Archaeologists from IAA, in a joint excavation project at Khirbet al-Ra’i, believe they’ve discovered the ancient Philistine town of Ziklag. The biblical town was located in the Negev region on the southernmost boundary of Judea. First mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 15:31 Ziklag was part of the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. And then again in the book of 1 Samuel, David, afraid he would die by the hand of King Saul, fled with 600 men to the land of the Philistines. Believing Saul would give up searching for him he appealed to the Philistine King for land in which to live:
Then David said to Achish, ‘If now I have found favor in your sight, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may live there; for why should your servant live in the royal city with you?’ So Achish gave him Ziklag that day; therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day. The number of days that David lived in the country of the Philistines was a year and four months. (1 Samuel 27:5-7)
Recent excavations reveal a Philistine settlement dating back to the 12th Century BC. Ruins include large stone structures with distinct features of the Philistine culture, metal and stone vessels. Similar artifacts were found at Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gat. Further adding to the credibility of Khirbet al-Ra’i being the location of the ancient city of Ziglag is seen in evidence of a settlement from the time of David. A large quantity of pottery vessels found during excavations are just like the ones discovered at the Jewish city Khirbet Qeiyafa, the ancient fortress city overlooking the Valley of Elah which was carbon-dated to the time of Israel’s first king.
If you’d like to visit Israel and see some of the ancient biblical ruins from places mentioned in the Bible be sure to check out our upcoming Christian Israel Tours. Or to request a free customized group quote to lead your own Christian Israel Tour contact us!
You can read more about this exciting biblical find at The Times of Israel.
