Of all the kings mentioned in the Bible, Israel’s second king – David - is arguably the most highly regarded. His exploits were astounding: killing a very large man who threatened his nation; escaping time and again from a jealous ruler; greatly expanding the borders of his land; etc. Unsurprisingly, biblical skeptics have, for many years, insisted that this biblical king was simply invented by those who wrote and edited the Bible. However, in the past few decades, archaeological excavations have revealed inscriptions bearing David’s name, thereby forcing skeptics to rethink their position. And the most recent news on David is that some archaeologists have gone beyond discovering inscriptions; they believe they have actually found his palace. The news magazine, Christianity Today, reports that,
According to the Israel Antiquities Authorities (IAA), which led the excavation along with professors from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the archaeologists have identified one of the buildings as David’s palace and the other as one of his royal storerooms. More importantly, they say the newly discovered buildings now are the best evidence of the existence of Judah in the 10th century B.C.
As with all scholarly research, the conclusion of the archaeologists is subject to change and revision as further work is done. However, the discovery of the site does potentially offer another interesting piece of evidence supporting the integrity of the Bible.
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Reference
Melissa Steffan, “Has Biblical Archaeology’s ‘Gold Rush’ Found King David’s Palace?,” Christianity Today, July 23, 2013, https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2013/july/new-archaeological-discovery-of-king-davids-palace-may-be-s.html.
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