Biblical artifact described as ‘Israel’s most important archaeological find ever’ to go on display in US
An artifact considered one of the most important archaeological discoveries of all time will soon go on display in the US.
The Tel Dan Stele, a stone inscribed with ancient Hebrew text, is the earliest known archaeological evidence of the existence of King David, a king of ancient Israel.
The fragment of the monument will be loaned by the Israel Museum to the Herbert W. Armstrong College in Oklahoma from September 22 to November 25 as part of the exhibition ‘Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered’.
The Tel Dan Stele, discovered in 1993, will go on display at a university in Oklahoma starting this month
Exhibition curator Brad Macdonald said, “This is a tremendous honor for Oklahoma and the Armstrong Foundation.
‘This artifact offers an extraordinary glimpse into biblical history and may be the most important archaeological discovery ever made in Israel.
“This is only the second time the stele has been in America.”
The Tel Dan Stele was builtwas discovered in 1993 and carbon dating places its origins sometime in the late ninth century BC.
On the large rock are several lines of text describing the victory of an Aramaic king over a ‘king from the House of David’.
The scriptures confirm passages from the Hebrew Bible.
For centuries, scholars have dismissed King David as a mythological figure, or disputed the era in which he ruled the Israelites as described in the Bible.
“The discovery of the stele caused an earthquake in the archaeological community,” Macdonald said.
‘It put an end to the common view that King David was a fictional character and strengthened the credibility of the Bible as a valuable historical source.
“That’s just one reason why it’s one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever.”
Archaeologists believe the stone slab confirms the existence of King David, who is said to have been a shepherd boy who became the third and most important king of Israel around 1000 B.C.E. when he united all the tribes of Israel under a single monarch.
The large rock dates from the late ninth century BCE and contains several lines of text describing the victory of an Aramaean king over a ‘king from the House of David’
David is said to have been a shepherd boy who became the third and most important king of Israel around 1000 B.C.E., when he united all the tribes of Israel under one monarch.
The Bible also records that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a descendant of David’s son Nathan.
According to the books of Samuel in the Old Testament, David was the first king of a united Israel and the founder of a dynasty.
The most famous Bible story, however, is about David defeating the giant Goliath with only a stone and a sling.