Have Archaeologists Found the Biblical City of Ziklag?

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, believe they have uncovered the ancient Philistine city of Ziklag near Kiryat Gat, known from biblical narratives.

Ziklag is often mentioned in the Bible in connection with King David. When David fled from King Saul, he was offered refuge by Achish, king of Gath, in Ziklag. From there, David went on to be anointed king in Hebron. According to the biblical account, the Amalekites, desert nomads, raided Ziklag and captured women and children.

Excavations began in 2015 at Khirbet al-Ra'i in the Judean Shephelah—between Kiryat Gat and Lachish. The dig, led by Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Saar Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and Prof. Kyle Keimer of Macquarie University, Sydney, has covered approximately 1,000 square meters, uncovering new finds from the time of David.

According to researchers, the name Ziklag stands out in Israel's inventory of names because it is not Canaanite-Semitic in origin but Philistine, likely given by a foreign population that migrated from the area of Greece. Previously, Ziklag was proposed to be at several sites, including Tel Halif near Kibbutz Lahav, Tel Sera in the western Negev, and Tel Sheva. However, they explain, "None of these sites contained a continuous settlement including both a Philistine and a Davidic-era settlement. At Khirbet al-Ra'i, we found features of both populations."

(Photo: Khirbet al-Ra'i Excavation Team)

The site contains evidence of Philistine habitation from the 11th-12th centuries BCE, including impressive stone structures and finds typical of Philistine culture. An extraordinary find is bowls and a lamp—offerings placed beneath the buildings' floors for good luck in construction. Stone and metal tools were also found. Similar finds from this period have surfaced in past excavations at Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath, the cities of the Philistine lords.

Above the remains of the Philistine settlement, a rural village from King David's time—early 10th century BCE—was uncovered. This village came to an end through a massive fire that destroyed the structures. Dozens of intact pottery vessels were discovered in the rooms, identical to those found in the fortified Judean city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, identified in the Judean lowlands and thought to be the biblical Shaaraim. Tests conducted at Khirbet al-Ra'i date it to the era of King David.

(Photo: Khirbet al-Ra'i Excavation Team)

The large variety of pottery found at the site reflects everyday life during David's reign. Excavations revealed numerous medium and large jars for storing oil and wine, as well as food serving vessels, jugs, and bowls decorated in red in a style known as "brushed slip," typical of David's time.

After twelve years of regional archaeological research in the Judean Shephelah led by Prof. Garfinkel and Ganor, the settlement pattern of Judah at the onset of the monarchy begins to emerge: Ziklag and Khirbet Qeiyafa are located at the western frontier of the kingdom, sited on a high hill overlooking a main route from Philistine territory into Judea. Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Elah Valley faces Gath of the Philistines, and Khirbet al-Ra’i, identified as Ziklag, faces Ashkelon. This geographic narrative echoes the lament of David mourning Saul and Jonathan's fall in battle with the Philistines: "Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon."

(Video credit: Khirbet al-Ra'i Excavation Team)

(Photo: Khirbet al-Ra'i Excavation Team)