This quiet, mostly uninhabited valley, filled with agriculture, is mentioned in the Bible as the site of the battle between the Philistine champion Goliath and the untested Israelite youth and future king, David. The name Ella is the feminine form of the Hebrew word for God (El). Ella is also the Hebrew name for the Terebinth tree, a pistachio tree.

The valley contains several archeological sites mentioned in the battle: Tel Socoh, Sha’arayim, and Azekah. It also contains the Ella Valley Winery.