Beles

Beles, also known as Ziklag, was a significant fortified city in ancient Canaan. It is generally located near the modern-day town of Tell es-Safi, Israel. The site was occupied by the Philistines, a non-Semitic ethnic group that inhabited the coastal region of Canaan during the Iron Age. Beles was an important Philistine city, likely ranking among the five major cities of the Philistine pentapolis.

Excavations at the site have uncovered the remains of a heavily fortified city, which date back to the early 12th century BCE. The walls were constructed using local limestone and have been dated to the Middle Bronze I period, around 1800-1600 BCE. Within the city, archaeologists have discovered a number of buildings, including a grand temple dedicated to the Philistine deity, Baal Zephon, as well as a number of private homes and a large public square.

Beles appears in several biblical accounts, including the story of the Amalekites' attack on the Israelites, a battle where David, the future king of Israel, and his men take shelter in the nearby caves of En Gedi. Although Beles may seem to be mentioned in 1 Samuel 27 as the place where David went to live with the Philistines, this may be an inaccuracy in the translation, and most scholars place any mention of David in Philistine territory at another site.

Today, Tell es-Safi is a village in the Hebron Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority, and the ancient site of Beles remains largely unexplored. Researchers continue to study the archaeological findings from Beles in light of the Philistines' unique cultural and historical legacy, providing valuable insights into the complex record of the ancient Near East.