The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem offers a unique preview of an exhibition showcasing 3,000-year old artifacts recovered from Khirbet Geiyafa which archaeologists believe could be the biblical city of Sha’arayim, meaning ‘two gates’, that is mentioned in the story of the battle of David and the Philistine giant, Goliath.
Khirbet Geiyafa, overlooking the Elah valley, southwest of Jerusalem is an ancient fortified city that was discovered around a decade ago. But it was not until the second year of excavations in 2008 that archaeologists realized they had stumbled upon what was possibly the earliest physical evidence of a Davidic City dating back to the 11th century B.C.E.
Other significant clues that pointed to the presence of a Judean-stronghold are the absence of pig bones among the scores of animal remains, and most significantly, two inscriptions written in the Canaanite script that were found on a jar and a pottery fragment which are believed to be the earliest known example of Hebrew writing.
(READ ALSO: Philistines were more sophisticated than given credit for, say archeologists)
Despite strong evidence that suggests Khirbet Geiyafa could be the lost city of Sha’arayim, Garfinkel said that archaeology could neither prove nor disprove the Bible.
“Archaeology cannot prove or disprove the Bible. But archaeology can prove that what is written in the Bible fit the geographical situation and the anthropology of the period. The story of David and Goliath and the city are located in exactly the same location; they’re from the same period, so it cannot be a coincidence,” Prof. Yosef Garfinkel said.
The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem Director, Amanda Weiss agrees that the evidence, when considered in its entirety, points strongly to a Davidic period site.
“If you look at the whole site and its history, you see a Judean-stronghold on the border of the Philistine, between the Philistines and the Judeans in the Elah valley from the time period of David. Its incredible historical evidence all coming together at the same time,” Weiss told Reuters.
The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem will open the new exhibition on September 5, entitled “In the Valley of David and Goliath,” which will provide an opportunity for visitors to go back in history to the time of Israel’s greatest king David.
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