Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah: Papers Presented at a Colloquium of the Swiss Society of Ancient Near Eastern Studies Held at the University of Bern [Hardcover]

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 and the Israel Antiquities Authority, have attracted considerable scholarly and media attention since the very first 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 wall and 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 of 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.Editors' Preface Yosef GARFINKEL, Khirbet Qeiyafa in the Shephelah: Data and Interpretations Aren M. MAEIR, Khirbet Qeiyafa in its Regional Context: A View From Philistine Gath Thomas ROMER, Khirbet Qeiyafa - Some Thoughts of a Biblical Scholar. Response to Yosef Garfinkel and Aren Maeir Benjamin SASS, The Khirbet Qeiyafa Ostracon in its Setting Stefan MUNGER, Khirbet Qeiyafa - A View from Tel Kinrot in the Eastern Lower Galilee .113 Silvia SCHROER, The Iconography of the Shrine Models of Khirbet Qeiyafa Ernst Axel KNAUF, Afterthoughts on Qeyafah Patrick WYSSMANN, Khirbet Qeiyafa - A BibliographyStefan Munger (*1967) is a research associate at the Institute of Jewish Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Bern, and co-director of the Kinneret Regional Project. Silvia Schroer (*1958) is professor for Old Testament and Neighbouring Cultures and presently the director of the Institute of Biblical Studies, Faculty of Theology, U