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'''Shaaraim''' (or ''Sha'arayim'', Hebrew: '''שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם'''; meaning 'two gates')<ref>[http://biblehub.com/hebrew/8189.htm 8189. Shaarayim]</ref> is a biblical site mentioned three times in the [[Old Testament]], allotted to the tribe of [[Judah]]. Shaaraim has been identified by [[Yosef Garfinkel]] as the ancient site of [[Khirbet Qeiyafa]], located 30 kilometers southwest of [[Jerusalem]].

'''Shaaraim''' (or ''Sha'arayim'', Hebrew: '''שַׁעֲרַ֫יִם'''; meaning 'two gates')<ref>[http://biblehub.com/hebrew/8189.htm 8189. Shaarayim]</ref> is a biblical site mentioned three times in the [[Old Testament]], allotted to the tribe of [[Judah]]. Shaaraim has been identified by [[Yosef Garfinkel]] as the ancient site of [[Khirbet Qeiyafa]], located 30 kilometers southwest of [[Jerusalem]].

== Archaeology ==  

== Archaeology ==

[[Yosef Garfinkel]] has plausibly identified Shaaraim with the site of [[Khirbet Qeiyafa]], an ancient city that existed between 1020 - 980 BC, revealing its end coincides with the latter part of the reign of David. Khirbet Qeiyafa is the only site up until its time to have two gates, and ''Shaaraim'' means 'two gates', thus Yosef Garfinkel finds that the only contender for Shaaraim must be Khirbet Qeiyafa. Khirbet Qeiyafa is a "a key strategic location in the biblical Kingdom of Judah, on the main road from Philistia and the Coastal Plain to Jerusalem and Hebron in the hill country."<ref>[http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il/ Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project]</ref> Khirbet Qeiyafa was a heavily fortified site in its time, and has potentially ended the debate about the historicity of the kingdom of [[David]], revealing that David ruled over a large and powerful centralized administration in his time.

[[Yosef Garfinkel]] has plausibly identified Shaaraim with the site of [[Khirbet Qeiyafa]], an ancient city that existed between 1020 - 980 BC, revealing its end coincides with the latter part of the reign of David. Khirbet Qeiyafa is the only site up until its time to have two gates, and ''Shaaraim'' means 'two gates', thus Yosef Garfinkel finds that the only contender for Shaaraim must be Khirbet Qeiyafa. Khirbet Qeiyafa is a "a key strategic location in the biblical Kingdom of Judah, on the main road from Philistia and the Coastal Plain to Jerusalem and Hebron in the hill country."<ref>[http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il/ Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project]</ref> Khirbet Qeiyafa was a heavily fortified site in its time, and has potentially ended the debate about the historicity of the kingdom of [[David]], revealing that David ruled over a large and powerful centralized administration in his time.

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== External Links ==

== External links ==

*[http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il/ Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project]

*[http://qeiyafa.huji.ac.il/ Khirbet Qeiyafa Archaeological Project]