David Has Been Found
| by | Garry K. Brantley, M.A., M.Div. |
Last summer, archaeologists excavating at Tel Dan (biblical Dan) found a fragment of a stela (inscribed stone) in the remains of a city wall that scholars acclaim as “one of the most important discoveries in the annals of Biblical archaeology” (Wood, 1993, 6[4]:121). The stone fragment seems to have been from a victory stela erected at Dan by a conquering Aramean (Syrian) army. When the Israelites eventually reclaimed the city, they destroyed the stela and used its fragments in various structures (Shanks, 1994, 20[2]:39). Professor Avraham Biran, the archaeologist heading the excavation, has dated the stela to the first half of the ninth century B.C. (Shanks, 1994, 20[2]:38).
Though
only thirteen partial lines remain of this once-impressive monument,
they contain an unparalleled literary jewel. Lines 8 and 9 explicitly
mention the “king of Israel” and the “House of David,” which the
conquering army defeated [The drawing on the left depicts the lower
portion of the basalt stela from Tel Dan. The engraved inscription is
written in paleo-Hebrew. The two highlighted areas are translated “king
of Isreal” and “House of David,” respectively.] These statements are
important for several reasons. First, this is the only extant,
extrabiblical document that unquestionably mentions the name David
(perhaps it also appears in the Mesha stela, better known as the Moabite
stone; see Lemaire, 1994). Even more remarkable is the fact that his
name appears in the familiar phrase “House of David.” Given the date of
the stela, this serves to confirm the biblical usage of this designation
(cf. 1 Kings 12:19, 14:8, Isaiah 7:2, et al.).
Second, though critical scholars have tended to minimize the importance
of Israel and Judah during this historical period, the inscription
supports the significance that the Bible attaches to these two kingdoms.
Third, the tentative date of this discovery corresponds historically
with 1 Kings 15:9-20 in which Ben-Hadad, King of Syria (Aram), attacked
several Israelite cities including Dan. Some scholars argue that the
stela is an exact parallel to this sacred account.
However, there seem to be some differences between the details of 1
Kings 15:9-20 and the ancient stela fragment. Most conspicuously, the
stela suggests (if accurately translated) that the Syrian army destroyed
both Israel and Judah, but the biblical text indicates that Syria and
Judah were allies against Israel. These discrepancies do not
necessarily mean that either account is inaccurate. It may be that the
stela refers to another battle not mentioned in the Bible, and it is
very likely that there were several skirmishes involving Syria. But the
stela does demonstrate that Syria (Aram) had military conflicts with
Israel, lending corroborative testimony to the historical reliability of
the biblical text.
No doubt, analysis of and debate over the stela will continue for some
time. We can be certain, however, that the name “David” has been found
in a ninth-century B.C. text other than the Bible. That incontrovertible fact is yet another ancient witness to biblical credibility.
REFERENCES
Shanks, Hershel (1994a), “ ‘David’ Found at Dan,” Biblical Archaeology Review, 20[2]:26-39, March/April.
Shanks, Hershel (1994b), “New Inscription May Illuminate Biblical Events,” Biblical Archaeology Review, 20[2]:38, March/April.
Wood, Bryant (1993), “New Inscription Mentions House of David,” Bible and Spade, 6[4]:119-121, Autumn.