About Ayalon Valley

“Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”” (Joshua 10:12)

The Valley of Ayalon is the northernmost of several valleys cutting across the hills of the Shephelah and was an important pass leading from the coastal plains to the Judean mountains. The natural topography of the Ayalon Valley has made it a very desirable location since ancient times. It is here that the road from the Mediterranean coast splits to two directions, both leading to Jerusalem.

Ayalon as Battleground

Many battles were fought for control of the Ayalon Valley. The Egyptians, the Maccabees and the Crusaders battled their way to Jerusalem. The Crusaders considered the Ayalon Valley a strategic asset and built an important fortress in nearby Latrun. During the 1948 War of Independence, there was a bloody combat between Israeli and the Arab armies to secure the route to Jerusalem.

The Day the Sun Stood Still

The Ayalon Valley is most famous as the battleground between the Amorites and Israelites on the day the sun stood still in the middle of the sky and was in no hurry to go down for about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord heeded to the voice of a man. Here, Joshua defeated five Amorite kings.