DID YOU KNOW?
The answer
Found at Tel Dan in 1993-94, the stone was set up by an Aramean king and refers to the 'House of David' — bytdwd in the Aramaic. Most scholars read it as attesting a 9th-century kingdom known by a dynastic name traced back to David. That's strong evidence for the dynasty's name. It doesn't independently confirm David's biography or the reach of his kingdom.
Why it’s interesting
Before it was found, some argued David was purely legendary; the inscription put his royal line into a neighbor's war monument. A minority still debates the reading, which is why scholarship weighs it rather than pronounces on it.
Scholarly consensus
You can know the Bible.
Not just the stories, but the history, authorship, and scholarship behind it.