Researchers are preparing to excavate Kiryat Ye’arim, an ancient biblical site believed to be where the Philistines kept the ark for a time after capturing it in battle (1 Sam. 5). Kiryat Ye’arim, translated Kiriath Jearim, is known in the Bible as a Judean town near Jerusalem during the time of Israel’s ancient judges, according to reports. The archaeological project in
Kiryat Ye’arim, led by Tel Aviv University and College de France, will last Aug. 7-Sept. 1, reports say. Israel Finkelstein, one of the project’s overseers, hopes the dig will unearth important information about the city’s ancient people. The site has been largely untouched before now, reports the Times of Israel. Some believe the site once contained an ancient pagan temple, the remains of which may still rest underground. READ MORE
