Battle of the Valley of Elah

The Battle of the Valley of Elah took place between the Israelites under King Saul and the Philistines. According to 1 Samuel 17, the Philistine champion Goliath challenged the Israelites to single combat. David, a young shepherd from Bethlehem, accepted the challenge and killed Goliath with a stone from his sling before beheading him. The Philistines fled following their champion's defeat. The event established David as a prominent warrior and marked a turning point in his rise toward kingship.