According to Richard E. Friedman, Jeroboam put one calf in Bethel and the other at Dan (south and north of the length of Israel) as a rival to the ark in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kings 12:25-33). He was saying that though in Jerusalem, God only dwells between the cherubim on the mercy seat, in Israel, God dwells from Dan to Bethel--his whole kingdom is sacred!
Tel Dan Stele. "House of David" in white. 白色的“大卫之家”。
The Tel Dan Inscription was found in 1993-1994 during excavations at the ancient city of Dan. It is considered to be the first reference to King David discovered outside the Bible. The House of David Inscription appears to be a fragment of a victory monument erected by a king of Damascus (Aram), during the 9th century BC, some 150 years after King David’s reign. The fragment specifically mentions victories over a “king of Israel” (probably Joram, cf. 2 Kings 8) and a king of the “House of David” (probably Ahaziah). The victory stele was probably removed, broken and re-used as part of a foundation when Israel regained control of the area. Tel Dan (House of David) Inscription currently resides in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
In June 1994 two new fragments were found which, when added to the original fragment discovered the year before, gave more information to help the excavators in interpretating the Stele. Note in the following the highlighting of the phrase "House of David":
- 1. [... ...] and cut [... ]
- 2. [...] my father went up [against him when] he fought at [...]
- 3. And my father lay down, he went to his [ancestors] (viz. became sick
- and died). And the king of I[s-]
- 4. rael entered previously in my father's land. [And] Hadad made me king.
- And Hadad went in front of me, [and] I departed from [the]seven [...-]
- 6. s of my kingdom, and I slew [seve]nty kin[gs], who harnessed thou[sand
- of cha-]
- 7. riots and two thousand horsemen (or: horses). [I killed Jeho]ram son of
- [Ahab]
- 8. king of Israel, and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin-]
- 9. g of the House of David. And I set [their towns in ruins and turned]
- 10. their land into [desolation... ]
- 11. other [ ... and Jehu ru-]
- 12. led over Is[rael ... and I laid]
- 13. siege upon [... ]
根据理查德·弗里德曼（Richard E. Friedman）的说法，耶罗波安将一只小牛像放在伯特利，另一只小牛像放在但（耶路撒冷的南和北）与耶路撒冷的约柜相对（参见列王记下12：25-33）。 他说的是，尽管在耶路撒冷，上帝只住在两基路伯中间的施恩座上，在以色列，上帝却从丹直到到伯特利-他的整个王国都是神圣的！
Tel Dan铭文是在1993年至1994年发掘于Dan的古城时发现的。 它被认为是在圣经之外首次发现提及大卫王的记载。 大卫之家铭文似乎是大马士革国王（亚兰）在公元前9世纪（即大卫国王统治后约150年）竖起的胜利纪念碑的片段。 该片段专门提到了“以色列之王”（可能是约兰，王下8章）和“大卫之家”的国王（可能是亚哈谢）的胜利。 当以色列重新控制该地区时，胜利的石碑很可能被拆除，破坏并重新用作基石的一部分。 Tel Dan（大卫之家）题词目前安放在耶路撒冷以色列博物馆。
1994年6月，发现了两个新的碎片，当添加到前一年发现的原始碎片中时，提供了更多信息，帮助挖掘和解释石碑的内容。
