Khirbet Qeiyafa
Archaeological site
Contents
9 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to Khirbet Qeiyafa. As you stand here at the edge of this rocky plateau, feel the dry breeze sweeping up from the valley below. …
Listen in the app2The Southern Gate and Drainage Systems
As we approach the southern perimeter of the ruins, you will notice a massive architectural break in the city wall. You are standing before the southern gate of Khirbet Qeiyafa. …
Listen in the app3The Judean Casemate Wall
Turning away from the southern gate, let us walk along the interior perimeter of the city fortifications. The wall stretching out before you is not a single, solid mass of stone. …
Listen in the app4The Square of the Hebrew Ostracon
We have now reached an excavation square near the edge of the domestic quarter that holds a very special place in the history of archaeology. It was right here, amidst these unremarkable looking stones, that one of the most…
Listen in the app5The Sixteen-Room House and the Temple Models
As we move further into the heart of the ancient city, we enter the foundations of a remarkably large and complex building. This structure is known to the excavators as the sixteen room house. …
Listen in the app6The Domestic Quarters and the Ancient Diet
Stepping out of the monumental sixteen room house, we now wander through the standard domestic quarters of Khirbet Qeiyafa. These smaller, clustered stone foundations represent the daily, ordinary lives of the soldiers, farmers,…
Listen in the app7The Acropolis and Hellenistic Fortress
We now face a short climb as we ascend to the acropolis, the absolute highest topological point of Khirbet Qeiyafa. As you catch your breath, look at the commanding, three hundred and sixty degree view this elevation provides. …
Listen in the app8The Western Gate and the Mystery of Sha'arayim
We now descend from the acropolis and make our way to the western edge of the city, where we encounter our final major architectural feature: the western gate. As you stand before it, notice that its design is almost identical to…
Listen in the app9Final Reflections Overlooking the Shephelah
As our journey through Khirbet Qeiyafa comes to an end, let us pause near the outer perimeter, taking one last look across the vast expanse of the Elah Valley. We have walked the complete circuit of a city that fundamentally…
Listen in the app
What is Khirbet Qeiyafa?
Khirbet Qeiyafa is a place with 9 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Type | Heritage |
|---|---|
| Story sections | 9 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 31.6963, 34.9575 |
| Last updated |