Mass Children’s Grave Discovered at Tel Azekah
April 13, 2026

Archaeologists uncovered a burial site containing the remains of numerous children at Tel Azekah, a strategic site mentioned in 1 Samuel 17 (the David and Goliath narrative).

From Associates for Biblical Research
“Archaeologists from Tel Azekah recently published an article in Palestine Exploration Quarterly in which they report the discovery of a mass grave of children that dates to the Persian era. The skeletal remains of between 68 and 89 children were discovered in a cistern that was dated to the fifth century BC based on the pottery and other small finds recovered nearby.”

Azekah was a fortified city in the Kingdom of Judah, and findings here help reconstruct life in the era of Saul and David.

The discovery may shed light on ancient warfare, disease, or ritual practices in Judah’s Shephelah region.