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Ajalon Valley

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Ajalon Valley is a biblical place in Israel, best known as the setting for Joshua’s battle account in which the moon is said to have stood still over the valley.

At a Glance

A biblical valley in Israel associated with Joshua 10 and several other Old Testament place references.

Key Points

Description

The Ajalon Valley, more commonly rendered in many English Bible translations as the Valley of Aijalon, is a geographic location in Israel’s lowland region. It is most famously mentioned in Joshua 10:12, where Joshua speaks of the moon standing still over the Valley of Aijalon during Israel’s battle against the Amorite coalition. Other Old Testament texts also use Aijalon as a place-name in territorial, military, and administrative contexts. Because the term identifies a real biblical location rather than a doctrinal or abstract theological concept, it should be classified as a biblical place entry rather than a theological term. The spelling varies between Ajalon and Aijalon due to transliteration.

Biblical Context

In Scripture, Ajalon Valley appears as part of the geographic setting for Israel’s conquest and settlement accounts. Its best-known mention is in Joshua 10, where the valley forms part of the battle narrative in which the Lord gives Israel victory.

Historical Context

Ajalon was located in a strategic corridor in the Shephelah, the lowland between the coastal plain and the hill country. That geography helps explain why it appears in military narratives and boundary or settlement lists.

Jewish and Ancient Context

As with many ancient Near Eastern place-names, the valley is identified in biblical texts by its role in tribal territory, military movement, and settlement patterns. Ancient Jewish readers would have recognized it as a concrete location tied to Israel’s history.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

Original Language Note

Hebrew Ayyālôn; English spellings vary, commonly appearing as Aijalon or Ajalon.

Theological Significance

The valley itself is not a doctrine, but its biblical role highlights God’s aid in Israel’s history, especially in Joshua 10, where the Lord’s power is displayed in battle.

Philosophical Explanation

This is a place-name, so its meaning is primarily historical and geographic rather than conceptual. Biblical geography matters because Scripture presents redemption in real space and time.

Interpretive Cautions

Do not confuse the valley with a separate theological idea, and do not build doctrine from the place-name itself. The spelling difference between Ajalon and Aijalon reflects transliteration, not a different location.

Major Views

Most readers and translations treat Ajalon/Aijalon as the same biblical location. The main editorial question is spelling and classification, not interpretation of the place-name itself.

Doctrinal Boundaries

This entry should not be used to support speculative claims about cosmology or physics. Its doctrinal use is limited to the historical reliability of the biblical narrative and God’s providential action in Israel’s history.

Practical Significance

Ajalon Valley reminds readers that biblical events happened in actual places. It also helps Bible students track geography when reading Joshua and related Old Testament narratives.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Ajalon Valley

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