• Study Number 1—A Visit to the Promised Land
    “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial”

    • B-1 PLAIN OF ASHER

      5, 6. Describe briefly (a) the Plain of Asher, (b) the coastal strip of Dor.

      5 This coastal plain stretches north from Mount Carmel for about 25 miles [40 km]. Its greatest width is about eight miles [13 km], and it is part of the land that was assigned to the tribe of Asher. (Josh. 19:24-30) It was a fertile strip of plain and produced well, supplying food for Solomon’s royal table.​—Gen. 49:20; 1 Ki. 4:7, 16.

      B-2 THE COASTAL STRIP OF DOR

      6 This strip of land borders the Carmel Range for about 20 miles [32 km]. It is only about two and a half miles [4 km] wide. It actually amounts to a coastal strip of land lying between Carmel and the Mediterranean. In its southern part, there is the harbor city of Dor, and to the south of this, the sand dunes begin. The hills behind Dor produced choice food for Solomon’s banquets. One of Solomon’s daughters was married to the deputy from this region.​—1 Ki. 4:7, 11.

      B-3 PASTURE GROUNDS OF SHARON

      7. (a) How is Sharon referred to in prophecy, and why? (b) In Hebrew times for what was this region used?

      7 In view of the proverbial beauty of its flowers, it is appropriate that Sharon is mentioned in Isaiah’s prophetic vision of the restored land of Israel. (Isa. 35:2) This is a fertile, well-watered land. It is a plain that varies from 10 to 12 miles [16 to 19 km] in width, extending for about 40 miles [64 km] southward from the coastal strip of Dor. In Hebrew times oak forests grew in the northern part of Sharon. Many flocks grazed there after the grain was cut. It is for this reason that it was called the pasture grounds of Sharon. In King David’s time, the royal herds were kept in Sharon. (1 Chron. 27:29) Today extensive citrus groves are to be found in this area.

      B-4 PLAIN OF PHILISTIA

      8. Where is the Plain of Philistia, and what are its features?

      8 This section of land lies south of the pasture grounds of Sharon, extending some 50 miles [80 km] along the coast and about 15 miles [24 km] inland. (1 Ki. 4:21) The sand dunes along the shoreline penetrate sometimes as much as three and a half miles [6 km]. This is a rolling plain, which rises steppelike from 100 feet [30 m] to as much as 650 feet [200 m] behind Gaza in the south. The soil is rich; but rain is not very plentiful, and there is always the danger of drought.

      B-5 CENTRAL EAST-WEST VALLEY

      9. (a) What two parts make up the central east-west valley, and of what practical value was it? (b) By using the diagrams of “Typical Cross Sections of the Promised Land,” describe the general topography of this area.

      9 The central east-west valley is actually made up of two parts, the Valley Plain of Megiddo, or Esdraelon, to the west, and the Low Plain of Jezreel to the east. (2 Chron. 35:22; Judg. 6:33) This entire central valley offered easy cross-country travel from the Jordan rift valley to the Mediterranean Coast, and it became an important trade route. The Plain of Megiddo is drained by the torrent valley Kishon, which makes its way out through a narrow gap between Mount Carmel and the hills of Galilee into the Plain of Asher and from there to the Mediterranean. This modest watercourse all but dries up during the summer months, but at other times it wells up into a torrent.​—Judg. 5:21.

      10. (a) Describe the Low Plain of Jezreel. (b) With what Biblical events is this area associated?

      10 The Low Plain of Jezreel drains southeasterly toward the Jordan. This valley corridor, the Plain of Jezreel, is about 2 miles [3.2 km] wide and covers a distance of nearly 12 miles [19 km]. The elevation starts at over 300 feet [90 m], and then it drops down steadily to about 390 feet [120 m] below sea level near Beth-shean. The entire central valley is very fertile, the Jezreel section being one of the richest parts of the entire country. Jezreel itself means “God Will Sow Seed.” (Hos. 2:22) The Scriptures speak of the pleasantness and beauty of this district. (Gen. 49:15) Both Megiddo and Jezreel were strategic in the battles fought by Israel and surrounding nations, and it was here that Barak, Gideon, King Saul, and Jehu fought.​—Judg. 5:19-21; 7:12; 1 Sam. 29:1; 31:1, 7; 2 Ki. 9:27.