Sorek, Valley of
Sorek, Valley Of
SOREK, VALLEY OF (perh. = valley of the soreq vine [cf. art. Vine]).The valley or wdy in which Delilah lived (Jdg 16:4). Eusebius and Jerome connect the valley with Capharsorec, a village to the north of Eleutheropolis and near Saraa, that is, Zorah, the home of Samsons father. Capharsorec is now Khurbet Surk, to the north of Wdy es-Surr, which is identified with the valley of Sorek, and not far from Surah. See also Zorah.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Sorek, Valley of
sorek ( , nahal sorek, the valley of the choice (sorek) vine (see VINE); , sorech): (Samson) loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah (Jdg 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 Surah, high up upon the northern slopes of the great Wady es Surar. About 3/4 of a mile West of this is Khurbet Surk, 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 (HGHL, 218 ff). The Wady es Surar is an expansion of the ravine Wady Ismain (which itself is formed by the junction of the great Wady Beit Hanneh, which rises near Bereh, and the Wady es Sikkeh, which drains the Plain of Rephaim near Jerusalem). The Jerus-Jaffa Railway traverses successively the Wady es Surar, the Wady Ismain and the Wady es Sikkeh 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 (durra). The valley passes between the lofty hill of Sarah (Zorah) to the North and Ain Shems (Beth-shemesh) and Tibneh (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 Akv), upon which came the strange sight of the milch kine dragging the ark (1Sa 6:12). Very probably it was in this valley that the Philistines were defeated (1Sa 7:5-14) (PEF, III, 53, Sh XVII).
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Sorek, Valley of
Jdg 16:4