Michmash approach

Saul was from Gibeah, a village high in the Judean Mountains about 3.5 miles (6 km) north of Jerusalem. The Michmash Pass was a key road near the heart of Saul’s kingdom. That the Philistines were sending an army so far into Israelite territory is a sign of how badly outmatched Saul’s forces were against the Philistines. As the Philistines gathered for war, they deployed small detachments as raiding parties while Saul’s forces found hiding places in the hills. One of the raiding parties came to the Michmash Pass. Saul’s son Jonathan and his armor bearer bravely climbed a steep hill to reach the Philistines, where they defeated 20 men in a small area. Word of the skirmish spread quickly, and by the end of the day, the Philistines had withdrawn to the coastal plain. Fighting between the two groups would continue for years until the Philistines were subdued under David and Solomon’s reign.