Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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Researchers claim to have found Ziklag, where ‘David took refuge from king Saul’
Researchers in Israel said on Monday they have pinpointed the site of an ancient Philistine town mentioned in the biblical tale of David seeking refuge from the Israelite king Saul. Ziklag was then under the rule of a Philistine king, the researchers say. A biblical tale says the town became the unlikely seat of David before his anointment as king in Hebron. Ziklag’s location has been the subject of debate, with 12 possible locations named in southern Israel. None of the sites, however, had the necessary evidence of consecutive Philistine and Israelite settlement to fit what is believed to be the narrative. Now researchers from the IAA, Hebrew University and Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, say they have found a Philistine-era settlement from the historical era linked to David. Those findings have led them to believe it is Ziklag, the statement said. The site, Khirbet al-Rai, is located near Kiryat Gat. Researchers have excavated finds typical of the Philistine civilisation as well as pottery vessels connecting it to the historical era, it said. The Philistines are believed to have arrived in the region in the 12th century BC, with DNA tests on their bones recently suggesting their origin to be in southern Europe.
