Archaeologists discover a city where King David could have taken refuge

A colony of King David dating back more than 3,000 years, recently discovered in southern Israel – on the site of Khirbet at Rai – could be the biblical city of Ziklag where, according to the Old Testament, the monarch would have taken refuge, say the researchers who made the discovery.

Professor Yosef Garfinkel, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and researcher of the Israel Antiquities Authority, Saar Ganor, as well as a team from Macquarie University in Sydney, have studied this place among the twelve possible places to locate Ziklag, reported the agency Efe.

In the deposit, they found basins and an oil lamp as offerings placed under the buildings to bring a good destiny to the construction, as well as tools in stone and metal dating from centuries XII and XI BC. AD, similar to those discovered during excavations as Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath, localities philistines.

On these remains, researchers have located a rural colony dating from the reign of King David, dating from the early tenth century BC. AD, which was destroyed by fire and was saved in the same way as the ships found in the city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, identified with the biblical city. from Shaarayim.

The pitchers and bowls were decorated in the so-called "red leaf and polished by hand" style, typical of the period of David's reign, as well as medium and long pots used to store oil and wine.

Garfinkel and Ganor conducted an archaeological study to create a map of David's early reign, where Ziklag and Sharayim would be located on the western front, both on hillsides overlooking the lands of the Philistines and Judea.

"Khirbet Qeiyafa (Ziklag) in the Valley of Elah, stands before Philistine Gath, and Khirbet at Rai (Sharayim) stands in front of Ashkelon." This geographical description is reflected in the lamentations of King David on the death of King Saul and (his son) Jonathan in his battle against the Philistines, "they argue.

"Do not tell Gath, do not publish it in the streets of Ashkelon", they collect the sacred texts on the words of David.

According to the biblical account, David was sheltered in Tsiklag before being proclaimed king in Hebron, after the death of the monarch Saul and his son Yonathan.