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Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?)

A Philistine-era site proposed as David's town of refuge

Shaul, David & Shlomo · city / site, destruction layer · Disputed · found 2015

Aerial view of excavation squares on a low hill in farmland
Photo: Bukvoed · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Found 2015 — Yosef Garfinkel (Hebrew University), Saar Ganor (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Kyle Keimer (Macquarie University), excavations 2015–2019; Ziklag identification announced July 2019

Where Khirbet a-Ra'i, between Lachish and Kiryat Gat, Shephelah (Israel)

Dates from c. 1100–1000 BCE · Iron Age I–IIA · David's years with the Philistines under Shaul (Saul)

Now at In situ; finds at the Israel Antiquities Authority

How Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?) was found

Excavation of a small hill near Kiryat Gat found a Philistine-style settlement of the 12th–11th centuries followed by an early-10th-century rural settlement with pottery like that of Khirbet Qeiyafa, and a destruction layer. Radiocarbon dates of olive pits placed the transition around 1000 BCE.

What it is

A hilltop site with Philistine buildings and pottery from the eleventh century, followed by a village whose pottery matches the Judahite assemblage of Qeiyafa, with a burnt layer containing dozens of whole vessels. Nearly 100 complete vessels were recovered.

Why it matters for the Bible

The Bible says the Philistine king Achish gave David the town of Ziklag, that the Amalekites burned it while David was away, and that it then belonged to the kings of Judah. The excavators point to the Philistine-to-Judahite sequence and the burning as a match for that story, and note that Ziklag's location has never been agreed. Aren Maeir, Israel Finkelstein and others reject the identification, arguing the site is too far north and that no name evidence exists. It is best treated as an interesting proposal rather than a confirmed biblical site.

Disputed: The excavation results are sound; the identification with Ziklag is rejected by many leading archaeologists on geographic grounds.

The Hebrew word: Tzik-LAHG

צִקְלַג

צִקְלַג is pronounced Tzik-LAHG and means Ziklag — David's base in Philistine territory (Strong's H6860).

People this discovery connects to

Places

Events

Achish gives Ziklag to David · The Amalekite raid on Ziklag

Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?) in Scripture

Joshua 15:31 First mention of Ziklag in Scripture.

1 Samuel 27:6 Achish gives David Ziklag, which 'belongs to the kings of Judah to this day'; the site's Philistine-to-Judahite shift is compared to this.

1 Samuel 30:1 The Amalekites burn Ziklag; the excavators point to a burnt layer at the site.

Questions people ask

What is Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?)?
A hilltop site with Philistine buildings and pottery from the eleventh century, followed by a village whose pottery matches the Judahite assemblage of Qeiyafa, with a burnt layer containing dozens of whole vessels. Nearly 100 complete vessels were recovered.

When was Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?) discovered?
It was found in 2015 by Yosef Garfinkel (Hebrew University), Saar Ganor (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Kyle Keimer (Macquarie University), excavations 2015–2019; Ziklag identification announced July 2019, at Khirbet a-Ra'i, between Lachish and Kiryat Gat, Shephelah.

Where is Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?) today?
In situ; finds at the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Which Bible verses does Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?) relate to?
Joshua 15:31, 1 Samuel 27:6, 1 Samuel 30:1.

Is Khirbet a-Ra'i (Ziklag?) authentic?
The excavation results are sound; the identification with Ziklag is rejected by many leading archaeologists on geographic grounds.

Related discoveries

Sources

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