Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2017 Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah: Papers Presented at a Colloquium of the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies Held at the University of Bern, September 6, 2014 Edited by: Schroer, Silvia <javascript:contributorCitation( ’Schroer, Silvia’ );>; Münger, Stefan <javascript:contributorCitation( ’Münger, Stefan’ );> Abstract: Excavations at the Early Iron Age site of Khirbet Qeiyafa (Israel), directed from 2007 to 2011 by Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem andthe Israel Antiquities Authority, have attracted considerable scholarly and media attention since the very second season, when the discovery of an inscribed ostracon sparked controversies over the site’s historical significance and nature. Located at the entrance of the Elah Valley, protected by a casemate walland two monumental gateways, the settlement of Qeiyafa existed for barely half a century. Its dating and the correlation of the archaeological evidence with the regional history, not least the rise of an early Judahite monarchy, have become matters of intense academic debate. Resulting from a colloquium of the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies, this volume offers a condensed report by main excavator Yosef Garfinkel as well as several in-depth studies on archaeological, historical, epigraphical, iconographical and biblical issues. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-137143 Edited Scientific Work Published Version Originally published at: Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah: Papers Presented at a Colloquium of the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies Held at the University of Bern, September 6, 2014. Edited by: Schroer, Silvia; Münger, Stefan (2017). Fribourg, Switzerland / Göttingen, Germany: Academic Press / Vandenhoeck Ruprecht. Schroer/Münger (eds.) Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS Founded by Othmar Keel Published on behalf of the BIBLE+ORIENT Foundation in cooperation with the Department of Biblical Studies, University of Fribourg Switzerland, the Institute of Egyptology, University of Basel, the Institute of Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology section, University of Berne, the Institut romand des sciences bibliques, University of Lausanne, the Institute of Religious Studies, University of Zurich and the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies by Susanne Bickel, Thomas C. Römer, Daniel Schwemer and Christoph Uehlinger Editors Silvia Schroer (*1958) is a professor for Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at the Faculty of Theology, University of Bern. Email: silvia. [email protected] Stefan Münger (*1967) is a lecturer at the Institute of Jewish Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Bern, and co-director of the Kinneret Regional Project. Email: [email protected] Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 282 Silvia Schroer / Stefan Münger (eds.) Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah Papers Presented at a Colloquium of the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies Held at the University of Bern, September 6, 2014 Academic Press Fribourg Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Bibliothek Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte Bibliografischebibliografische Daten Information sind im Internet der überDeutschen http://dnb.d-nb.de Bibliothek abrufbar. Die Deutsche Bibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. The series Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis publishes monographs, collective volumes and conference proceedings in all areas of ancient Near Eastern studies: biblical studies (Hebrew Bible and Septua- gint), egyptology, assyriology, archaeology, iconography, history of religions. The editors and the partner institutions ensure its multi- and interdisciplinary orientation and academic quality. The series enjoys worldwide distribution, subscription and readership. Publication inquiries may be addressed to one of the members of the editorial board. Manuscripts are examined by the board and may be submitted to further independent peer review. Electronic manuscript data are stored at the University of Zurich’s open access repository (www.zora. uzh.ch), from where they can be retrieved free of charge after a period of 24 months following print publication. Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Orientalische Altertumswissenschaft Société suisse pour l’étude du Proche-Orient ancien Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies PublicationPubliziert mit subsidized freundlicher by the Unterstützung Swiss Academy der ofSchweizerischen Humanities and AkademieSocial Sciences der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften InternetGesamtkatalog general catalogue: auf Internet: AcademicAcademic Press Press Fribourg: Fribourg: www.paulusedition.ch www.paulusedition.ch VandenhoeckVandenhoeck & &Ruprecht, Ruprecht, Göttingen: Göttingen: www.v-r.de www.v-r.de Camera-readyText und Abbildungen text submitted wurden by the vom volume Autor editors als formatierte PDF-Daten zur Verfügung gestellt. © 2017 by Academic Press Fribourg and © Vandenhoeck2014 by Academic & Ruprecht Press Göttingen Fribourg ISBN: Vandenhoeck 978-3-7278-1791-5 & Ruprecht (Academic Göttingen Press Fribourg) ISBN: 978-3-525-54409-9 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) ISSN:ISBN: 1015-1850 978-3-7278-1749-6 (Orb. biblicus (Academic orient.) Press Fribourg) ISBN: 978-3-525-54389-4 (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht) ISSN: 1015-1850 (Orb. biblicus orient.) Table of Contents Editors’ Preface .................................................................................................. 3 Yosef GARFINKEL Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah: Data and Interpretations ............................. 5 Aren M. MAEIR Khirbet Qeiyafa in its Regional Context: A View From Philistine Gath ........ 61 Thomas RÖMER Khirbet Qeiyafa – Some Thoughts of a Biblical Scholar. Response to Yosef Garfinkel and Aren Maeir ..................................................................... 73 Benjamin SASS The Khirbet Qeiyafa Ostracon in its Setting .................................................... 87 Stefan MÜNGER Khirbet Qeiyafa – A View from Tel Kinrot in the Eastern Lower Galilee ... 113 Silvia SCHROER The Iconography of the Shrine Models of Khirbet Qeiyafa .......................... 137 Ernst Axel KNAUF Afterthoughts on Qēyāfah .............................................................................. 159 Patrick WYSSMANN Khirbet Qeiyafa – A Bibliography ................................................................. 161 Editors’ Preface It is unusual that an archaeological site, which was previously practically un- known, electrified archaeologists of the Southern Levant and biblical scholars in such a short time and equally made headlines not only in scholarly literature, but also in newspapers throughout the world. The excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa at the entrance to the Elah Valley, carried out by the Hebrew Universi- ty of Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority and directed by Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor, caused sensation from the very beginning. Already in the second year of excavation an inscribed ostracon was found, which was widely and controversially discussed among scholars. Later, other spectacular finds followed, e.g., the two shrine models discovered at the very end of the 2011 season, which are analyzed in depth in this publication. The dating of the archaeological remains also created attention, for accord- ing to the excavators the settlement, which was enclosed by a wall with two gates, only existed for a relatively short time-span of 50 years during the 10th century BCE – the time of the early Judahite Monarchy. From the moment at which the excavations were associated with the name of David, the first great king of Judah and Israel, Khirbet Qeiyafa was on everyone’s lips. Immediately, vigorous debates erupted about the dating of the remains, the biblical identifi- cation of the site, and the ethnic allocation of the material culture. Meanwhile, buses soon brought archaeologically interested tourists to the small parking lot near the foot of the hill, since an excavation with such spec- tacular and coherent horizontal exposure of an ancient town is rare: walls, gate complexes, dozens of houses one beside the other next to the casemate wall, rooms with indications of cultic activity, plazas and even a small quarry could all be seen at this one site. The discussions about the finds and findings from Khirbet Qeiyafa among the scholarly community are at times quite heated, not just in Israel. When we invited the members of the Swiss Society for Ancient Near Eastern Studies (SGOA) to a conference on September 6, 2014 with the excavator Yosef Gar- finkel and other renowned presenters, it was our aim to facilitate scholarly discussion without undue excitement and at a level at which the main issues could be easily understood. Thanks to the informative and factual contribu- tions, we were able to achieve this aim. The conference participants were able to get a good overview of the significance of the site, the excavations, individ- ual finds and the archaeological and cultural-historical context. Encouraging feedback has led us to make the results of the conference available to the wider