Israel in the Days of David and Solomon

GOD promised to give Abram’s seed the land “from the river of Egypt to . . . the river Euphrates.” (Ge 15:18; Ex 23:31; De 1:7, 8; 11:24) After Joshua entered Canaan, it was some four centuries before the Promised Land reached those limits.

King David overthrew the Aramaean kingdom of Zobah, which reached the Euphrates in northern Syria.a To the south, David’s success against the Philistines brought him to Egypt’s border.​—2Sa 8:3; 1Ch 18:1-3; 20:4-8; 2Ch 9:26.

Solomon then ruled “from the River [Euphrates] to the land of the Philistines and to the boundary of Egypt,” foreshadowing the Messiah’s peaceful rule. (1Ki 4:21-25; 8:65; 1Ch 13:5; Ps 72:8; Zec 9:10) Still, the area that Israel occupied was normally said to extend “from Dan to Beer-sheba.”​—2Sa 3:10; 2Ch 30:5.

Disobeying God, King Solomon accumulated horses and chariots. (De 17:16; 2Ch 9:25) He could move these over a network of roads and highways. (Jos 2:22; 1Ki 11:29; Isa 7:3; Mt 8:28) We have a detailed route of only a few of these, such as “the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem and toward the south of Lebonah.”​—Jg 5:6; 21:19.

The Roads and Highways of Ancient Israel notes: “The most obvious difficulty in investigating ancient Israel’s road network is the fact that no clearly identifiable physical traces of the country’s roads from the Old Testament period have survived, because roads were not paved during [that period].” Yet, topography and the excavated remains of cities indicate the course of many of the roads.

Roads often influenced troop movements. (1Sa 13:17, 18; 2Ki 3:5-8) To attack Israel, the Philistines marched from Ekron and Gath to the area “between Socoh and Azekah.” Saul’s army met them there “in the low plain of Elah.” After David slew Goliath, the Philistines fled back to Gath and Ekron, and David went up to Jerusalem.​—1Sa 17:1-54.

Lachish (D10), Azekah (D9), and Beth-shemesh (D9) sat astride natural routes through the Shephelah and toward the Judean hills. Thus these cities were keys to blocking enemies on the Via Maris from coming into Israel’s heartland.​—1Sa 6:9, 12; 2Ki 18:13-17.

[Footnote]

[Maps on page 17]

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Territory and Roads During United Monarchy

Boundaries (Solomon’s time)

Tiphsah

Hamath

Tadmor

Berothai (Cun?)

Sidon

Damascus

Tyre

Dan

Jerusalem

Gaza

Aroer

Beer-sheba

Tamar

Ezion-geber

Elath (Eloth)

[Rivers and streams]

Euphrates

T.V. of Egypt

David and Solomon (roads)

B10 Gaza

C8 Joppa

C9 Ashdod

C10 Ashkelon

C11 Ziklag

C12 WILDERNESS OF PARAN

D5 Dor

D6 Hepher

D8 Aphek

D8 Ramah

D9 Shaalbim

D9 Gezer

D9 Makaz

D9 Ekron

D9 Beth-shemesh

D9 Gath

D9 Azekah

D10 Soco(h)

D10 Adullam

D10 Keilah

D10 Lachish

D11 Jattir

D12 Beer-sheba

E2 Tyre

E4 Cabul

E5 Jokneam (Jokmeam?)

E5 Megiddo

E6 Taanach

E6 Arubboth

E7 Pirathon

E8 Lebonah

E8 Zeredah

E8 Bethel

E9 Lower Beth-horon

E9 Upper Beth-horon

E9 Geba

E9 Gibeon

E9 Gibeah

E9 Kiriath-jearim

E9 Nob

E9 Baal-perazim

E9 Jerusalem

E9 Bethlehem

E10 Tekoa

E10 Hebron

E11 Ziph

E11 Horesh?

E11 Carmel

E11 Maon

E11 Eshtemoa

F5 En-dor

F5 Shunem

F5 Jezreel

F6 Beth-shean

F7 Tirzah

F7 Shechem

F8 Zarethan

F8 Shiloh

F8 Ophrah?

F9 Jericho

F11 En-gedi

G2 Abel-beth-maacah

G2 Dan

G3 Hazor

G3 MAACAH

G5 Lo-debar (Debir)

G5 Rogelim

G6 Abel-meholah

G7 Succoth

G7 Mahanaim

H1 SYRIA

H4 GESHUR

H6 Ramoth-gilead

H8 Rabbah

H9 Medeba

H11 Aroer

H12 MOAB

I4 Helam?

I9 AMMON

[Main Roads]

C10 Via Maris

H6 King’s Road

[Mountains]

F5 Mt. Gilboa

[Bodies of water]

C8 Mediterranean Sea (Great Sea)

F10 Salt Sea (Dead Sea)

G4 Sea of Galilee

[Spring or well]

E9 En-rogel

[Pictures on page 16]

Right: Valley of Elah, looking eastward to the hills of Judah

Below: A network of roads permitted travel in the Promised Land