qeiyafa ostracon

qeiyafa ostracon Latest

Sep 14 Blog

The Oldest Hebrew Script and Language

In a BAR article, epigraphy scholar Christopher Rollston asks a seemingly straightforward question: What is the oldest Hebrew inscription?

Dating to the tenth century B.C., this alphabetical text is the earliest ever found in Jerusalem. A recent article suggests that it refers to cheap wine imported into Jerusalem. Photo courtesy Eilat Mazar; photograph by Ouria Tadmor.

Jul 14 Blog

Precursor to Paleo-Hebrew Script Discovered in Jerusalem

By: Robin Ngo

Alan Millard examines the Proto-Canaanite script of the earliest alphabetic text ever found in Jerusalem. What can it tell us about literacy during the time of David and Solomon?

Jul 23 Blog

King David’s Palace at Khirbet Qeiyafa?

By: Noah Wiener

The Israel Antiquities Authority’s (IAA) July 18, 2013 press release is crowned with an extraordinary headline: King David’s Palace was Uncovered in the Judean Shephelah.

Jan 5 Blog

Biblical Sha’arayim: Khirbet Qeiyafa’s Second Gate Discovered

By: Robin Ngo

Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa have uncovered a second city gate from the 10th century B.C.E., the time of King David’s reign. No other site from this period has more than one gate. What do Qeiyafa’s two city gates tell us about the Kingdom of Judah in David’s time?

Jun 5 Blog

Biblical Name Eshbaal Found Outside of the Bible

By: Robin Ngo

A 3,000-year-old inscription discovered at Khirbet Qeiyafa references the Biblical name Eshbaal. This is the first time the name has been found in an ancient inscription.

Nov 8 Blog

Khirbet Qeiyafa and Tel Lachish Excavations Explore Early Kingdom of Judah

By: Noah Wiener

Monumental discoveries from the 2013 season at Khirbet Qeiyafa provide new evidence of an extensive civil administration during the time of King David. To continue investigating the tenth-century kingdom of Judah, the Qeiyafa archaeologists are heading to Lachish.

Feb 13 Blog

Controversial Qeiyafa Comes to U.S. Museum

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Since the beginning of Dr. Yosef Garfinkel’s excavation at Khirbet Qeiyafa in 2007, the site has been producing exciting and controversial finds that have kept the Biblical archaeology world buzzing.

May 8 Blog

Evidence of Cultic Activity in Judah Discovered at Khirbet Qeiyafa

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The exciting finds just keep coming at Khirbet Qeiyafa. This unique, fortified Judahite city on the border with Philistia had a short-lived existence between 1020 and 980 B.C.E., according to carbon-dated remains excavated at the site, that places it at the dawn of the Israelite Monarchy, the time of King Saul and King David. In 2008, excavation director Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem revealed an ostracon with five lines of early script that had been discovered at Khirbet Qeiyafa. Among the earliest examples of alphabetic writing found in Israel, the enigmatic Qeiyafa Ostracon has been the focus of several articles in Biblical Archaeology Review, including two features in the May/June 2012 issue.

Interpreting the Qeiyafa Ostracon as a Narrative of the Birth of the Kingdom of Israel

May 7 Blog

Qeiyafa Ostracon Relates the Birth of the Kingdom of Israel

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Gerard Leval presents French epigrapher Émile Puech's interpretation of the Qeiyafa Ostracon as the earliest text on the formation of the Kingdom of Israel and the only artifact referencing King Saul.

May 7 Blog

Khirbet Qeiyafa Excavator to Announce New Finds from the Era of David and Solomon

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The Biblical archaeology world is abuzz with anticipation over Hebrew University archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel’s press conference on Tuesday, May 8. The press release for the event promises to “announce all-new findings related to the time of Kings David and Solomon, including presentation of artifacts never before seen by the public related to construction of Solomon's temple and palace.” The press conference will be followed by a tour of the excavation site.

Must-Read Free eBooks

The Dead Sea Scrolls: Past, Present, and Future

Biblical Peoples—The World of Ancient Israel

Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus’ Life

Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus

More Free eBooks

Want more Bible history?

Join Us on an Educational Journey

For more than 40 years, the Biblical Archaeology Society has partnered with world-renowned hosts and guides to provide you exceptional educational offerings in the archaeology of the Biblical lands and in Biblical studies.

Learn More