Last year, the Jewish Museum in New York City welcomed a new director from the Israel Museum. This year, it has brought another treasure from Jerusalem: the Tel Dan Stele, the oldest archaeological evidence of King David’s existence.
On display at the Upper East Side museum until January 5, the Tel Dan Stele is a 9th-century BCE stone fragment inscribed in ancient Aramaic. Measuring just 12-by-13 inches, the basalt slab details the military victories of King Hazael of Aram - modern-day Syria - including one over a descendant of David, the famed king of ancient Israel.
Discovered in northern Israel in 1993, the Tel Dan Stele made headlines as the first evidence outside the Bible confirming King David’s historicity. “There is no archaeological evidence surviving from the First Temple,” said James Snyder, the museum's director, referencing the temple believed to have been built by King Solomon, David’s son. “What makes the Tel Dan Stele significant is its direct reference to the ‘House of David,’ a critical touchstone for biblical history and the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.”
The First Temple, constructed in the 10th century BCE, was destroyed during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. While no artifacts from the temple itself have survived, references like the Tel Dan Stele provide vital links to this ancient era.
“This small fragment,” Snyder added, “is not just an artifact; it’s a bridge to a pivotal moment in history, shedding light on the roots of three major world religions.”
* Arutz 7 contributed to this article.
