The entire Bible, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, is the written Word of God, fully true and completely without error. From King David to Jacob’s well, various historical accounts from the Bible have come to life through archaeological evidence that continues to be unearthed. The Tel Dan Stele, or stone slab, contains an inscription that most scholars agree to read, “House of David.” Discovered in Northern Israel in 1993, the slab was dated to the 8th or 9th century B.C., which is a little over one hundred years after the time King David of the Bible is said to have lived.

The slab is the first known historical relic to mention David. Additionally, according to the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology, “the text on the Tel Dan Stele records the deaths of kings Jehoram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah during their battle against the ninth-century [B.C.] Syrian King Hazael.” The story of the battle is told in the book of 2 Kings, chapter 9.

“Now Jehu drew his bow with full strength and shot Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow came out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.” 2 Kings 9:24

“But when Ahaziah, king of Judah, saw this, he fled by the road to Beth Haggan. So Jehu pursued him and said, ‘Shoot him also in the chariot.’ And they shot him at the Ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. Then he fled to Megiddo and died there. And his servants carried him in the chariot to Jerusalem and buried him in his tomb with his fathers in the City of David.” 2 Kings 9:27-28

The Merneptah Stele, a 10-foot-high monument discovered in Thebes, Egypt, in 1896, depicts various victories of the Egyptian Pharaoh Merneptah. The large stone is dated to approximately 1205 B.C. and mentions ancient Israel as a nation in one of the oldest known references to the region.

The Israelites resided in Canaan, or the Promised Land, around this time period, and the hieroglyphs depict a military battle in Canaan and state that “Israel is wasted, its seed is not.”

Not only is the stone one of the oldest known references to Israel, it’s a reference to the nation by the Egyptians, a group of people completely outside of Israeli tribes and beliefs. According to the Museum of the Bible, “despite its brevity, the reference affirms a group identified as Israel was significant enough to be included among Pharaoh Merneptah’s conquests.”

The location of Jacob’s Well, the place where Jesus met the Samaritan Woman, and she placed her faith in Him as her Lord, has been known for centuries. It’s in Nablus, a region of the West Bank of Palestine, and it’s widely agreed upon by scholars to be the place where the encounter occurred two millennia ago. Currently, it resides within a Greek Orthodox church known as The Church of Jacob’s Well. Other churches were previously built around the well, likely as a way of protecting the site and passing down what had occurred there from generation to generation.

These are only a few of the many archaeological finds that have added existential proof to the truthfulness and accuracy of the Bible. Its reliability as fact has been proven time and again. As Christians, archaeological finds are one of many silver linings to our faith.

We know that Jesus is truth itself and so, we shouldn’t be surprised when His word proves to be true. While these discoveries are wonderful confirmations of biblical accounts, our true faith lies in trusting in Jesus as our God and Savior and as the only One who will reconcile us to our Heavenly Father.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6

Source