Vale

Vale. See Valley.

The abrupt rocky hills of Palestine admit of but few sweeps of valley between. There are valleys at Hebron, and S.E. of Gerizim, and between Gerizim and Ebal, and between Gilboa and Little Hermon the undulating and English like valley of Jezreel. Five Hebrew terms are so translated. Emequ, always rendered "valley," a long broad sweep between parallel ranges of hills, such as the valley of Jezreel. Gay or gee’, the deep hollow S.W. and S. of Jerusalem, Ge-Hinnom; implying an abrupt, steep, narrow ravine, from a root to burst, a gorge formed by a burst of water.

Nachal, a wady or wide stream bed in winter filled by a torrent, but in summer dry and strewed with water worn stones and shrubs; KJV translated it also "brook," "river," "stream"; Biqu’ah, a plain wider than a valley, the wide plain between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon is still called Bequa’a (Jos 11:17; Jos 12:7), and Megiddo (Zec 12:11). Ha-shephelah, wrongly translated "valley," a broad tract of low hills between the mountains of Judah and the coast plain (Deu 1:7; Jos 10:40). The ’eemeq, "valley," of Elah in which Israel and the Philistines pitched is distinguished from the (gay "ravine" which lay between the armies (1Sa 17:2-3). Shaveh in Gen 14:5 is a dale or level spot. "Bottom," metsullah (Zec 1:8), is a dell or shady bottom.

The use of the words ’eemeq and gay assists in the identification of Ai with Khirbet Haiy, one mile E. of Mukhmas (Michmash), which the survey of the Palestine Exploration Fund favors. If Sennacherib invaded Judaea from the E. as did Joshua, he would naturally come to Khirbet Haiy. Thus all the places enumerated in his approach to Jerusalem (Isa 10:28-32) are visible from Geba exactly in the geographical order given in Isaiah, "Aiath, Migron (i.e. ’the precipice’), Michmash." Khirbet Haiy also suits Jos 8:11-13, "the Israelites pitched on the N: side of Ai; now there was a valley (gay) between them and Ai ... Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley" (emek). The "plain" N. of Khirbet Haiy suits the Hebrew creek. The gai is either the ravine between the liers in wait and Ai, or else the bed of the watercourse in the creek. (Palestine Exploration Quarterly Statement, July 1878, p. 132.)

Vale, Valley. Five Hebrew words are translated "vale" or "valley." 1. Emek, signifying a "deep" broad valley, as the valley of Achor, Aijalon, Elan, Jezreel, Succoth, etc. 2. Gai or ge, signifying a "bursting," and used to designate narrow ravines or glens, as of Hinnom or Salt. Deu 34:6. 3. Nachal, meaning a "wâdy-bed," filled with water in winter, but dry in summer. Such, beds or valleys were Chereth, Eshcol, Sorek, Zered, etc. 4. Bikʾah, properly a "cleft," but applied to a broader space than a cleft or valley, and meaning sometimes a "plain," as that between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon and Megiddo. Jos 11:17; Jos 13:17; Zec 12:11. 5. Has-Shephelah, wrongly rendered "vale" in A. V., but "lowland" in R. V., meant a broad tract of low Mils between the mountains of Judah and the coast-plain. Deu 1:7; Jos 10:40.