Tekoa, Tekoah

Tekoa (also Tekoah) was a town in the hill country of Judah approximately 6 miles south of Bethlehem and 12 miles south of Jerusalem, overlooking the Judean wilderness toward the Dead Sea. The prophet Amos was a herdsman and dresser of sycamore figs from Tekoa (Amos 1:1), making it the hometown of one of the earliest writing prophets. Joab engaged a "wise woman" from Tekoa to bring a parable to King David to prepare the way for Absalom's return (2 Sam. 14:2). Rehoboam fortified Tekoa as a defensive position (2 Chr. 11:6). Jeremiah commanded the blowing of the trumpet at Tekoa as a warning signal of northern invasion (Jer. 6:1). The men of Tekoa helped repair Jerusalem's wall under Nehemiah (Neh. 3:5, 27).