Researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel have discovered a massive gate that they believe marks the entrance to Gath, the biblical city that was ruled by the Philistines and is said to be the home of Goliath, the massive warrior slain by future king David’s slingshot.
Archaeologist Aren Maeir, a professor at the university as well as the director of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project, and his colleagues discovered the entrance to the ancient city during excavations taking place at the Tel Zafit National Park in the Judean Foothills, an area located roughly halfway between Jerusalem and Ashkelon in central Israel.
According to NBC News and Live Science reports, the massive gates are believed to mark the entrance to what was at one time the largest metropolis in the region. Maeir said the ruins indicate that Gath may have been the largest city in the land during 10th and 9th centuries BC, and that the “monumental fortifications stress how large and mighty this city was.”
Israelite, Philistine cultures influenced each other
The archaeologists were digging trenches in search of the ancient city’s fortifications when they found the top surface of the gigantic gate. Thus far, only the top of the gates and the surrounding fortifications are visible, and it may take several seasons to fully unearth the rest of the walls. Maeir’s expedition is currently in its 20th year at the site.
The researchers also reported that they discovered various nearby buildings, including a temple and an ironworks. Previously, they had uncovered Philistine Temples dating to the 11th through 9th century BCE, as well as what is said to be the earliest decipherable Philistine inscription ever discovered, which contained two names similar to the name Goliath.
They also found evidence of an earthquake in the 8th century BCE that they believe may be linked to the one mentioned in the Biblical Book of Amos: various items associated with Philistine culture, evidence of the capture and destruction of Gath as described by Hazael in the Bible, and evidence of the first Philistine settlement in Canaan (about 1200 BCE).
Also during the latest expedition, the archeologists found pottery that is distinctively Philistine in style, but which also show elements of Israelite technique. This indicates that the cultures had an influence on each other beyond simply being enemies, Maeir said. The find “mirrors the intense and multifaceted connections that existed between the Philistines and their neighbors,” he added.
(Image credit: Prof. Aren Maeir)
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