Archaeologists uncover Philistine temple in Goliath's hometown

Archaeologists in Israel have recently discovered a Philistine temple at the site where the giant warrior Goliath’s hometown would have been.

The temple ruins are located in the ancient city of Gath and date back to the 10th century BC, according to Aren Maeir, an archaeology professor at Bar Illan University.

The uncovered temple has a similar architectural image to the one described in the Bible story of Samson pulling down the Philistine temple of Dagon on himself.

“We’re not saying this is the same temple where the story of Samson occurred or that the story even did occur,” Maeir, who has directed excavation at the site for the past 13 years, told The Jerusalem Post last week.

“But this gives us a good idea of what image whoever wrote the story would have had of a Philistine temple.”

This is the first Philistine temple found at Gath.

In addition to the temple discovery, the team also found evidence of a major earthquake from the 8th century BC that could be the quakes mentioned in the books of Isaiah and Amos.

“If the seismologists are right, an 8 on the Richter scale would have levelled a major city,” said Maeir. “The intensity of the energy required to move the walls seem to have been from something very powerful.

“What we have here is very strong arch-evidence of a dramatic earthquake, a natural event that left a very significant impression on the biblical prophets of the time.”

Maeir and his international team uncovered the temple amid ruins on ancient mounts in Tel Tzafit National Park on the southern coastal plain.