King David-era battle comes to life in new museum exhibition - Efrat Forsher

by Efrat Forsher

Relics from Khirbet Qeiyafa, a Judean city close to where David fought Goliath, including two portable shrines, showcased by Bible Lands Museum • Artifacts date back to 11th century BCE, provide strong evidence that ancient Israelites lived in area.

Artifacts from Khirbet Qeiyafa find featured in the exhibition | Photo credit: Oren Ben Hakoon

The Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem will inaugurate a new exhibition next week featuring unique artifacts from Khirbet Qeiyafa, an ancient Judean city that may have played a key role in the famous biblical battle between David and Goliath. 

The museum called the exhibition "In the Valley of David and Goliath" referring to the Elah Valley lying below Khirbet Qeiyafa, the valley where the famous battle between the Israelites and Philistines took place.

According to the museum, the exhibition will include "original finds from the city's ruins, its structures, gates, dwellings and many other remarkable artifacts." Visitors will also get to see up close a famous Hebrew inscription, portable shrines -- referred to as "shrine models" by archeologists -- and three iron swords. 

The city, which lies close to modern day Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem, is believed to have been inhabited by the ancient Israelites during the time of King Saul. The long archeological excavations on the site have provided some of the strongest evidence that ancient Israelites lived in the area at the end of the 11th century BCE, Archeologists say that swords at the site could have been used during the battle of David and Goliath.

Efrat Forsher

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=36041

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