Tel Dan Stele

"House of David"

The Tel Dan Stele is an Aramaic victory inscription discovered at Tel Dan in northern Israel. It was written by an Aramean king, usually connected to Hazael of Aram-Damascus or his dynasty, after victories over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The inscription is extremely important because it mentions the “House of David” — one of the earliest non-biblical references to the Davidic dynasty. It also shows that by the 9th century before the common count, Judah was recognized by neighboring kingdoms as a royal house connected to David, while Israel and Aram-Damascus were major regional powers fighting for control in the northern Levant.