Discovered 1993–1994
Tel Dan Stele
Tel Dan, northern Israel
A fragmentary Aramaic victory inscription referring to the 'House of David'.
Why it matters
It is the earliest widely accepted extra-biblical reference to a Davidic dynasty.
Read it in Scripture
What is agreed
The reading 'House of David' is accepted by most epigraphers.
What is disputed
What the phrase implies about the scale of David's kingdom is debated.