Shelach Lekha [1] (שְׁלַח לְךָ – “send for yourself”)
Numbers 13:1–15:41 • Joshua 2:1–24
Twelve scouts are sent to survey the Land of Israel. Caleb and Joshua remain confident in the divine promise, but the report of the other ten causes the people to lose heart. The book of Joshua recounts in turn the sending of two spies to Jericho.
Numbers 13:23
וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד־נַחַל אֶשְׁכּוֹל וַיִּכְרְתוּ מִשָּׁם זְמוֹרָה וְאֶשְׁכּוֹל עֲנָבִים אֶחָד
“They reached the valley of Eshkol [2] and cut from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes.”
Mentioned in the biblical narrative, this valley lies in the Hebron region, south of the Judean hills. The importance of viticulture in this area has been attested since antiquity, notably at Susya. Excavations [3] have uncovered a large winepress carved into the rock, dated to the 5th or 6th century, along with several agricultural installations. Near the winepress, the remains of the Byzantine synagogue, built in the 4th century and used until the 8th, bear witness to the vitality of the Jewish community that inhabited the site during this period. The building, oriented toward Jerusalem, still preserves its mosaic floor and several Hebrew inscriptions. The ensemble illustrates the prosperity of a village where wine production played a central role in both economic and religious life. Even today, viticulture remains vibrant, sustained by renowned wines such as Hebron Heights Cabernet Sauvignon.
[1] In the diaspora, the weekly Torah portion read this week is Beha’alotekha.
[2] Eshkol (אֶשְׁכּוֹל) is a Hebrew term meaning a cluster of grapes. The word derives from a root expressing the idea of a compact grouping or tightly bound cluster, reflecting the structure of the grape cluster itself. In the Tanakh, it becomes a sign of the fertility and richness of the Land of Israel, and a symbol of abundance associated with divine blessing.
[3] Excavations carried out by Ze’ev Yeivin, Amnon Negev, and Yitzhak Magen, archaeologists affiliated with Israeli heritage institutions (including the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria), specialists in Byzantine‑period archaeology in Judea and in Jewish villages of that era.