Adullam
Encyclopedia
Adullam is a region of Israel near the Valley of Elah
(to the south of Bet Shemesh
), west of Gush Etzion. The villages of Aderet, Neve Michael
/Roglit, and Aviezer
are located here. In the 1950s there were plans to set up Adullam as a formal political/economic region, on the model of Lachish
, but the plans were not carried out. Plans from the 1960s called for a Moshav
called Adullam to be established, contiguous with Moshav Aderet, but this plan too did not materialize, and the preliminary legal framework for Moshav Adullam was dismantled a few years ago.
Adullam was also one of the royal cities of the Canaan
ites ( and ) referred to in the Hebrew Bible
. It stood near the highway which later became the Roman road
in the Valley of Elah
, the scene of David
's memorable victory over Goliath , and not far from Gath. It was one of the towns which Rehoboam
fortified against Egypt
. Micah
calls it "the glory of Israel" .
I Samuel refers to the Cave of Adullam
, and reports that David, when he had been expelled from the court of King Saul
, there gathered together "every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented" . In the past, this cave was thought to be in Wadi Khureitun, between Bethlehem
and the Dead Sea
, but there is little evidence for this view. The site at Aid-el-ma (Hurvat Adulam), about 4 km south of the Valley of Elah
, and about 20 miles (32.2 km) west from Bethlehem, is now more commonly accepted. At this place is a hill some 140 m high pierced with numerous caverns, some of them large enough to hold 200 or 300 men.
An Adullamite can mean an inhabitant of Adullam, and the word is used in this sense in . However, by reference to the passage in 1 Samuel mentioned above, it has come to mean someone who is plotting against the established leadership of a political party
or other group, a group of such plotters being called a "Cave of Adullam". John Bright
described a 19th century plot within the leadership of the United Kingdom
Liberal Party
, directed against the 1866 Reform Bill, in these terms (see Adullamites
).
in central Israel
, south of Beit Shemesh.
The Adullam Grove nature reserve was first declared in 1994, covering 5380 dunam
s and was expanded with a further 1152 dunams in 2004.
s (12355 acres (50 km²)) of mostly pine forests, which were planted in the early years of the statehood, by Jewish immigrants who settled in the Lachish region
. The park was prepared for public use by the Israeli Antiquities Authority
and the Jewish National Fund
and is located between the three roads: Highway 375 from the north, Highway 35
from the south and Highway 38
from the west. The western part of the park, where the main entrance to the park is located, is located opposite to the entrance of Britannia Park
. The eastern boundary of the park is adjacent to the Green Line
.
The park contains:
Valley of Elah
The Valley of Elah, "the valley of the oak or terebinth" , best known as the place described in the Bible where the Israelites were encamped when David fought Goliath . It was near Azekah and Socho...
(to the south of Bet Shemesh
Bet Shemesh
Beit Shemesh is a city in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 80,000. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times...
), west of Gush Etzion. The villages of Aderet, Neve Michael
Neve Michael
Neve Michael is a moshav in central Israel. Located to the south of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 428....
/Roglit, and Aviezer
Aviezer
Aviezer is a small religious moshav in central Israel. Located nine kilometres south-west of Beit Shemesh, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mateh Yehuda Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 546....
are located here. In the 1950s there were plans to set up Adullam as a formal political/economic region, on the model of Lachish
Lachish
Lachish was an ancient Near East town located at the site of modern Tell ed-Duweir in the Shephelah, a region between Mount Hebron and the maritime plain of Philistia . The town was first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha-Lakiša...
, but the plans were not carried out. Plans from the 1960s called for a Moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
called Adullam to be established, contiguous with Moshav Aderet, but this plan too did not materialize, and the preliminary legal framework for Moshav Adullam was dismantled a few years ago.
Adullam was also one of the royal cities of the Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
ites ( and ) referred to in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
. It stood near the highway which later became the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
in the Valley of Elah
Valley of Elah
The Valley of Elah, "the valley of the oak or terebinth" , best known as the place described in the Bible where the Israelites were encamped when David fought Goliath . It was near Azekah and Socho...
, the scene of David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
's memorable victory over Goliath , and not far from Gath. It was one of the towns which Rehoboam
Rehoboam
Rehoboam was initially king of the United Monarchy of Israel but after the ten northern tribes of Israel rebelled in 932/931 BC to form the independent Kingdom of Israel he was king of the Kingdom of Judah, or southern kingdom. He was a son of Solomon and a grandson of David...
fortified against Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Micah
Micah
Micah is a given name.Micah is the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible , and means "who is like God?". The name is sometimes found with theophoric extensions...
calls it "the glory of Israel" .
I Samuel refers to the Cave of Adullam
Cave of Adullam
The Cave of Adullam was originally a stronghold referred to in the Old Testament, near the town of Adullam, in which David, already anointed to succeed Saul as king, sought refuge from the latter . The word "cave" is usually used but "fortress", which has a similar appearance in writing, is used as...
, and reports that David, when he had been expelled from the court of King Saul
Saul
-People:Saul is a given/first name in English, the Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Shaul from the Hebrew Bible:* Saul , including people with this given namein the Bible:* Saul , a king of Edom...
, there gathered together "every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented" . In the past, this cave was thought to be in Wadi Khureitun, between Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
and the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
, but there is little evidence for this view. The site at Aid-el-ma (Hurvat Adulam), about 4 km south of the Valley of Elah
Valley of Elah
The Valley of Elah, "the valley of the oak or terebinth" , best known as the place described in the Bible where the Israelites were encamped when David fought Goliath . It was near Azekah and Socho...
, and about 20 miles (32.2 km) west from Bethlehem, is now more commonly accepted. At this place is a hill some 140 m high pierced with numerous caverns, some of them large enough to hold 200 or 300 men.
An Adullamite can mean an inhabitant of Adullam, and the word is used in this sense in . However, by reference to the passage in 1 Samuel mentioned above, it has come to mean someone who is plotting against the established leadership of a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
or other group, a group of such plotters being called a "Cave of Adullam". John Bright
John Bright
John Bright , Quaker, was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with Richard Cobden in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League. He was one of the greatest orators of his generation, and a strong critic of British foreign policy...
described a 19th century plot within the leadership of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, directed against the 1866 Reform Bill, in these terms (see Adullamites
Adullamites
The Adullamites were a short-lived anti-reform faction within the UK Liberal Party in 1866. The name is based on a biblical reference to the cave of Adullam where David and his allies sought refuge from Saul....
).
Adullam Grove nature reserve
The Adullam Grove Nature Reserve is a nature reserveIsrael Nature and National Parks Protection Authority
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority is a government organization in Israel that manages the country's nature reserves and national parks...
in central Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, south of Beit Shemesh.
The Adullam Grove nature reserve was first declared in 1994, covering 5380 dunam
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s and was expanded with a further 1152 dunams in 2004.
Adullam Caves park
The Adullam Caves park is a KKL park of 50,000 dunamDunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
s (12355 acres (50 km²)) of mostly pine forests, which were planted in the early years of the statehood, by Jewish immigrants who settled in the Lachish region
Hevel Lakhish
Hevel Lakhish is an area of south-central Israel. Part of the southern Shephelah, it is located between the Judean Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea and is named after the Biblical city of Lachish....
. The park was prepared for public use by the Israeli Antiquities Authority
Israel Antiquities Authority
The Israel Antiquities Authority is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research...
and the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
and is located between the three roads: Highway 375 from the north, Highway 35
Highway 35 (Israel)
Highway 35 is a highway in south-central Israel. It runs roughly from west to east. It begins in Ashkelon, passes through the Lakhish region and Kiryat Gat, crosses the Green Line and terminates at a junction with Highway 60 near Hebron. Highway 35 is 58 km long.-Junctions and interchanges on...
from the south and Highway 38
Highway 38 (Israel)
Highway 38 is a highway in the low plains of Judea in Israel. It serves as a main entrance to Beit Shemesh,and as a main north-south route in the region....
from the west. The western part of the park, where the main entrance to the park is located, is located opposite to the entrance of Britannia Park
Britannia Park
Britannia Park is a forest and recreation area in Israel, in the Judean lowland. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund starting in the 1950s, and with the financial aid of British Jews, after whom the park was named....
. The eastern boundary of the park is adjacent to the Green Line
Green Line (Israel)
Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
.
The park contains:
- Archaeological sites;
- Hurvat Adullam (31°39′19.01"N 35°0′14.66"E) - thought to be the site of biblical Adullam, with nearby caves.
- Hurvat Etri (31.6494720°N 34.9720070°E) - remains of a Jewish village from the 1st-2nd centuries CE, containing Mikvehs, a synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
, a columbariumColumbariumA columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
, and burial caves. - Hurvat Borgyn (31.6357154°N 34.9692931°E) - remains of a 2nd century CE settlement, including fortifications, wells, burial caves, a wine press, and other agriculture oriented finds. Nearby is the former Arab village of Umm BurjUmm Burj, KhirbatUmm Burj, Khirbat was a Palestinian Arab village in the District of Hebron. It was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War on October 28, 1948 during the Third stage of Operation Yo'av under the command of Yigal Allon. It was located 31 km northwest of Hebron.In 1945 it had a population...
. - Tel SokhoSokhoSokho is the name of two towns in biblical Judah....
(31°40′30.81"N 34°58′1.49"E)
- Two marked trails for bicycle riders:
- The "Sokho" track – a 13 km track heading towards Tel Sokho and then heads back.
- Track "Borgyne" – a 22 km track which passes through the ancient ruins of Etri and Borgyne, and then heads back.