King David -- was he actually a historical figure? Or merely a literary creation of biblical writers? The discovery in 1993 by archaeologists in northern Israel of the Tel Dan inscription referring to the “House of David” caused unprecedented excitement—and provided an answer to the question! The Israel Antiquities Authority says: "The fragmentary Tel Dan stone slab containing the inscription 'House of David' provided the first historical evidence of King David from the Bible.”" The Tel Dan stel