Eshcol

Eshcol (cluster of grapes) is the name of both an Amorite chieftain and the valley associated with him near Hebron. Eshcol was the brother of Mamre and Aner, all three of whom were confederates of Abraham and joined him in the pursuit of the four kings who had captured Lot (Genesis 14:13, 24). He represents the kind of local alliances Abraham maintained in Canaan, receiving a share of the spoils after the rescue.

The valley of Eshcol became more famous through its association with the twelve spies sent by Moses to survey Canaan. From the valley near Hebron they cut a single cluster of grapes so enormous that it required two men to carry it on a pole—along with pomegranates and figs—as tangible proof of the land's extraordinary fertility (Numbers 13:23–24). The valley's name, taken from the chieftain or named for the cluster the spies found there, became a symbol of Canaan's abundance. The grapes of Eshcol reappear in Deuteronomy 1:24 as Moses recalls that fruitful evidence and the failure of faith that prevented the first generation from entering.