TB-000001-A1B2C3

● Active Tier 1: Empirical Fact
Created: Jan 31, 2026 7:43 PM
Creation Method: 👥 Human Verified
92%
Probability Score
The Claim

Hebrew inscriptions dated approximately 9th-8th century BCE were discovered at Tel Dan archaeological site in northern Israel in 1993-1994.

#ancient_history #archaeology #hebrew #tel_dan
Probability Breakdown
Why 92% and not 100%?
Missing Palestinian institutional verification (-3%), Interpretation debate over "bytdwd" reading (-3%), Archaeological dating margin of error (-2%)
Supporting Factors
  • Independent verification by international scholars +35

    Excavated by team led by Avraham Biran (Hebrew Union College), verified by multiple international archaeologists including non-Israeli scholars.

  • Peer-reviewed publication +25

    Published in Biblical Archaeology Review (1994), Israel Exploration Journal (1994), and multiple academic journals.

Reducing Factors
  • Contested interpretation of "bytdwd" -5

    Some scholars (minimalist school) question whether "bytdwd" definitively means "House of David" vs. alternative readings.

Source Documentation
Citation Type Quality Independent
Biran, A. & Naveh, J. (1993). "An Aramaic Stele Fragment from Tel Dan." Israel Exploration Journal 43: 81-98.
Hebrew Union College 		Peer Reviewed
95
Schniedewind, W.M. (1996). "Tel Dan Stela: New Light on Aramaic and Jehu's Revolt." Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 302: 75-90.
UCLA 		Peer Reviewed
93
Objections & Disputes
Active Disputes (1)
Raised by: Minimalist school archaeologists (Davies, Thompson, et al.)
Claim: The text fragment "bytdwd" could mean "house of the beloved" or be a place name rather than "House of David"
Counter-evidence: Majority of paleographers interpret it as "House of David" based on parallel constructions in other ancient Near Eastern texts.
Impact on probability: -3%
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Times Cited

Version History

Current Version: v1.0

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