Ziklag
Ziklag is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Negev in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tell esh Sharia. It appears across 13 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Ziklag holds a prominent place in the narratives of David's rise to power. First listed among the cities of Judah in Joshua 15:31 and among those of Simeon in Joshua 19:5, it later became the refuge city given to David by Achish king of Gath when David was a fugitive from Saul (1 Samuel 27:6). David and his six hundred men settled there for over a year, raiding neighboring enemies of Israel while maintaining political cover with the Philistines. The city suffered a devastating Amalekite raid during David's absence, with all women and children taken captive (1 Samuel 30:1-6). David's decisive recovery campaign and victory over the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:17-20) demonstrated his leadership and foreshadowed his coming kingship. It was at Ziklag that David received news of Saul's death and mourned publicly over Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:1-12). The city is again mentioned in Nehemiah 11:28 among towns resettled after the Babylonian exile, showing its continued significance in Judah's geography through the post-exilic period.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Ziklag is most commonly identified with Tell esh-Sharia (Tel Sera), a prominent mound in the northern Negev excavated by Eliezer Oren of Ben-Gurion University between 1972 and 1986. The excavations revealed substantial occupation layers from the Late Bronze Age through the Iron Age, including an Egyptian administrative building from the 12th century BC and Iron Age Israelite strata consistent with the period of David. Some scholars have proposed Tel Haror as an alternative identification. The presence of Philistine pottery and Iron Age I remains at Tell esh-Sharia aligns with the biblical account of David residing in a Philistine-controlled city in the Negev borderlands.
Verse Appearances (13)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →