Researchers say ancient Philistine town located in Israel

Researchers in Israel said Monday they believe they have pinpointed the site of an ancient Philistine town mentioned in the biblical tale of David seeking refuge from the Israelite king Saul. Ziklag was a town under the rule of a Philistine king in nearby Gath after the ancient “sea peoples” began arriving in the region in the 12th century BC, the researchers say. A biblical tale says the town became the unlikely seat of David before his anointment as king in Hebron following Saul’s death. “It is not 100 percent sure, but I think it’s 90 percent that this was biblical Ziklag,” said Yosef Garfinkel, head of the institute of archaeology at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. The excavation began in 2015 and the researchers plan to continue with further digs. “I hope it will be enough to clarify all the important aspects of the site,” Garfinkel said at the site on a hilltop near the city of Qiryat Gat in central Israel.