{
  "id": "dict_000482",
  "term": "Azekah",
  "slug": "azekah",
  "letter": "A",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Azekah was a fortified town in the Shephelah of Judah, mentioned in several Old Testament historical settings.",
  "simple_one_line": "Azekah was a town in Judah’s lowland region that appears in Joshua, Samuel, and Jeremiah.",
  "tooltip_text": "Azekah is a biblical town in the Shephelah of Judah, known from conquest, battle, and later kingdom history.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Shephelah",
    "Judah",
    "Valley of Elah",
    "Makkedah",
    "Lachish",
    "Sokoh"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Joshua 10",
    "Joshua 15",
    "1 Samuel 17",
    "Jeremiah 34"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Azekah is a biblical place name for a fortified town in the lowland region of Judah. It appears in accounts of conquest, Philistine conflict, and later Judahite history.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Azekah was a real town in Judah’s Shephelah, strategically located in the hill country’s foothills and mentioned in major Old Testament historical narratives.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A town in the Shephelah of Judah",
    "Appears in Joshua’s conquest narrative",
    "Near the Valley of Elah in the David and Goliath setting",
    "Mentioned again in later Judahite history and prophecy"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Azekah was a fortified town in the lowland region of Judah. It appears in Joshua's conquest narratives, in the territorial listings of Judah, in the Philistine conflict near the Valley of Elah, and in later kingdom history. The term is a biblical place name, not a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Azekah is an Old Testament place name referring to a town in the Shephelah, the lowland area of Judah. Scripture mentions it in connection with Joshua's campaign, the inheritance of Judah, the battle setting associated with the Philistines and the Valley of Elah, and later military events involving Judah and surrounding powers. The biblical data present Azekah as a real geographic location of strategic importance rather than a theological term in itself.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Azekah appears in Israel's conquest and settlement history and later in narratives involving Judah's defense against foreign threats. Its repeated mention shows that it was a known and strategically significant city in the southern lowlands of Judah.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Near East, towns in the Shephelah often served as frontier strongholds between the Judean hill country and the coastal or Philistine plains. Azekah fits that pattern as a fortified settlement in a contested military corridor.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "For ancient Judah, Azekah would have been recognized as one of the fortified towns guarding access into the hill country. Its mention alongside other cities of the region reflects the historical memory of Judah's territorial boundaries and defense network.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Joshua 10:10-11",
    "Joshua 15:35",
    "1 Samuel 17:1",
    "Jeremiah 34:7"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "2 Chronicles 11:9"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew place name transliterated as Azekah; the exact etymology is not certain, though it is commonly associated with fortification or strength.",
  "theological_significance": "Azekah is not a doctrinal term, but it contributes to the Bible's historical reliability by anchoring events in real geography. It also reflects the covenant land setting in which God worked through actual places, peoples, and battles.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place name, Azekah reminds readers that biblical revelation is historically grounded rather than abstract. Scripture presents God's work in concrete locations and times, not in detached religious ideas.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not turn Azekah into a symbolic or allegorical term. It is a geographic location, and its significance comes from its role in biblical history rather than from hidden spiritual meanings.",
  "major_views_note": "There is broad agreement that Azekah was a real Judahite city in the Shephelah. Discussion usually concerns archaeological identification and historical setting, not the meaning of the biblical term itself.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Azekah should not be used to build doctrine directly. Its value is historical and contextual, supporting the truthfulness and coherence of the biblical narrative.",
  "practical_significance": "Azekah encourages readers to see that biblical events took place in real places. It also helps students of Scripture connect geography with history, showing how locations shape the flow of redemptive history.",
  "meta_description": "Azekah was a fortified town in the Shephelah of Judah, known from Joshua, 1 Samuel, and Jeremiah.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/azekah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/azekah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}