Ephes-dammim
Ephes-dammim is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Khirbet Damun. It appears across 3 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Ephes-dammim, whose name may mean "boundary of blood," is best known as the staging ground for one of the most dramatic confrontations in Israel's history. In 1 Samuel 17:1, the Philistines gathered their forces at Socoh in Judah and encamped between Socoh and Azekah at Ephes-dammim, while Israel deployed on the opposite hill with the valley of Elah between them. It was from this camp that the giant Goliath emerged to issue his daily challenge, until the young shepherd David accepted the contest and felled the warrior with a single stone from his sling. The site thus marks the setting of a turning point in Israelite history, the moment when David's valor first captured national attention and set him on the path toward kingship. The location is mentioned again in 1 Chronicles 11:13 as Pas-dammim, where David's mighty men made a heroic stand against the Philistines in a barley field, illustrating the site's recurring significance as a frontier battleground between Israel and its western adversaries.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Ephes-dammim is traditionally associated with the site of Khirbet Damun (also rendered Khirbet Esh-Shuweikeh) in the Shephelah, near the Elah Valley in modern Israel. The identification remains debated, but the Elah Valley itself is well attested as a natural corridor between the Philistine coastal plain and the Judean highlands, making it strategically logical as a Philistine assembly point. Survey work in the valley has produced Iron Age pottery consistent with the period of the united monarchy. The nearby site of Khirbet Qeiyafa, excavated in recent decades, has yielded Iron Age I–II remains that illuminate the broader military and administrative landscape in which Ephes-dammim functioned.
Verse Appearances (3)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →