An international team of archeologists has unearthed the biblical city of Ziklag, where King David fled from Saul and was given sanctuary by the Philistine King Achish INN reports. The team consisted of researchers from the Hebrew University, the Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The ancient town has been uncovered near Kiryat Gat.
Based on artifacts and carbon 14 dating results of excavations since 2015, the researchers proposed on Monday that the archaeological site of Khirbet a-Ra‘i in the Judaean foothills is the site of the ancient Philistine city.
‘Tziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah’ (joshua 15:31)
Ziklag is mentioned several times throughout the Bible and is most notably known as the Philistine city where King David fled to with all of his followers when he was being pursued by Saul. King Achish allowed him to take refuge in the city. David lived there for four months.
Achish gives David the city of Tziklag as a place for him to dwell. Metzudat David points out that Tziklag was actually part of the designated inheritance of David’s tribe Yehuda, but it had been taken by the Philistines. At various times, many areas of Eretz Yisrael have been conquered by different invaders. Yet, this does not detract from the rights of the People of Israel. Just as Achish enables David to reclaim Tziklag, in 1967 divine Providence allowed the Jewish people to reclaim much of Judea, Samaria, the Golan Heighs and the Gaza Strip during the Six Day War, tripling the size of Israel in less than a week.
-The Israel Bible
After leaving Ziklag following a fierce battle with the Amalekites, David returned to Hebron with his two wives, Achinoam and Avigail, and his 600 men.
Last week, BIN reported on findings linking ancient Philistines to Europe.
