Page 32 - Discover Israel Magazine - 2017 edition

A Journey Back
to the Time of King David
Unravel the mysteries of the ancient Elah Valley
By Shani Kimchy Nidam
You probably have it right on
your shelf…the greatest source
for drama, mystery, legend and
incredible stories. The exhilarating
world long gone but never forgotten, the
world that mesmerizes and refuses to let
go, perhaps today more than ever. Yes, of
course, it is all in the Bible.
If only time travel were possible… Would
you want to go back in time and personally
experience great moments in history?
Imagine a journey to the Land of Israel during
its formative years as a developing nation –
Khirbet Qeiyafa, southern gate, with Elah Valley in the
background. Photo: Uri Chartarifsky
32 D I S C O V E R I S R A E L
to the time of King David and his legendary
battle against Goliath, the giant Philistine.
At a new exhibition at the Bible Lands
Museum Jerusalem, you will be able to
explore the biblical Elah Valley, one of the
most beautiful pastoral areas in the Land of
Israel, close to the Canaanite Bet Shemesh
and the Philistine city of Gath, where a
small, yet fortified city was built on a hilltop In 2007, Prof. Yossi Garfinkel of The Hebrew
some 3,000 years ago. In this exciting new
exhibition, you will be invited to walk through
the city gate, stand in the main square and
explore its houses. This city has revealed
historically important clues about the daily life
and worship of its inhabitants, yet it is also rich
with unanswered questions and challenging
puzzles that have been at the center of
debate and controversy among scholars and
laypeople alike. But perhaps the most riveting
question still remains: ‘Have we found the
footsteps of King David in the Elah Valley’?
University of Jerusalem and his team began
excavating at a small ancient site in the Elah
Valley, known only by its modern Arabic
name, Khirbet Qeiyafa. During the seven