Jezreel, Fountain of

The Fountain of Jezreel (also called the spring of Jezreel or the spring of Harod) was a water source in or near the Valley of Jezreel at the foot of Mount Gilboa, where the Israelite army camped before the battle against the Philistines in which Saul was killed (1 Samuel 29:1; Judges 7:1; 2 Samuel 23:25). In Judges 7:1, this spring — called the spring of Harod — is where Gideon's army of 32,000 was reduced to 300 by God's testing, eliminating those who knelt to drink from those who lapped water with their hands.

The spring thus provided the setting for two decisive moments in Israel's military history — Gideon's reduction of his army as an act of faith and Saul's final doomed muster before Gilboa. Identified with the modern 'Ain Jalud (Spring of Goliath) at the foot of the Gilboa ridge, it is one of the most important water sources in the valley and was strategically significant for armies moving through the region.