An important Hebrew inscription from ca. 1,000 BC (reign of King David) was found at a military outpost called Khirbet Qeiyafa in Judah where the hills meet the Shephelah. The archaeological team included David Adams from Concordia Seminary, who said he was only the third person to hold the ostracon since it was buried 3,000 years ago. It is the oldest Hebrew inscription ever found by at least 500 years.
It, and the archaeological site, confirm aspects of the biblical record about David and the kingdom of Israel. This is a hot topic because the biblical "minimalists" think King David was only a tribal chieftan and the nation of Israel did not exist until centuries later. The inscription is scheduled to be published in the January 2009 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, although David Adams said it might be delayed to the next issue after that.
The official web site for the excavation is maintained by the Hebrew University in Jerusalem:
http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il
Khirbet Qeiyafa
| Excavation directors: | Prof. Yosef Garfinkel (Hebrew University) Mr. Saar Ganor (Israel Antiquities Authority) | |
| Institution | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem | |
| Dates of excavation season: | June 28th till August 7th 2009 (6 weeks) | |
| Location: | Israel, 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem | |
| Periods: | Iron Age, early 10th century BC; Hellenistic | |
| Nearest village: | Kibbutz Netiv Ha-Lamed Hei |
The archaeological site of Khirbet Qeiyafa is located on the hills that border the Elah Valley on the north. This is a key strategic location in the biblical kingdom of Judah, in the main road from Philistia and the Coastal Plain to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron in the hill country. In this area one of the world's most famous battles took place, the battle between David and Goliath.
Khirbet Qeiyafa is a forgotten Biblical site. This is most surprising in view of its massive fortifications of megalithic stones which still stand to a height of 2-3 m, and its strategic geopolitical location. source
for Photos of the site click here
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