Untill 26 years ago, there has not been any proof of King David's existence. In 1993, a stele was found during excavations in Tel Dan where an unknown king boasts of his victories over the king of Israel and his ally, the king of the House of David.

The seal was discovered during excavations in 2009 led by late archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar (z"l), but only truly appreciated when Reut Ben Aryeh, archaeologist and epigraphist reviewed the seal in 2015 deciphering the ancient Hebrew script reading: “Belonging to Hezekiah [son of] Ahaz King of Judah" Photo copyright: Eilat Mazar Photographer: Ouria Tadmor

One of the oldest and smallest silver scrolls in archaeological history was discovered in Jerusalem, containing 2,800-year old proof that validated biblical scripture. During excavations in 1979 in the Hinnom Valley, Dr. Gabriel Barkai and his team found a hidden chamber within one of the tombs that was replete with treasure. Among the artifacts were two purplish-colored objects that resembled cigarette butts. After further analysis, the archaeologists realized that it was a tiny, rolled up silver scroll. The scrolls were sent to some of the most experienced restoration professionals of ancient artifacts in the world. However, none of the experts wanted to attempt to open the brittle, millennia-old scrolls. The scrolls made their way home – untouched, and their content remained a secret. In an act befitting the Israeli spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, technicians at the Israel Museum decided to attempt the procedure themselves. It took three intensive and challenging years of work for the scrolls to slowly share their content – an ancient Hebrew script etched into the silver. Extraordinarily, the tetragrammaton Name of God was also engraved on the scrolls. Once unrolled, the scroll measured 10cm long and 2.5cm wide, and was made of pure silver. Both scrolls contain the Priestly Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26 engraved on the silver in proto-Hebrew script. The Lord will bless you and protect you. The Lord will illuminate His face upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord will turn His face towards you and give you peace. The scrolls are the oldest known examples of a Biblical text on an archaeological artifact and precede the Dead Sea Scrolls by approximately 400 years. Read more here: click on the picture or HERE to read more (Photo: Tamar HaYardeni)

Only a few found during excavations. The Half Shekel is a Biblical command: "And thou shalt take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for your souls." (Ex 30:16).

Two small clay bullae (seal impressions) found in the course of Eilat Mazar’s City of David, Jerusalem, excavations are bringing Jeremiah, prophet of the last kings of Judah, back to life. The first of the clay bullae, was discovered in 2005 and bears the name “Yehuchal ben Shelemyahu”. The second was found in 2008 in the First Temple period strata underneath what has been identified as Nehemiah’s Northern Tower, just a few yards away from the first, and reads “Gedalyahu ben Pashur”. In the Book of Jeremiah (38:1-4), both men are mentioned as ministers to King Tzidkiyahu (Zedekiah), who reigned from 597-586 BCE. The two, along with another pair, demanded the death penalty for the prophet Jeremiah in response to his plea for the king to surrender the city to the oncoming hordes of the Babylonian conqueror Nebuchadnezzar. Watch video

The Proto-Aeolic capital was found by British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon in a landslide, while she was digging at the site in the 1960s. It was one of the prime sources of motivation for archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar to excavate the northernmost part of the City of David in search of the palace of King David. David had forged a strong alliance with Hiram the Phoenician, king of Tyre, who built him a new palace in Jerusalem. This capital was reminiscent of Phoenician style masonry of that time period (3000 B.C.E). “King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David, with cedar logs, carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a palace for David” (2 Samuel 5:11). In the massive stone structure that was indeed uncovered by Dr. Mazar, pieces of Lebanon cedar were also found among the excavations. Putting all the puzzle pieces together, it is widely accepted that this was one of the grandiose capitals that adorned the palace of King David.

In 2011, a small golden bell in the shape of a round ball was found during excavations of the rainwater drainage channel under the stepped road leading up to Temple Mount. It had a loop at the top, obviously to make it attachable to some piece of jewelry. Perhaps it was attached to the hem of the garment of a noble or important individual, as was customary at that time. Being that it was found very close to the foot of the Temple Mount on the road where the High Priest would have walked, especially during the water libation service of the Sukkot festival, archaeologists deduced that it might be one of the bells that adorned the hem of the garment of the High Priest himself. When Eli Shukrun, the overseeing archaeologist, shook the little ball, it rang like a bell. Research later revealed that it had a bell clapper inside. “You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. It shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling shall be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD, so that he will not die…”(Ex 28:33-35)

The Pool of Siloam, located in the southern portion of the City of David and within the area of the Jerusalem Walls National Park, is an archaeological and historical site of national and international significance. The Pool was first constructed some 2,700 years ago, as part of Jerusalem's water system in the 8th Century BCE, during the reign of King Hezekiah, as described in the Bible in the Book of Kings II, 20: 20: "Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the Pool, and the conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of Chronicles of the kings of Judah?" Read more HERE [Replica of the Siloam Inscription, the original of which was discovered in the City of David, near the Pool of Siloam. Credit:Ze'ev Radovan, City of David Archives.]