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While some scholars have argued that the Bible’s description of King David ruling over a great kingdom is exaggerated, new research suggests that the land overseen by the Old Testament king was more well-developed than some experts believe. Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of the Institute of Archaeology at Hebrew University theorized in a paper published in the peer-reviewed Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology that King David ruled over an urban network of fortified cities, which supports the Bible’s description of his kingdom. Garfinkel outlined five different sites in his study — Khirbet Qeiyafa, Beth Shemesh, Lachish and Tell en-Naṣbeh and a country...

An inscription dating back some 3,100 years ago bearing the name of a biblical judge Jerubbaal was uncovered in the excavations at Khirbat er-Ra‘i, near Kiryat Gat in the Southern District of Israel, the Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Monday.The researchers highlighted that while there cannot be any certainty on whether the inscription refers to the figure mentioned in the Book of Judges, this discovery offers important insights on the connection between the biblical text and historical reality...All the dating has been carried out through both pottery typology and radiocarbon of organic samples found in the same archaeological layer.The writing,...

(JNS) The Israeli Antiquities Authority, Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Macquarie University of Sydney, Australia, have announced the discovery of what they believe is the biblical city of Ziklag, the Philistine city in which according to the Bible the young David took refuge from King Saul. Ziklag is mentioned in the Bible multiple times in relationship to David, who the Bible states received sanctuary in the city along with his army, with the permission of Achish, King of Gat. The site is also believed to be the place from which David left to journey to Hebron, where he was anointed...

Israeli archaeologists have unearthed a 2,900-year-old gate-shrine they say confirms the biblical story of King Hezekiah, who mandated the worship of God and the rejection of all other deities. The gate-shrine in Tel Lachish National Park was uncovered decades ago, but a new excavation has completely exposed the gate, which is the largest one known from the First Temple period. "The size of the gate is consistent with the historical and archaeological knowledge we possess, whereby Lachish was a major city and the most important one after Jerusalem," said excavation director Sa'ar Ganor. According to the Book of Kings, he...

Archaeologists have unearthed a city-gate and shrine dating to the First Temple Era. An Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) team headed by Sa'ar Ganor discovered the ruins in the Tel Lachish National Park. "Tel Lachish was the most important city in Judea, after Jerusalem," Ganor told Tazpit Press Service (TPS). "This is the biggest city-gate we have found in the Land of Israel." "The size of the gate is consistent our historical and archaeological data that indicates Lachish was a major city and the most important one after Jerusalem," Ganor said. The city gate is approximately 24 by 24 meters in...

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a fortified settlement that could be Libnah, part of the Kingdom of Judah in ancient Israel, and a place where the Israelites stopped during the Exodus... Libnah was also the site of a revolt during the reign of King Jehoram of Judah (mentioned in 2 Chronicles 21:10) when the king had forsaken "the God of his fathers". Another biblical account states 185,000 Assyrian soldiers under King Sennacherib were killed by an angel of God while they were encamped near Libnah, which prevented them from advancing on Jerusalem from Lachish (2 Kings 19:35)... Tel Burna...