An archaeological excavation in Tel Tzafit has unearthed the ancient city of Gat which was described in the Bible as Goliath’s hometown. Goliath was the fearsome Philistine giant who challenged Saul’s Israelite army and was then defeated in personal combat by David.
The director of the archaeological excavation, Professor Aren Maeir, said the recent findings in the dig are “fascinating”. Gat was occupied during the course of history by the Canaanites, Philistines and Israelites.
Maeir said that: “We are focusing on the Canaanite period, the Philistine period, and the Israelite period, and for now we're primarily in the Philistine period.”
Interestingly enough, writings have been found which contain various Philistine names, some of which are similar to the name “Goliath”.
"We've found a rich variety of artifacts” showing that Gat was a major city at that time, Maeir continued. “We are now discovering remnants from metal craft and bronze, and from the destruction of the city at the hands of King Chazel of Aram as described in the second books of Kings.”
Other findings show that Chazel laid siege to the city until food supplies dwindled and then attacked the city, demolishing whole buildings in the process. At a different stage in history, other buildings appear to have collapsed as a result of an earthquake, possibly the one mentioned in the book of Amos.
There was a complex inter-relationship which existed between Israel and the Philistines, Maeir revealed. “The Philistines... were often more than just enemies. We can see this in the Bible as well, for instance, in the fact that Samson married a Philistine woman,” he said. There appears to have been multifaceted crossovers and intricate interactions between the two cultures – for example, findings from the dig have revealed that aspects of Philistine cooking became part and parcel of Israelite cuisine as well.
(To read this article in full, please go to http://IsraelNationalNews.com).