'House of David' Tel Dan Stele at Armstrong Auditorium starting September 22
EDMOND, Okla., Sept. 3, 2024 -- The Armstrong International Cultural Foundation; the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology; The Israel Museum, Jerusalem; and the Israel Antiquities Authority announce that the world-famous Tel Dan Stele archaeological artifact will be displayed for public viewing from September 22 through November 25 at Armstrong Auditorium on the campus of Herbert W. Armstrong College in Edmond, Oklahoma.
"This artifact ... is possibly Israel's most important archaeological discovery ever."—Brad Macdonald, curator
This sensational 9th century BCE monument fragment is on loan from The Israel Museum and will be featured as part of the "Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered" exhibit. The exhibit is open through January 2025, and admission is free.
"This is a colossal honor for Oklahoma and the Armstrong Foundation," said exhibit curator Brad Macdonald. "This artifact provides an extraordinary snapshot into biblical history and is possibly Israel's most important archaeological discovery ever. This is only the second time the stele has been to America."
The Tel Dan Stele was the first archaeological confirmation of King David as a genuine historical figure. Discovered in 1993 by Avraham Biran while excavating Tel Dan in northern Israel, the basalt victory stele was erected by King Hazael of Syria after he defeated King Jehoram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah. The inscription is engraved with a reference to a "king of the House of David," a direct reference to Israel's greatest monarch and his royal dynasty, and a match with the Bible's historical record.
"The discovery of the stele caused an earthquake in the archaeological community," Macdonald said. "It vanquished the common belief that King David was a fictional character and bolstered the credibility of the Bible as a valuable historical source. This is just one reason that it is one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever found."
The stele will complement the "Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered" exhibit, which includes more than 50 artifacts from the United Monarchy period of the Kingdom of Israel, and has included the world premiere of the extraordinary Ophel Pithos Inscription, which has been linked to the biblical Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon, and the world premiere of the Ophel Electrum Basket Pendant, a Phoenician artifact that is likely the oldest piece of gold jewelry ever discovered in Jerusalem.
The exhibit is presented and funded by the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation in association with the Jerusalem-based Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology, The Israel Museum, the Israel Antiquities Authority and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
For more information, visit ArmstrongAuditorium.org/exhibit or call +1-405-285-1010.
Links:
The Israel Museum: https://www.imj.org.il/en/collections/371407-0
Armstrong Auditorium: https://www.ArmstrongAuditorium.org/exhibit
YouTube: @ArmstrongInstitute
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArmstrongInstituteofBiblicalArchaeology
X (Twitter): @ArmstrongIBA
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