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===Historicity of David===

===Historicity of David===

The historicity of King David was confirmed in 1993 during excavations at Tel Dan in northern Israel lead by [[Avraham Biran]]. In these excavations, an Aramaic inscription was found now known as the [[Tel Dan Inscription]], a 9th century BC inscription containing thirteen lines of text that mentions the 'House of David' (bytdwd).<ref>Biran, Avraham, and Joseph Naveh. "An aramaic stele fragment from Tel Dan." Israel Exploration Journal (1993): 81-98.</ref><ref>Biran, Avraham, and Joseph Naveh. "The Tel Dan inscription: a new fragment." Israel Exploration Journal (1995): 1-18.</ref> Preceding this discovery, the historicity of David was doubted by critics of the historicity of the Bible, however this discovery ended virtually all discussion on the historicity of King David, and is one of the greatest archaeological finds in recent times. One year later, Andre Lemaire published a paper where he found that the name of David also appears in the Mesha Inscription,<ref>Lemaire, André. "House of David; Restored in Moabite inscription." The Biblical archaeology review 20.3 (1994): 30-37.</ref> which dates to about c. 940 BC.

 

Between 1966-1998, [[Avraham Biran]] lead excavations at a site known as Tel Dan, located in northern Israel. In 1993, an ancient Aramaic inscription dating to the 9th century BC was found containing thirteen lines of text that mention the 'House of David' (bytdwd).<ref>Biran, Avraham, and Joseph Naveh. "An aramaic stele fragment from Tel Dan." Israel Exploration Journal (1993): 81-98.</ref><ref>Biran, Avraham, and Joseph Naveh. "The Tel Dan inscription: a new fragment." Israel Exploration Journal (1995): 1-18.</ref> Preceding this discovery, the historicity of David was doubted by critics of the historicity of the Bible, however this discovery ended virtually all discussion on the historicity of King David, and is one of the greatest archaeological finds in recent times. One year later, André Lemaire published a paper where he found that the name of David also appears in the Mesha Inscription,<ref>Lemaire, André. "House of David; Restored in Moabite inscription." The Biblical archaeology review 20.3 (1994): 30-37.</ref> which dates to about c. 840 BC.

The preserved text of the Tel Dan Inscription reads as follows;

The preserved text of the Tel Dan Inscription reads as follows;

1. [...] and cut [...]

*1. [...] and cut [...]

2. [...] my father went up [against him when] he fought at [...]

*2. [...] my father went up [against him when] he fought at [...]

3. And my father lay down, he went to his [ancestors] and the king of I[s-]

*3. And my father lay down, he went to his [ancestors] and the king of I[s-]

4. rael entered previously in my father’s land. [And] Hadad made me king.

*4. rael entered previously in my father’s land. [And] Hadad made me king.

5. And Hadad went in front of me, [and] I departed from [the] seven [...-]

*5. And Hadad went in front of me, [and] I departed from [the] seven [...-]

6. s of my kingdom, and I slew [seve]nty kin[gs], who harnessed thou[sands of cha-]

*6. s of my kingdom, and I slew [seve]nty kin[gs], who harnessed thou[sands of cha-]

7. riots and thousands of horsemen. [I killed Jo]ram son of [Ahab]

*7. riots and thousands of horsemen. [I killed Jo]ram son of [Ahab]

8. king of Israel, and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin-]

*8. king of Israel, and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin-]

9. g of the '''House of David'''. And I set [their towns into ruins and turned]

*9. g of the '''House of David'''. And I set [their towns into ruins and turned]

10. their land into [desolation ...]

*10. their land into [desolation ...]

11. other [... and Jehu ru-]

*11. other [... and Jehu ru-]

12. led over Is[rael ... and I laid]

*12. led over Is[rael ... and I laid]

13. siege upon [...]

*13. siege upon [...]

The inscription refers to the 'house of David', meaning the dynasty of David. The author of the inscription is supposedly Hazael.

The inscription refers to David and his dynasty ('house of' David). The author of the inscription is supposedly Hazael. Shortly after this inscription was found, a large number of publications appeared on the inscription, and it was soon recognized that the inscription did in fact mention David and confirm his existence, which is now the consensus of scholars.

== References ==

== References ==