Fortified Site and Ostracon

Khirbet Qeiyafa is a fortified hilltop site in the Judean Shephelah dated to the late 11th–10th centuries BCE; its fortifications, casemate walls, and public architecture have made it central to debates about early Judahite urbanism and the archaeological footprint of state formation.

The Ostracon and Questions of Literacy

An ostracon bearing a short inscription in an early alphabetic script has been interpreted by some as evidence for literacy and administrative practice at the site; interpretations vary and scholars caution against overreliance on a single inscription.

Why Qeiyafa Matters for United Monarchy Debates

Qeiyafa’s combination of fortification, public buildings, and early inscription makes it a test case for competing chronologies and models of state formation in the early Iron Age.

Sources

Garfinkel; Garfinkel & Ganor reports

Khirbet Qeiyafa publications (Garfinkel et al.)

Other Information About Khirbet Qeiyafa

Garfinkel Y.; Finkelstein I.; Silberman N. A. (2006). David and Solomon.