Zorah

Zorah (meaning: leprosy; scab; hornet) was a town in the Shephelah (the hill country foothills) of Judah, assigned to the tribe of Dan (Josh. 19:41), and earlier listed among Judah's towns (Josh. 15:33, as Zoreah). It is most famous as the birthplace and burial place of Samson, whose father Manoah was a Danite from Zorah (Judg. 13:2). The spirit of the Lord began to stir Samson "between Zorah and Eshtaol" (Judg. 13:25), and his body was buried between these two towns after the collapse of the temple of Dagon (Judg. 16:31).

Zorah overlooks the valley of Sorek and was later fortified by Rehoboam as part of his defense network (2 Chr. 11:10). The Danite spies who went north to find new territory for the tribe also passed through Zorah and Eshtaol (Judg. 18:2). It is identified with the modern village of Sur'ah in the Wady Surar, about 8 miles west of Jerusalem.