One of the most famous persons in biblical history is the warrior, shepherd, and musician King David. He’s mentioned all throughout the Bible and is always treated as a historical person—he’s even a physical ancestor of our Lord Jesus. And yet, for years, a group of scholars called “minimalists” (they believe only a minimal amount of the Bible’s history is true) doubted that King David ever really existed. But, of course, they were wrong because the Bible’s history is true—and there’s even evidence outside the Bible that, yes, David really did live!
In 1868 researchers excavated a large stone slab, dated to about 2,900 years ago (9th century BC), called the Mesha Stele (or the Moabite Stone). A year later it was damaged, making part of it unreadable. But before the damage was done, a paper-mache impression (called a “page squeeze”) was completed, giving us an impression of the original words.
This stele is significant in that it references the personal name of the God of the Bible (Yahweh) and describes Moab’s subjection under Omri, one of the kings of Israel. But, even more excitingly, it’s been long thought that this slab also contains an extrabiblical reference to the “House of David,” though, due to an unreadable letter, this interpretation has always been debated.
Well, digital photographs of both the stele and the paper squeeze have been taken using new technology that creates a precise 3-D rendering, allowing researchers to see hidden or very faint inscriptions. These new photos allowed the researchers to decipher three new letters and, according to the study authors, they can now confirm that, yes, the stele does read “House of David.”
We’re not surprised that archaeology once again confirms the Bible’s history! The Bible is true from the very first verse, and archaeology, science, and historical research, properly interpreted, will always confirm what we already know based on God’s infallible Word.
