Sokho (also Sokhoh, Sochoh, Soco from Greek transliterations; not with initial Sh-; שוכה ,שוכו and שכה in Biblical Hebrew, סוכו in Mishnaic Hebrew) is the name of two towns in biblical Judah.
One town was in the Hebron hill district, in the double tel called Khirbet Shuwaikah Fauka and Tahta (Upper and Lower Shuwaikah), 6 km southwest of Eshtamoa (Joshua 15:48). The other is in the lower hill country (the Shephelah), in the Ela Valley between Adullam and Azekah (Joshua 15:35).
The Bible also mentions a Sokho in the Hefer region in the Sharon (1 Kings 4:10).
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The Philistines camped between the Ela Valley Sokho and Azekah before the encounter of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17:1). Rehoboam fortified the place (2 Chronicles 11:7). It was one of the cities occupied temporarily by the Philistines in the time of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:18).
The word "Sokho" appears on some LMLK seals during the Judean monarchy, believed by many scholars to be one of four cities that acted in some administrative capacity.
The Mishnaic Rabbi Antigonus of Sokho, mentioned in Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot 1:3), likely came from the Hebron-region town. Rabbi Levi Sukia, of the first generation of Amoraim, also came from Sokho (Jerusalem Talmud, Eruvim).
In Byzantine times, Eusebius described Sokho (Σοκχωθ) as a double village at the ninth milestone between Eleutheropolis (Bet Guvrin) and Jerusalem (Eusebius, Onom. 156:18 ff.), which would correspond to the Elah Valley location. The Madaba Map also depicts Sokho (Σωκω).
Today, the Elah-Valey Tel Sokho is known as Givat HaTurmusim, or Lupin Hill. In late March, the entire hill is covered with wild blue Mountain lupins and becomes a popular outing destination for Israeli families. [1]