The foothills of the Judean mountain region are known in Hebrew as the Shephelah (lowlands). Extending from the valley of Ayalon in the north towards the gateway region of the northern Negev in the south, this region is roughly 60 kilometers in length. At its widest the lowlands stretch about 20 kilometers from the coastal plain to the mountains of Judea. Rich in vineyards and fertile farmland, the Shephelah boasts large expanses of natural vegetation and foliage.

Many of the Bible’s most colorful figures lived, fought, and died in this region, among them Samson, Joshua and David. The Maccabee brothers fought in the area against the Seleucid Greeks. The numerous tels in the region testify to a long and varied human history in the Shephelah, especially during the period when the region was contested between the Philistines and Israelites.

Of particular interest are remains from tunnel defense systems, carved out of soft chalk rock and utilized by the guerrilla fighters of the 2^nd-century Bar Kochva Revolt. Found in abundance throughout the region, the quarries from which this rock was extracted also gave forth material for Roman-era water systems, chalk for road surfaces, and columbaria (dovecotes).