was the boundary of the group in Joshua 15:35. See TRIBE. Van de Velde (Memoir, p. 291) seems to have fixed its site as that of a village on a high hill-top called Ahbek, about 1.5 miles N. of Daman, and between 4 and 5 miles E.N.E. of Shuweikeh (Robinson, Researches, 2, 342 note).
Dr. Tristram (Bible Places, p. 44) thinks this is " probably the modern Deir el-Ashek," which the Ordnance Map lays down as Deir elA shek, a deserted locality on a slight eminence a mile and a quarter south-west of Wady Surar, and seven miles northwest of Shuweikeh (Socoh), containing the remains of. a church and traces of other ruins; but, aside from the tolerable agreement in name, there is little to commend this identification.
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McClintock, John. Strong, James. Entry for 'Azekah'. Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/tce/a/azekah.html. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1870.
