Khirbet Qeiyafa is located at the western edge of the high Shephelah, in theElah Valley, between Socoh and Azekah (see Fig. 3). In ancient geopoliticalterms, it is situated on the border between Judah and Philistia, dominatingthe main road leading from the Coastal Plain to the hill country and thecities of Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.