The Excavation Site of Khirbet Qeiyafa

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The Excavation Siteof Khirbet Qeiyafa

• Introduction to the general context of the
  excavation and attempts to identify the site

Rostislav Kurka
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Khirbet Qeiyafa

• What it really is
• Where it really is
• What is its importance

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What is Khirbet Qeiyafa?

• an archaeological site that has only recently
  been excavated (start 2008)
• a 2.3 ha large fortified city dated approximately
  to the 10th century BCE
• it plays an important role in the current debate
  about the beginnings of the kingdom of Judah

source http//qeiyafa.huji.ac.il
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Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Spotlight

• originally noted and briefly surveyed at the end
  of the 19th century (1869 Victor Guérin, 1883
  - C.R. Conder H.H. Kitchener)
• during the 20th century completely forgotten
• in 1992 briefly noted by Yehuda Dagan
• in 2001, by Z. Greenhut
• in 2005, noticed by Saar Ganor of the Israel
  Antiquities Authority, who noticed a massive Iron
  Age structure at the site (2-3 m high wall)
• in 2007, examination led by Saar Ganor and prof.
  Yosef Garfinkel, excavation started 2008

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Leading the Excavation

• Saar Ganor
• prof. Yosef Garfinkel

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Yosef Garfinkel

• 1956
• PhD archaeology 1992,
• then 2004 professor at
• the Hebrew University
• in Jerusalem
• excavated many sites from the neolithic and
  chalcolithic periods, like Tel Tsaf, Sha'ar
  HaGolan, Gesher and neolithic Ashkelon
• since 2007 has been leading the Khirbet Qeiyafa
  excavations
• engages in the dispute about the beginnings of
  ancient Judah/Israel

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Why Khirbet Qeiyafa became important?

• main reasons for choosing particularly this site
  for the excavation, as stated by GanorGarfinkel
• Khirbet Qeiyafa is not a tel (a site where many
  strata have accumulated one above other)
  Qeiyafa ''is essentially a single-stratum, Iron
  Age site. In most of the site, remains are found
  immediately below the topsoil.''
  (Ganor-Garfinkel, 2009)
• the site is fairly intact (i.e. has not been used
  for digging and gathering building materials
  etc.)
• geopolitical importance situated in the Elah
  Valley, on the presumed border between Judah and
  Philistia, overlooking main road to Jerusalem and
  Hebron from the Coastal Plain

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Source Google Earth
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Source Google Earth
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Geographical Location

• Khirbet Qeiyafa is located in the Shephelah
  region (the hill country between the mountains of
  Judah and the coastal plain)
• approximately 27 km west of Jerusalem, near the
  city of Bet-Shemesh
• because of this, the researchers see it as an
  important border site from 10th century BCE, time
  of the conflict between the Philistines and Judah
  (mentioned in the Bible - Saul, David)
• Tel-es-Safi, identified as biblical Gath, is only
  12 km west from KQ if KQ indeed was a Judean
  border city, it might have had great importance
  in this respect

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Between Azekah and Sochoh
two other important archaeological sites in vicinity Tel Zakariyeh, associated with the Biblical Azekah, lies 2 km to the west, Khirbet Shuwaika, associated with Biblical Sochoh, lies 2.5 km to the southeast
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Source Google Earth
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Between Azekah and Sochoh
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Location in Elah Valley

• Khirbet Qeiyafa is situated on the northern side
  of the Elah Valley, overlooking it
• Elah Valley ''Terebinth Valley'', the place of
  the battle described in 1 Sam 17

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Excavation process

• in 2007, initial two-week examination of the site
  took place
• in 2008, the first season a six-week excavation
  was undertaken
• 600 square meters of the city were uncovered,
  including a 4-chamber gate, a casemate-system
  city wall and 2 buildings in the western part of
  the city
• also an ostracon was found which made Qeiyafa
  famous
• first week in November later that year, a second
  gate was uncovered in the eastern part of the
  city. GarfinkelGanor believe it to be the main
  gate, facing Jerusalem

source http//qeiyafa.huji.ac.il
source http//qeiyafa.huji.ac.il
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source http//qeiyafa.huji.ac.il
(after 2010 season)
Total length of the city walls about 700 m
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Possibilities for site identification

• Originally (pre-2008), Garfinkel and Ganor
  entertained the idea of identifying the city as
  Biblical Azekah (Tel Zakariyeh would have been
  something else).
• Counterargument according to Biblical account,
  Azekah remained settled and important until
  post-exilic period (Jr 347, Neh 1130), whereas
  KQ did not last
• Jeremiah 347 ''When the king of Babylon's army
  fought against Jerusalem, and against all the
  cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish,
  and against Azekah for these defenced cities
  remained of the cities of Judah.''
• Nehemiah 1130 ''...Zanoah, Adullam, and in
  their villages, at Lachish, and the fields
  thereof, at Azekah, and in the villages thereof.
  And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley of
  Hinnom.''

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Possibilities for site identification

• After discovering the second gate, GG proposed
  KQ is Biblical Sha'arayim (''Two gates'').
• Cf. 1 Sam 1752 ''And the men of Israel and of
  Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the
  Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and
  to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the
  Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim,
  even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.''
• Counterargument the ending -ayim might be
  ''pseudo-dual'' and does not have to mean
  literally two gates
• N. Na'aman had also proposed that Sha'arayim must
  lay on the way to Gath, which KQ probably
  wouldn't
• since Sha'arayim is mentioned as a direction, it
  would require it to be well-established in the
  general knowledge and tradition, however, KQ by
  all evidence did not last more than few decades

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Possibilities for site identification

• Ephes Dammim ''between Azekah and Sochoh''
• 1 Samuel 171 ''Now the Philistines gathered
  together their armies to battle, and were
  gathered together at Sochoh, which belongeth to
  Judah, and pitched between Sochoh and Azekah, in
  Ephesdammim.''

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Source Google Earth
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Possibilities for site identification

• Ephes Dammim ''between Azekah and Sochoh''
• Counterargument Ephes Dammim was an area name,
  Philistines were camping there, Goliath asked
  Israelites to ''come down''
• Adithaim or Gov random sites from the Biblical
  lists

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Questions left to answer

• Excavation of Khirbet Qeiyafa has already
  provided valuable discoveries and could still
  contribute to the quest for the history of
  ancient Israel/Judah
• Khirbet Qeiyafa was by all evidence a border city
  between Judah and Philistia
• Was it really a Judean city?
• What city should be Khirbet Qeiyafa identified
  with, if any?
• How can its research contribute to Biblical
  archeology? What could it mean?

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Thank you for your attention!