Shephela שְׁפֵלַת יְהוּדָה (Hebrew) Shfela, Judean Foothills, Judean Lowlands | |
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 The Shephela nearTarum | |
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| Coordinates:31°42′N34°55′E / 31.700°N 34.917°E /31.700; 34.917 | |
| Geology | Rolling hills |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 55 km (N-S) |
| • Width | 10-15 km (E-W) |
| Highest elevation | 460 m (1,510 ft) |
TheShephelah (Biblical Hebrew:הַשְּפֵלָה,romanized: hašŠəp̄ēlā,lit. 'the Lowlands') orShfela (Modern Hebrew:הַשְּׁפֵלָה,romanized: haŠfelá), or theJudaean Foothills[1] (Modern Hebrew:שְׁפֵלַת יְהוּדָה,romanized: Šfelát Yəhūdá), is a transitional region of soft-slopingrolling hills in south-centralIsrael stretching over 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) between theJudaean Mountains and theCoastal Plain.[2][3] The different use of the term "Judean Plain", as either defining just the Coastal Plain segment stretching along the Judaean Mountains, or also including, or only referring to, the Shfela, often creates grave confusion.
Today the Shfela is largely rural with many farms, but the cities ofAshdod,Ashkelon,Rehovot,Beit Shemesh, andKiryat Gat roughly surround it.
The Bible assigned land in the Shfela to the tribes ofJudah andDan.[4][5]
The Shfela is mentioned many times in theHebrew Bible.[6][7] In theKing James Version, its name tends to be translated as 'vale' or 'valley'. The Shfela was the site of many biblical battles. During theBar Kokhba revolt, hollowed out hills were connected to form elaborate bunker systems for the combat with the Romans.
The Shfela is bordered to the northeast by theSamarian Hills and the north-south Afek Pass atRosh HaAyin-Antipatris (near the east-westAyalon Valley) andRishon LeZion in the northwest, and in the south by the northernNegev (theNahal Shikma [he] area).
The Shfela consists of fertilerolling hills.[7][2] Topographically, it represents the transition from the higher and more ruggedJerusalem and Hebron Mountains, whose foothills it forms, and the Coastal Plain.[2] About 60 km (35 miles) long in north–south direction and only 13 km (8 miles) wide, it is subdivided into two parts: the western "Low Shephelah", which starts at an altitude of ca. 150 metres above sea level and rises to no more than ca. 200 metres above the Coastal Plain, and the eastern "High Shephelah" rising to altitudes between 250 and 450 metres above sea level.[3][2] In the upper part the valleys descending from the Judean Mountains are deeper, and they broaden once they reach the lower part where the riverbeds create larger spaces between the hills.[3] Where they reach the Shfela, the rivers can flow over substantial distances along the border between the mountains and the hills, forming longitudinal valleys.[2] Passage between the east–west and north–south valleys has dictated the communication routes throughout history.[2]
In geological terms, the Shfela is asyncline, i.e. it formed as a basin whose rock layers were folded downwards, but is part of the wider south Judeananticlinorium-a regional formation characterised by upward folding.[3][2] Typical to the Shfela are theSenonian-Eocenechalky formations.[2] The soft Eocene chalk is known locally askirton, which tends to build a harder uppercalcrete crust (nari), so that in the past people quarried thekirton while leaving thenari layer in place as a ceiling.[8] Apart from using the extracted rock, they also utilised the generated underground hollows for different purposes (refuge, burial, storage etc.).[8]
One of the major characteristics is hills formed ofmarl-covered softchalk, as opposed to theJudean Hills which are made of hard chalk anddolomite.[citation needed] The valleys and lower areas contain soil with a high sand content, as well as large tracts of fertile areas.[citation needed][dubious –discuss] Seasonalswamps can develop during therainy season. The southern part is made up ofloess, while north ofAshkelon consists ofclay.[citation needed][dubious –discuss]
The Shfela has a temperate Mediterranean tosemi-arid climate.
A series of east–west valleys cuts the Shfelah into districts. From north to south, they are: theValley of Ayalon,Sorek Valley,Valley of Elah, Guvrin Valley, Valley ofLachish, and Valley ofAdorayim. The biblical towns established there guarded settlements of the interior and took advantage of trade passing along this route. Ayalon was the primary access corridor toJerusalem along the ascent ofHoron.
Caves are a major feature of the southern part of the Shfela, many of them bell-shaped such as those inBeit Guvrin.[9]
Archaeological surveys in the Shephelah have found evidence of habitation during the Late Bronze period.[10] During the early Iron Age, the population of what has been widely believed to be a Canaanite enclave[11] between the rising centres of both coastal Philistia and the Israelite/Judahite highlands, went into decline, though a string of settlements survived on the eastern edge. In the Iron Age IIA–B, population growth resumed and by the 8th century BCE it was densely populated, not so much by natural growth but as a result of incoming settlers, beginning with the short-lived settlement atKhirbet Qeiyafa. The overall estimated numbers for inhabitants range from 50,000 to 100,000, over numerous sites such asTel Lachish,Azekah,Tel Burna,Tel Zayit,Khirbet el-Qom,Tel Erani, Tel Harasim and Tel Nagila. This colonization, together with the inhabitants of the Canaanite enclave, identified with the highland Israelite/Judahite culture, and its expansion coincides with the decline of Philistia.[12] In the 8th century BCE, the Shephelah was the most densely populated region in theKingdom of Judah, but most excavated sites in the region were destroyed during theAssyrian invasion of 701 BCE, leaving the area largely depopulated in the following century.[13]
During the decline and ultimate destruction of Judah by theNeo-Babylonian Empire in 587 BCE, the region was taken over gradually by theEdomites and it became the core of what was known in Greek as Idumea. The Shephela flourished during the Hellenistic period, was strongly affected by theFirst Jewish–Roman War (66–70) and was largely depopulated of Jews as a result of theBar Kokhba revolt (132–136). It flourished again in theByzantine period and was the scene of one of the major battles during theMuslim conquest of the Levant of the 7th century.[citation needed]
Topographically, the Shephelah represents a transition zone between the Coastal Plains and the Hebron and Jerusalem Mountains. It is relatively narrow – about 8 mi. (13 km.) – in proportion to its south-north extension – about 35 mi. (60 km.). Though they form the foothills of the Judean Mountains, the Shephelah hills differ from the former in almost all respects. Structurally, they constitute a major synclinal part of the south Judean anticlinorium, composed mainly of chalky formations of Senonian-Eocene origin. Hypsographically, the Shephelah consists of two parts: a western one (the "Low Shephelah"), rising to a height of about 600 ft. (200 m.) above the Coastal Plains, and an eastern one (the "High Shephelah") about 600 ft. (200 m.) higher than the former. On the north the Shephelah borders on the tectonically conditioned Aijalon Valley, one of the main natural approaches to the Judean Mountains. The Shephelah is a region of gently sloped hills separated by the confluents of the major rivers descending into the area from the Judean Mountains. At their entrance into the Shephelah, these rivers, and several of their tributaries, form relatively wide-floored valleys that run for a considerable stretch along the border between the hill and the mountain region. Passage between these longitudinal valleys is relatively convenient, and this natural communication channel has been very important throughout history.
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