Goliath Gates of Gath Discovered

By: Richard Gray
From: Mail Online

It was the Biblical city where the giant Goliath lived and one of the most powerful in the Philistine empire before it was destroyed in the ninth century BC.

Archaeologists have now uncovered the remains of an enormous gate and fortified wall which are giving clues to just how formidable the city of Gath may have been.

The monumental gate is the largest to ever be found in Israel and much like its most famous inhabitant – Goliath – it would have intimidated any who approached it. The gate of Gath is referred to in the Hebrew Bible in the story of David’s escape from King Saul to Achish, the King of Gath.

THE BIBLE ON THE GATE OF GATH

The city of Gath was one of five Philistine city-states and according to the Bible was the home of King Ashish and the Philistine warrior Goliath, who was killed by David. It is thought to have been a powerful city during the time of Saul, David and Solomon around 3,000 years ago. However, it was likely destroyed following a siege by Hazael King of Aram Damascus around 830 BC.

There is just one reference to the gate of Gath in the book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. It depicts the story of David fleeing from King Saul, who has tried to have him killed. It reads:

David rose and fled that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath. The servants of Achish said to him, Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands? David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of King Achish of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them; he pretended to be mad when in their presence. He scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?

Professor Aren Maeir, an archaeologist from Bar-Ilan University in Israel who has been leading the excavation, said: ‘It appears we have located a monumental city gate of the lower city of Gath.

“We still have to do a lot of cleaning, defining, digging and measuring to do, but it appears that there are really good chances we have truly landed on quite an astounding find. Many lines of megalithic stone are appearing, with nice corners, features and even mud bricks. While we are quite far from fully understanding this architectural complex, it is getting more and more impressive. The more we look at the area – the larger these features appear to be.”

The remains of the city were discovered in the close to the village of Tell es-Safi in the Tel Zafit National Park, in the Judean foothills between Jerusalem and Ashkelon in Israel.

NOTE: What you may not know about the site of Jesus’ crucifixion is that records indicate David decapitated Goliath and buried his skull at the exact location of Christ on the cross. It is called “Golgatha” because the site represents “GOL-iath of GATH” or GOL-GATH-A. This is also a picture of Jesus crushing the head of the works of the enemy. The offspring of the fallen angels and Nephilim. Literally, Jesus may have been crucified above the spot of this skull!