David fought Goliath next to Khirbet Qeiyafa

Everyone who excavated at Khirbet Qeiyafa had the privilege of enjoying a beautiful, daily view of the Elah Valley. The Elah Valley is most famous as the location of the David vs. Goliath story in 1 Samuel 17. In ancient times it was the border region between the Israelites and the Philistines, and would have seen plenty of conflict.

The following video was shot on our final day at Khirbet Qeiyafa/The Elah Fortress on August 6th, 2009. I was not able to do a video on this subject earlier due to the large shade structures that prevented a complete view of the valley. As you can tell with the video, it was a busy, noisy morning at the site. The video should still give a picture of the famous Bible story.

For years, tour buses have stopped off of the highway near the Elah Brook so people could gather ‘five smooth stones’ to carry home. (I myself did this in March of 2000.) The site of Khirbet Qeiyafa now offers another, greater reason to stop in the Elah Valley. Besides the great visual aid, it is a fortified city that dates to the time of David’s monarchy. Further excavation and research should increase and refine this information over the next several years.

4 thoughts on “David fought Goliath next to Khirbet Qeiyafa

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    1. Philip and the Ethiopian would have met on a road south of this one. Khirbet Qeiyafa sits on a highway leading to the city of Gath, a little further north than Gaza.

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