Difference between revisions of "Valley Of Sorek"

<p> <strong> SOREK, [[Valley]] OF </strong> (perh. = ‘valley of the <em> soreq </em> vine’ [cf. art. Vine]). The valley or <em> wâdy </em> in which [[Delilah]] lived (&nbsp; Judges 16:4 ). [[Eusebius]] and [[Jerome]] connect the valley with <em> Capharsorec </em> , a village to the north of [[Eleutheropolis]] and near Saraa, that is, Zorah, the home of Samson’s father. Capharsorec is now <em> Khurbet Surîk </em> , to the north of <em> Wâdy es-Surâr </em> , which is identified with ‘the valley of Sorek,’ and not far from <em> Sur’ah </em> . See also Zorah. </p>

<p> ''''' sō´rek ''''' ( שׂורק נחל , <i> ''''' naḥal ''''' </i> <i> ''''' sōrēḳ ''''' </i> , "the valley of the choice ( <i> ''''' sōrēḳ ''''' </i> ) vine" (see [[Vine]] ); σωρήχ , <i> ''''' sōrḗch ''''' </i> ): "(Samson) loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah" (&nbsp; Judges 16:4 ). Jerome (OS, 153 f, 6) mentions a Capharsorec which was near Saraa (ancient [[Zorah]] (which see)); this latter is undoubtedly the village of <i> '''''Sura‛h''''' </i> , high up upon the northern slopes of the great <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''es''''' </i> <i> '''''Surâr''''' </i> . About 3/4 of a mile West of this is <i> '''''Khurbet''''' </i> <i> '''''Sūrı̄k''''' </i> , which is certainly the site referred to by Jerome, and possibly marks that of a more ancient town which gave its name to the whole valley. This valley is of importance in the historical geography of [[Palestine]] out of all proportion to its scanty mention in the Old [[Testament]] ( <i> HGHL </i> , 218 ff). The <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''es''''' </i> <i> '''''Surār''''' </i> is an expansion of the ravine <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''Isma‛in''''' </i> (which itself is formed by the junction of the great <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''Beit''''' </i> <i> '''''Hanı̄neh''''' </i> , which rises near Bereh, and the <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''es''''' </i> <i> '''''Sikkeh''''' </i> , which drains the "Plain of Rephaim" near Jerusalem). The Jerus-Jaffa Railway traverses successively the <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''es''''' </i> <i> '''''Surār''''' </i> , the <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''Ismai‛n''''' </i> and the <i> '''''Wâdy''''' </i> <i> '''''es''''' </i> <i> '''''Sikkeh''''' </i> to reach the [[Jerusalem]] plateau. The Valley of [[Sorek]] is a name which probably belonged only to the open, fertile valley, well suited for vineyards, which traverses the Shephelah. It is now given over almost entirely to the cultivation of wheat, barley and maize ( <i> '''''durra''''' </i> ). The valley passes between the lofty hill of <i> '''''Sara‛h''''' </i> (Zorah) to the North and <i> '''''‛Ain''''' </i> <i> '''''Shems''''' </i> (Beth-shemesh) and <i> '''''Tibneh''''' </i> (Timnah) on the South. [[Standing]] on the ruins of Beth-shemesh, one can watch the modern railway train winding for miles up the valley along almost the very road from [[Ekron]] (now <i> '''''‛Akı̂v''''' </i> ), upon which came the strange sight of the milch kine dragging the ark (&nbsp;1 Samuel 6:12 ). Very probably it was in this valley that the [[Philistines]] were defeated (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:5-14 ) ( <i> PEF </i> , III, 53, Sh Xvii ). </p>