Elah

Elah is a proper name used for places and people. The most prominent reference is the Valley of Elah, a biblical site in the southern part of the historical land of Judah, best known as the setting of the encounter between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). The name is of Hebrew origin and is commonly linked by scholars to words for trees such as terebinth or oak, though the exact etymology remains uncertain.

Geography and identification: The Valley of Elah is described in sources as a wadi lying in the Judean hills, between the Philistine plain and the hill country. It is traditionally identified with a real valley in the region of the Shephelah, near the towns of Adullam and Azekah in present-day Israel. The site is of archaeological and historical interest, with remains spanning several periods.

In modern usage, Elah is also used as a given name. It appears in contemporary Hebrew and in various other cultures, sometimes as a masculine name and occasionally in feminine form in different languages. The name can appear in literature and media, though it is relatively uncommon.