The Tel Dan Stele Names “House of David”
Discovered in 1993, this ninth-century BCE Aramean victory monument mentions the “House of David,” providing the first historical evidence of King David outside the Bible. This basalt fragment confirms David wasn’t mythical but founded a real dynasty. Prior to this discovery, skeptics claimed David was fictional. The stele shows Israel’s neighbors recognized David’s dynasty as historically significant nearly a century after his reign ended.
