Ziklag: A town in the Negeb, or south country of Judah (Joshua 15:31) in the
possession of the Philistines when David fled to Gath from Ziph with
all his followers. Achish, the king, assigned him Ziklag as his place
of residence. There he dwelt for over a year and four months. From
this time it pertained to the kings of Judah (1 Samuel 27:6) During his
absence with his army to join the Philistine expedition against the
Israelites (1 Samuel 29:11) it was destroyed by the Amalekites
(1 Samuel 30:1,2) whom David, however, pursued and utterly routed,
returning all the captives (1 Samuel 30:26-31) Two days after his return
from this expedition, David received tidings of the disastrous battle
of Gilboa and of the death of Saul (2 Samuel 1:1-16) He now left Ziklag
and returned to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail,
and his band of 600 men. It has been identified with 'Asluj, a heap of
ruins south of Beersheba. Conder, however, identifies it with Khirbet
Zuheilikah, ruins found on three hills half a mile apart, some
seventeen miles north-west of Beersheba, on the confines of Philistia,
Judah, and Amalek.
