hill country

A general designation in the Bible for those parts of Palestine that are hilly rather than flat. Since the land of Palestine has a mountainous spine running its length between the Jordan River to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, any area along that spine can be designated “hill country.” Among areas specifically identified as “hill country” are parts of Seir, south of the Dead Sea (Gen 36:8); the area of the Jebusites (Josh 11:3); the dwelling place of the Anakim (Josh 11:21); areas in both Judah and Israel (Josh 11:21); and the tribal areas of Naphtali and Ephraim (Josh 20:7), among many others. Indeed, hill country could be identified from as far south as the Wilderness of Ziph (1Sam 23:14) to as far north as the land of the Amorites, near the head of the Euphrates River (Num 13:29). In the NT, the story of Jesus begins in the hill country of Judah (Luke 1:39; Luke 1:65).