Aphek

Aphek, mentioned in 1Kings 20 and 2Kings 13, was a city located in the northern part of Israel, likely in the region of the Jezreel Valley. It was the site of significant battles between the Arameans (Syrians) and the Israelites during the reigns of King Ahab and King Jehoash of Israel.

In 1Kings 20, the Arameans, led by Ben-hadad, assembled their forces at Aphek to fight against Israel. Despite the vast Aramean army, the Israelites, guided by a prophet, achieved a decisive victory. The Arameans fled to Aphek, where a wall collapsed and killed many of them (1Ki.20.26-30).

Later, during the reign of Jehoash, Aphek is mentioned again in the context of the Aramean oppression of Israel. The prophet Elisha, on his deathbed, instructed King Jehoash to shoot an arrow from the window, symbolizing the Lord's arrow of victory over the Arameans at Aphek (2Ki.13.17).

The precise location of this Aphek is uncertain, but it is generally identified with Fiq, a site in the eastern part of the Jezreel Valley, near the modern-day town of Kibbutz Afik. Its location in the north made it a strategic point for military campaigns between Israel and Aram.