Sa mu el 296 controls important sections of the Elah Valley road near Azekah . Its commander will certainly send messengers with warnings to David as well as try delaying the Philistine quick invasion of the highland by surprise flank attacks on their rear - guard and on the slow - moving supply caravans . In both battles, the Philistines’ strategic purpose of invasion and the tactics of positioning themselves in this valley near Jerusalem was meant to threaten the highland main road connecting the south - ern range with the central and northern highland ( cf . Bright 2000 : This main road follows the watershed divide from the . ) 199 – 198 longer range of the south all the way to the central and the north ranges . Driving such a military wedge between south and north must imperil the unification of David’s enlarged kingdom . At first sight, David has no alternative but to attack the Philistines in the Valley of Rephaim . In such a war, the Philistines rightly expect to gain the upper ...
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