There was a town named Etam about two miles southwest of Bethlehem (2 Chronicles 11:6), but we have no reason to assume that the rocky formation that Samson visited was anywhere in its vicinity. It is not known where Etam is. We can surmise that it was situated at a lower altitude than that of Timnah, since the text says that Samson went down
to Etam.1 The cleft in the rock may have well been in a cave in which someone could hide, as it was not visible from a distance.
8 And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the cleft of the rock of Etam.