A carved pillar found near Bethlehem is about 2,800 years old and could give us information regarding the kingdoms of David and Solomon, but digging in its vicinity might be impossible now, because of the politics of the region.
First, the five-ton stone lies on private Palestinian-owned property. The Palestinians who own the property could benefit from an archaeological dig in the area, because there is a spring there that could be opened, providing water for the residents. However, the discovery, and not only because of its location, is highly controversial considering the current political climate in Israel. Both Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews are keen on establishing an historical context for their presence in the land, and the inscriptions on the stone and other artifacts could do that.
Israeli tour guide Binyamin Tropper thought he had recently discovered the artifact, but when he reported it through his boss to the Israeli Antiquities Authority, he found out the IAA has known about it for decades, but never investigated its value.
The pillar’s design, “is consistent with the time period of the First Temple and would help provide concrete evidence of the Judean king’s [David’s] existence in Israel.” [1] The pillar marks the entrance to a water tunnel of the First Temple period.
Read more: Find from Era of King David May Confirm Old Testament Text