Zorah

Zorah was a town in the Shephelah region, originally allotted to Judah and later to Dan, and was the hometown of Samson .

Zorah was a town located in the Shephelah, the foothills between the coastal plain and the hill country of Judah. It was originally allotted to the tribe of Judah (Jos.15.33) but later became part of the territory of Dan (Jos.19.41). Zorah was the hometown of Samson, the judge of Israel (Jdg.13.2). The Spirit of the Lord began to stir Samson in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol (Jdg.13.25). Men from Zorah and Eshtaol were involved in the Danite migration (Jdg.18.2,8,11). Samson was buried between Zorah and Eshtaol (Jdg.16.31). During the reign of Rehoboam, Zorah was fortified as a defensive city (2Ch.11.10). In the time of Nehemiah, the people of Zorah helped rebuild Jerusalem (Neh.11.29). Zorah is identified with the modern-day village of Sar'a, about 15 miles west of Jerusalem.

Place of wasps, a town in the low country of Judah, afterwards given to Dan (Josh. 19:41; Judg. 18:2), probably the same as Zoreah (Josh. 15:33). This was Samson’s birthplace (Judg. 13:2, 25), and near it he found a grave (16:31). It was situated on the crest of a hill overlooking the valley of Sorek, and was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chr. 11:10). It has been identified with Sur’ah, in the Wady Surar, 8 miles west of Jerusalem. It is noticed on monuments in the fifteenth century B.C. as attacked by the Abiri or Hebrews.