Shephelah

Typical view in the lower Shephelah Typical view in the higher Shephelah The Shephelah ( , "the lowland"; also , Shephelat Yehuda , "Judean lowland") is a designation usually applied to the region in south-central Israel of 10-15 km of low hills between the central Mount Hebron and the coastal plains of Philistia within the area of the Judea , at an altitude of 120-450 metres above sea level . The area is fertile, and a temperate Mediterranean to semi-arid climate prevails there.

Shfela lowlands The Shfela or Shephelah ( ), also , Shfelat Yehuda , "Judean foothills", is a lowland in south-central Israel stretching over 10–15 km between Mount Hebron and the coastal plain. It was one of the regions allotted to the biblical Tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:40-41). Today the Shfela is largely rural with many farms.

Shfela lowlands The Shfela , or Shephelah , lit. "lowlands" ( , also , Shfelat Yehuda , the "Judaean foothills"), is a transitional region of soft-sloping hills in south-central Israel stretching over 10–15 km between the Judaean Mountains and the Coastal Plain . The different use of the term "Judean Plain", as either defining just the Coastal Plain segment stretching along the Judaean Mountains, or also including, or only referring to, the Shfela, often creates grave confusion. Today the Shfela is largely rural with many farms, but the cities of Ashdod , Ashkelon , Rehovot , Beit Shemesh , and Kiryat Gat roughly surround it. The Bible assigned land in the Shfela to the tribes of Judah and Dan . Conder , in Tent Work in Palestine (pub. Quote: "The Judean Plain is an intermediate region situated between the Coastal Plain to the west and the Judean Mountains to the east. The altitude of its hills varies from 150 to 450 meters above sea level, and geologically speaking, the plain is a syncline, i.e., a basin in which the layers of rock have folded downwards and sunk. The plain consists of two distinct landscape units: the lower plain, to the west, where the hills are lower and separated by broad riverbeds; and the upper plain, where the valleys are deeper and the hills rise to a height of between 250 and 450 meters above sea level."] Nadav Naʼaman (2005).

Lowland region in south-central Israel The Shephelah or Shfela , lit. "lowlands" ( hašŠǝfēlā , also Modern Hebrew : שְׁפֵלַת יְהוּדָה ‎, Šǝfēlat Yəhūda , the "Judaean foothills"), is a transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in south-central Israel stretching over 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) between the Judaean Mountains and the Coastal Plain . The different use of the term "Judean Plain", as either defining just the Coastal Plain segment stretching along the Judaean Mountains, or also including, or only referring to, the Shfela, often creates grave confusion. Today the Shfela is largely rural with many farms, but the cities of Ashdod , Ashkelon , Rehovot , Beit Shemesh , and Kiryat Gat roughly surround it. The Bible assigned land in the Shfela to the tribes of Judah and Dan . Conder , in Tent Work in Palestine (pub. Quote: "The Judean Plain is an intermediate region situated between the Coastal Plain to the west and the Judean Mountains to the east. The altitude of its hills varies from 150 to 450 meters above sea level, and geologically speaking, the plain is a syncline, i.e., a basin in which the layers of rock have folded downwards and sunk. [...] The plain consists of two distinct landscape units: the lower plain, to the west, where the hills are lower and separated by broad riverbeds; and the upper plain, where the valleys are deeper and the hills rise to a height of between 250 and 450 meters above sea level." Nadav Naʼaman (2005).

Lowland region in south-central Israel The Shephelah ( Biblical Hebrew : הַשְּפֵלָה , romanized: hašŠəp̄ēlā , lit. ' the Lowlands ' ) or Shfela ( Modern Hebrew : הַשְּׁפֵלָה , romanized : haŠfelá ), or the Judaean Foothills (Modern Hebrew: שְׁפֵלַת יְהוּדָה , romanized: Šfelát Yəhūdá ), is a transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in south-central Israel stretching over 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) between the Judaean Mountains and the Coastal Plain . The different use of the term "Judean Plain", as either defining just the Coastal Plain segment stretching along the Judaean Mountains, or also including, or only referring to, the Shfela, often creates grave confusion. Today the Shfela is largely rural with many farms, but the cities of Ashdod , Ashkelon , Rehovot , Beit Shemesh , and Kiryat Gat roughly surround it. The Bible assigned land in the Shfela to the tribes of Judah and Dan . Conder , in Tent Work in Palestine (pub. Quote: "The Judean Plain is an intermediate region situated between the Coastal Plain to the west and the Judean Mountains to the east. The altitude of its hills varies from 150 to 450 meters above sea level, and geologically speaking, the plain is a syncline, i.e., a basin in which the layers of rock have folded downwards and sunk. [...] The plain consists of two distinct landscape units: the lower plain, to the west, where the hills are lower and separated by broad riverbeds; and the upper plain, where the valleys are deeper and the hills rise to a height of between 250 and 450 meters above sea level." Nadav Naʼaman (2005).