Mt. Gilboa and view of valley

When Saul realized he was about to be overwhelmed by the Philistines, he fell on his sword on  Mt. Gilboa. The slopes of Gilboa are very steep. The battle began in the Jezreel Valley, where  the Philistines and Saul’s army had camped (1 Samuel 29:1). When the battle turned in the  Philistines’ favor, the Israelites ran for the hills, many of them running up Gilboa. The Philistines pursued them and killed many (1 Samuel 31). Saul took his life before the Philistines reached  him. The valley immediately below Mt. Gilboa is known as the Harod Valley, the eastern  extension of the Jezreel Valley. In a previous generation, Gideon had gathered his small army at  the spring of Harod (Judges 7:1), at the base of Mt. Gilboa.