| Tell es-Safi
or Tel Zafit is a large site in central Israel, located
halfway between Jerusalem and Ashkelon on the border between
the Coastal Plain and the Judean foothills. It is named
for its white chalk cliffs which can be seen from the road
at once. The site has been identified as the biblical Gath,
one of the five major cities of the Philistines, the well-known
arch-enemies of the Israelites in the biblical text.
The site has had rich findings from many periods (early
and late Iron Age, early and late Bronze Age) and during
the excavation period in 2005, the most important piece
yet was found. A small sherd with an inscription written
in archaic Pro-Canaanite letters was excavated, which also
showed two non-Semitic names, ‘Alwt’ and ‘Wlt’,
causing a stir in the archaeological scene.
One of the reasons for the excitement was that it is the
earliest Philistine inscription known to date. The major
reason however, was the fact that the two names appeared
to be strikingly similar to the most famous Philistine name
– Goliath. So it indicated that in 10th – 9th
century Gath, names equal or at least similar to Goliath
were used, providing evidence that the biblical story of
Goliath is in fact based on a clear cultural regalia from
the time depicted in the biblical text. The new inscription
of Tell es-Safi was further quite important, as it revealed
evidence of the transformation of the Philistines from an
Aegean to a Semitic culture.
The site itself was inhabited from Proto-Historic through
Modern times. Throughout the Iron Age, Gath passed back
and forth between Philistine and Judean hands several times.
The earliest evidence for settlement is from the Chalcolithic
Period (ca. 5th mill. BCE) after which the occupation continued
until the modern Palestinian village of Tell es-Safi. The
village was abandoned in 1948 during Israel’s War
of Independence.
You find Tell es-Safi just 53 km southwest of Jerusalem,
suitable for an enjoyable day trip for hiking and exploring
one of the most important historical sites in Israel. On
April 2, 2008, the National Parks Authorities held an opening
ceremony for Tell es-Safi as one of Israel’s National
Parks, which will see further excavation and restoration
in the next decade.
The Tell is located at the end of Elah Valley, one of the
well hidden treasures of the country, which offers visitors
a range of vineyards as well as several popular tourist
spots like the picturesque Beit Jamal Monastery.
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