Recently, scholars announced another breakthrough discovery relating to Israel’s King David. The Mesha Stele, a nearly 3,000-year-old Moabite artifact, has long divided historians, particularly a section that some claim refers to Moab’s victory over “the House of David” and others think references the Moabite King Balak.  

Recently, however, researchers André Lemaire and Jean-Philippe Delorme examined composite images of both the stele and a paper “mask” once used to preserve it. Three deeply faded letters, they argue in a recent paper, conclusively make the case for “House of David.”  

Much like other discoveries, such as the Tel Dan Inscription, the John Rylands Papyrus, and the discovery of the Pool of Siloam, archaeology continues to point to one of the Bible’s distinctives. It’s not merely a religious book. It’s an account of human history, with an amazing amount of detail. It’s not just “true for you but not for me.” In fact, the more we dig, the more we learn that it matches reality.

This Point was originally published on January 26, 2023.