David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
2 Samuel 5:4
I remember seeing from Tel Azekah a few years ago a new excavation at a site called Khirbet Qeiyafa. It has received quite a bit of press the last few years. I was excited to visit it a couple weeks ago.
Khirbet Qeiyafa is situated overlooking the Elah Valley (where David fought Goliath) in the Shephelah (foothills). There are two gates through the city walls, making many think it may be Biblical Shaaraim (Hebrew for “two gates”) (Joshua 15:36, 1 Samuel 17:52).
What makes this site significant is its dating to the time of David and Solomon. Some have argued that (contrary to the Biblical account) David was more of a tribal chief, and the Israelite kingdom didn’t develop for a couple more centuries. However, constructions like this call that position into question. Tribal chiefs don’t build fortified cities such as this. If this really is a Judahite city as it appears (this isn’t totally agreed, but various parts of its construction as similar to known Israelite cities built later), it points towards the Bible’s accuracy. Just as David fought Goliath in the valley below, his legacy fights on today.
