Prize Find: House of David Inscription To Be Featured in Future BAR Article
The discovery last August, at Tel Dan, Israel, of an inscription bearing the words “House of David” and “King of Israel” has unleashed a flood of inquiries to BAR. We are happy to announce that the excavator, archaeologist Avraham Biran, has agreed to write an article for BAR on the discovery (“‘David’ Found at Dan,” BAR 20:02). A recent note from Professor Biran outlines what BAR readers have to look forward to:
“The romance and wonder of archaeology is in the discovery of the unexpected. The massive remains of the fortifications of Laish recently uncovered at the northern part of Tel Dan are truly remarkable. We certainly did not expect to find remains of yet another gate. And now, crowning 27 years of excavations at Tel Dan, we have a ninth-century B.C.E. Aramaic inscription that mentions the Aramean god Hadad, a king of Israel and, for the first time outside the Bible, the House of David. In a future issue of BAR, the full details of this discovery and the historical events referred to in the inscription will be told. The article will also reveal the discovery of an additional Israelite sanctuary, this one at the foot of the mound, and the exceptional decorated capitals that must have adorned the main sanctuary near the spring.”