Show biblical fortress of eichem geographically was one of the th e most important points in palestine situated in the narrow mountain fain pass between mounts mounia garizio and and mal ebal the high road of travel between the east and west it blocked the route from 06 the jordan valley to the coast plain and protected the coastal region from the invasions of the nomadic bord hordes es coming from the east its strategic tu unction cons Is thus obvious bichein of a bold spectacle with chehor lines of the walls one superimposed upon the other f with the gigantic dimensions of its stones all concentrated in the elliptic city plan the fortress loomed in the landscape standing at its side the twos two natural bulwark mounts garizio arid aid ebal reinforced the Impress impression lon of impregnability ff 1 even today one who stands at the foot of these gigantic walls walla has the sense of being as the biblical pao people walled in our own sight as grasshoppers pem one is impressed by its sheer physical strength and understands the fearful panic of the fsr israelites as they listened in hadesh barnea to the reports which their spies brought back from the land t of canaan A the builders of fihs fortification system were the Hittl tc who viere were known to have dw dwelt dwelton eltin in as aa early as the time of jacob 1500 B C gen gem 34 if afif t bajc i |