Tel Dan Stele — "House of David"

Fragments of a basalt stele were uncovered at Tel Dan by Avraham Biran. The inscription, set up by an Aramean king (likely Hazael of Damascus), boasts of victories over the kings of Israel and the "House of David." It dates to the 9th century BC — within roughly a century of David's reign.

Before this stele surfaced, a number of scholars argued David had never really existed. The Tel Dan Stele is direct, datable, contemporary-with-the-monarchy evidence that David was a genuine king, and that his dynasty was recognized by name by Israel's neighbors.

• 2 Samuel 7:12-16
• 1 Kings 11:38
• Luke 1:32-33

• ·Biran, A. & Naveh, J. (1993). An Aramaic Stele Fragment from Tel Dan. IEJ 43
• ·Biran & Naveh (1995). The Tel Dan Inscription: A New Fragment. IEJ 45
• ·BAR: Tel Dan Inscription — first historical evidence of King David
• ·Tel Dan Stele (Wikipedia)