A small climb to the top of the hill where you can learn about Joshua defeating the Amorite kings. This is also the area where David defeated Goliath. You can see the area of the battle off in the distance. Just follow the HaElah Stream to the southeast. It turns and goes under Road 38 and around a little hill. This is the site of the battle.

This is an update of last year’s 12/2018 review by me. I returned here again to lead a tour group of one 18 year old from U.S. The area remains as it was according to my previous outstanding review, so read that too. Updates- this rich and amazing historical Biblical site remains neglected and under appreciated and underutilized for tourist and pilgrimage purposes.... government departments and ministries- wake up to the potential that is here. Summary- it’s in Park Britannia, a prime and pristine hiking area. There were few if any hikers but there were some picnicking Israeli families. From the parking lot at the bottom of Tel Azeka are many picnic tables. Yes- it’s a climb to the top. Yes- the sundial still works perfectly. Now- the bas relief showing a schematic of the lands to the east is worn and old. The blight on the landscape of the awful concrete construction to the east/northeast of this site is much worse- the green verdant mountain has been destroyed by the expansion of the nearby metastasizing metropolis of House of Sun. . This Tel Azeka is an active archaeological excavation site- there were several new digging pits that were not there in 12/2018- some were blocking the previous walking trails. When we left, a tour bus of evangelical Christians (also from the U.S). arrived and descended on the parking lot... they did not seem to be the types to do the hike to the top exposed to the mid day Middle Eastern sun - we decided that they would tell their fellow church members that they had been near the Biblical site. Afterwards, we also went and drove through the forest on 4x4 road to Mitzpe Masua, the highest point in the forest and the location of the fire observation post building with the colored glass- that photo is featured here on this page. I explained how, in Talmudic times, the new month would be declared in Yavne to the southwest and a series of bonfires in mountain tops towards Jerusalem to the northwest and beyond would spread the news. This peak was part of that chain- hence its name- Torch Observation. The view across the flatlands to the coast is unobstructed. Hey/ sorry- no photos.