Abstract
Seventeen samples of burnt olive pits discovered inside a jar in the destruction layer of the Iron Age city of Khirbet Qeiyafa were analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating. Of these, four were halved and sent to two different laboratories to minimize laboratory bias. The dating of these samples is ~1000 BC. Khirbet Qeiyafa is currently the earliest known example of a fortified city in the Kingdom of Judah and contributes direct evidence to the heated debate on the biblical narrative relating to King David. Was he the real historical ruler of an urbanized state-level society in the early 10th century BC or was this level of social development reached only at the end of the 8th century BC? We can conclude that there were indeed fortified centers in the Davidic kingdom from the studies presented. In addition, the dating of Khirbet Qeiyafa has far-reaching implications for the entire Levant. The discovery of Cypriot pottery at the site connects the 14C datings to Cyprus and the renewal of maritime trade between the island and the mainland in the Iron Age. A stone temple model from Khirbet Qeiyafa, decorated with triglyphs and a recessed doorframe, points to an early date for the development of this typical royal architecture of the Iron Age Levant.
Highlights
The biblical narrative about the kingdoms of Judah and Israel was considered a reliable historical account
Seventeen samples of burnt olive pits discovered inside a jar in the destruction layer of the Iron Age city of Khirbet Qeiyafa were analyzed by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating
Khirbet Qeiyafa is currently the earliest known example of a fortified city in the Kingdom of Judah and contributes direct evidence to the heated debate on the biblical narrative relating to King David
Summary
The biblical narrative about the kingdoms of Judah and Israel was considered a reliable historical account According to this narrative, the United Monarchy, a golden age ruled by Kings David and Solomon, was established about 1000 BC. To resolve the historical and chronological debate, several hundred samples of organic materials from Iron Age sites in the southern Levant have been radiocarbon dated over the past decade These samples were collected predominantly from excavations in progress, whose geographical distribution is limited mainly to the Kingdom of Israel, Philistia, and southern Jordan THE RADIOCARBON DATING PROJECTS In the first 14C dating project, which took place during the early seasons of excavation (2008–2010), olive pits from various contexts in the Iron Age city were processed at Oxford University. 17 samples were analyzed, 12 at Belfast (including two reruns labeled a and b) and 5 at Oxford (Table 1)
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