3,000 YEAR OLD TREASURES DATED TO THE TIME OF KING DAVID UNVEILED:

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem offered a unique preview on Mon. 29 August 2016, of an exhibition showcasing 3,000 year-old artifacts recovered from Khirbet Qeiyafa which archaeologists believe could be the biblical city of Sha'arayim, meaning 'Two Gates', that is mentioned in the story of the battle of David and the Philistine giant, Goliath. Khirbet Qeiyafa, overlooking the Elah Valley southwest of Jerusalem, is an ancient fortified city that was discovered around a decade ago. But it was not until the second year of excavations in 2008 that archaeologists realized they had stumbled upon what was possibly the earliest physical evidence of a Davidic city dating back to the 11th Century BC. Over the course of seven years, excavations revealed a walled city with two equally large and dominant gates - a highly unusual feature for a relatively small city.

The Elah Valley divided the lands of the Israelites and the Philistines, whose champion warrior was felled by the young shepherd David's slingshot. When archaeologists excavated the gates they were reminded of the ancient city of Sha'arayim that featured in the famous story. Other significant clues that pointed to the presence of a Judean stronghold are the absence of pig bones among the scores of animal remains, and most significantly, two inscriptions that were found on a jar and a pottery fragment which are believed to be the earliest known example of Hebrew writing. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem director, Amanda Weiss, agrees that the evidence, when considered in its entirety, points strongly to a Davidic period site. The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem will open the new exhibition on 5 Sep. 2016, entitled "In the valley of David and Goliath," which will provide an opportunity for visitors to go back in history to the time of Israel's greatest King David. (J. Post)