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Archaeologists at Israel's Bar-Ilan University announced on Monday the discovery of a massive gate and other fortifications in the ruins of Gath, the hometown of the Bible's Goliath. The ancient gate is one of the largest ever discovered in Israel and evidence of the Philistine city's power in the 10th and ninth centuries B.C.E, head archaeologist Professor Aren Maeir says. It even made a brief appearance in the Bible when David, Goliath's slayer and future king of Israel, "acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard."

(CNN) -- Archaeologists are reveling in the discovery of an ancient synagogue in northern Israel, a "monumental" structure with a mosaic floor depicting the biblical figure of Samson and a Hebrew inscription. The synagogue -- dating to the fourth and fifth centuries in both the Talmudic and late Roman periods -- is in Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in the country's Galilee region, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. Jodi Magness, a professor of early Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the building was found in a recent excavation. She...

'A tiny seal has been uncovered that could be the first archaeological evidence of Samson, the Biblical slayer of Philistines. Archaeologists discovered the ancient artifact while excavating the tell of Beit Shemesh in the Judaean Hills near Jerusalem, Israel. It appears to depict the Old Testament story of Samson, whose might was undone by his lust for the temptress Delilah, and his fight with a lion. The seal, which measures less than an inch in diameter, shows a large animal with a feline tail attacking a human figure. The seal was discovered at a level of excavation that dates it...

Eric Altschuler from the University of California at San Diego and his colleagues say that Samson showed signs of no fewer than six of the seven behaviours associated with antisocial personality disorder. Samson routinely got into fights, and once killed 1000 Philistines single-handedly and then gloated over it, showing no remorse. He also showed a reckless disregard for his own safety when he told Delilah, a woman who'd tried to kill him three times before, the secret of his strength. The researchers note that Samson also burned Philistine fields, which showed both his impulsivity and his inability to conform to...

The story of the Mighty Samson: "Self sacrifice" and giving your life away intentionally and taking as many enemy lives with you as possible for the sake of GOD Almighty and your people exists in the Bible. Let us look at the story of the Mighty Samson in the Bible: "Samson said to the servant who held his hand, "Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them." Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were...

Research into the dispersal of Philistine cooking methods among various populations in Israel shows that the Philistines spread their culture beyond the areas under their control... Unlike most of the peoples living in the region in the biblical era, the Philistines were not Semites... They prepared meals in a characteristic sealed pottery vessel suited to long cooking times at low heat, while most inhabitants of Canaan at the time used open pots and faster cooking methods. The bones found at the Philistine cities showed that... the Philistines ate mainly pork, with an occasional meal of dog meat. The Philistines' wine...

Philistines, but Less and Less Philistine Painted inscriptions on ceramic pieces unearthed at the ruins of a Philistine seaport are thought to represent a form of writing. By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD Published: March 13, 2007 Archaeologists have applied more polish to the long-tarnished reputation of the Philistines. Leon Levy Expedition Recent excavations have raised the estimation of Philistines. In recent years, excavations in Israel established that the Philistines had fine pottery, handsome architecture and cosmopolitan tastes. If anything, they were more refined than the shepherds and farmers in the nearby hills, the Israelites, who slandered them in biblical chapter and...

An ongoing archaeological excavation in Tel Tzafit continues to unearth the ruins of what was once the city of Gat – described in the Bible as the hometown of Goliath. Professor Aren Maeir, who is directing the dig, spoke to Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service to discuss the latest finds. Recent finds from the Tel Tzafit excavation are “fascinating,” Maeir said. The site, inhabited at times by Canaanites and at other times by Philistines, has remnants from many periods of history. “We are focusing on the Canaanite period, the Philistine period, and the Israelite period, and for now we're primarily...

Head of the archeological dig on Tel Tzafit Prof. Aren Maeir says the find indicates that the two peoples thought of as bitter enemies may have been closer than we think. A stone altar from the 9th century BCE was found in an archeological dig on Tel Tzafit, a site identified with the biblical Philistine city of Gat. The altar is reminiscent of Jewish altars from the same period and sheds light on the cultural links between the two peoples, who fought each other for centuries. The altar is approximately one meter tall, half a meter wide and half a...

The New America Foundation is getting heat from pro-Israel commentators over its upcoming event promoting a book that likens Israel to Nazi Germany. The prominent liberal think tank is hosting a Dec. 4 book discussion for Goliath, written by anti-Zionist activist Max Blumenthal. The book accuses Israel of fascism and includes chapter titles comparing the Jewish state to the Nazi regime, including “The Concentration Camp” and “The Night of Broken Glass.” The controversial tome has drawn criticism from progressives. … However, Goliath did however receive an enthusiastic endorsement from white supremacist David Duke’s website, which called it “extremely valuable” and...

FRiends, Simple question to resolve a debate I'm having with a family member. How did David kill Goliath? Was it with the stone from his sling or with the sword when he cut off his head?

Bar Ilan University archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of a Philistine temple in the ancient city of Gath, home of the Biblical Goliath, buried in one of the largest tels (ancient ruin mounds) in Israel. The temple and a number of ritual items dating back to the 10th century BCE were discovered at Tel Tsafit (Tell es-Safit/Gath) by Professor Aren Maeir of BIU's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology and his international team. The tel is located about halfway between Ashkelon and Jerusalem, near Kiryat Gat along the southern coastal plain. “Interestingly, the architectural design of...

That headline needed to be written. Somewhere, anywhere. And it needs to stand because it's true. Glenn Beck has been without a doubt the tip on the spear here. Sure, all of us helped. From further getting the word out to digging up small tidbits. Breitbart played a major part. But it was GB with his radio show and his TV show and the never ending drum beat who made all of this happen. Thank you Glenn. May your family be safe. You are such a huge target now that we all fear for yours and your family's lives.

Archaeologists are putting some flesh on the bones of the David and Goliath myth by shifting through layers of earth at the site in the Holy Land. While little physical evidence has ever been found to support the 3,000-year-old biblical story of David and Goliath, a team from Israel and Australia has been excavating 50 kilometres from Jerusalem in the city of Tell es-Safi, where Goliath was supposedly born. According to the bible, Goliath stood around three metres tall and lived in the 10th century BC in the ancient city of Gath, which is now modern day Tell es-Safi. It...

"The 'foot' structures that we found in the Jordan valley are the first sites that the People of Israel built upon entering Canaan and they testify to the biblical concept of ownership of the land with the foot," said archaeologist Prof. Adam Zertal of the University of Haifa, who headed the excavating team that exposed five compounds in the shape of an enormous "foot", that it were likely to have been used at that time to mark ownership of territory. On the eve of the Passover holiday, researchers from the University of Haifa reveal an exceptional and exciting archaeological discovery...

A recent archeological discovery of a large basalt stone at Tel-es-Safi in Judah, dating from the middle of the 9th century B.C., contains what appears to be an editorial from the Philistine Times. Known as the Moabite Stone II, it has been translated from the Phoenician by Avraham Klein and Nasim Shephelah. *** Today is a day of mourning. We lament the passing of our hero and champion, Goliath of the holy city of Gath, on the bloody field of Shocoth. He was a man worthy of a great people, admired for his valor, innocence, and willingness to die in...

GOLIATH 'Palestinian' TERROR Why 'Palestinian' terrorism is the Goliath We are used to hear the old repeated boring slogan which Arabists propagandists 'remind' us about Israel's defense machine, that they are the poor 'powerless' murderers. Well, let's see, What 'power' does a chopper or aircraft have, when his orders are strict to minimize his aim at terror leaders-mass-murderers only, that hide among human shields? What 'power' does a tank (that is mainly for a deterrent) have if the tank is ordered to target only machine guns? Remember also the very important fact that IDF announces a head of time when...

The Iraq inner facsistic massacres are not just "sectarian". Nor is Iran's playground: Lebanon a local "conflict". http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1222824,00.htmlTIME.com:How the Hizballah Factor Will Determine an Iraq Civil ... http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/03/sunni_vs_shiite.html Sunni VS Shiite, or rather, Iran VS Iraq? http://www.meib.org/articles/0404_iraq1.htm "Iran, Sadr, and the Shiite Uprising in Iraq" (April 2004) http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,124835,00.html Iran presses Shi'ites to step up Iraq attacks - Times | Top News http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-08-12T045657Z_01_N12291036_RTRUK OC_0_UK-IRAQ-IRAN.xml Iranian Intel Officers Captured in Iraq - US & World http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2310725 ABC News: US: Iraqi Shiites Get Help From Iran http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/11/business/iraq.php Iran stokes Iraq unrest, US says - Africa & Middle East ... http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/al-sadr.htm Iran's Al-Madi army

Wanted: small asteroid for use as slingshot to slay a Goliath Ian Sample, science correspondent Saturday July 15, 2006 The Guardian (UK) It worked for David as he squared up to Goliath, and now scientists hope a slingshot will help save the planet. Scientists at the French space agency, CNES, have calculated how to capture an asteroid and manoeuvre it into a near-Earth orbit, from where it can be flung into the path of a larger asteroid that threatens to collide with Earth. The plan joins a growing list of strategies put forward to protect our home planet should scientists...

Ha'aretz Israel is set to join the Red Cross after nearly six decadesHa'aretz, Israel - 2 hours agoIsrael is set to join the Red Cross movement after nearly six decades of exclusion, despite attempts by Muslim countries to derail a complex diplomatic ... Cross and crescent gone, 'red crystal' in OhmyNews InternationalAntigua represented at International Red Cross meeting AntiguaSun'Historic' Red Cross vote on MDA to be held Thursday Jerusalem Post Has there been one other nation on earth that was excluded in such a blatant hateful racist manner, under prresure by global Arab Muslim 'lobby' (there are hundrteds of different...