{
  "id": "dict_005586",
  "term": "Tel Dan",
  "slug": "tel-dan",
  "letter": "T",
  "entry_type": "archaeological_site",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "An archaeological site in northern Israel commonly identified with ancient Dan, a significant biblical city on Israel’s far northern edge.",
  "simple_one_line": "Tel Dan is the archaeological mound identified with biblical Dan.",
  "tooltip_text": "Archaeological site in northern Israel identified with ancient Dan.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Dan",
    "Tribe of Dan",
    "Northern Kingdom of Israel",
    "Jeroboam I",
    "Bible geography"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "ancient Near Eastern archaeology",
    "biblical archaeology",
    "Dan (city)",
    "from Dan to Beersheba"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Tel Dan is the archaeological site generally identified with ancient Dan, one of the best-known northern cities in biblical Israel.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A site of biblical and archaeological importance in northern Israel, associated with the city of Dan.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Commonly identified with ancient Dan",
    "important for biblical geography",
    "associated with Israel’s northern boundary and later idolatrous worship."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Tel Dan is the archaeological mound commonly identified with ancient Dan in northern Israel. It is important for biblical geography, Iron Age history, and the study of Israel’s northern frontier, but it is a place-name rather than a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Tel Dan refers to the archaeological site commonly identified with ancient Dan, a city located at the northern edge of Israel. In the Old Testament, Dan appears in contexts involving tribal allotment, geographic boundary language, and later northern-kingdom worship centered at Dan. The site is valuable for understanding biblical geography and historical setting, but it should be classified as an archaeological and place-name entry rather than a theological term.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Dan is associated with the tribe of Dan, the city’s location in Israel’s northern territory, and the later statement ‘from Dan to Beersheba,’ which describes the length of the land. The city also became associated with idolatrous worship in the divided kingdom.",
  "background_historical_context": "Tel Dan is a mound in northern Israel identified by most scholars with ancient Dan. Its remains help illuminate settlement history, Israelite frontier geography, and the material culture of the northern kingdom.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Ancient Jewish readers knew Dan as a boundary city at Israel’s northern edge. The site’s later history also reflects the religious decline of the northern kingdom, especially in connection with unauthorized worship.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Josh. 19:47",
    "Judg. 18",
    "1 Kgs. 12:29"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Judg. 20:1",
    "1 Sam. 3:20"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Dan is the Hebrew name of the city and tribe, commonly associated with the idea of ‘judge.’ ‘Tel’ refers to an archaeological mound or ruin.",
  "theological_significance": "Tel Dan is not itself a doctrine, but it matters for biblical reliability and geography because it anchors the biblical narrative in a real, identifiable place.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The site illustrates the relation between text, history, and material evidence: archaeology can illuminate Scripture’s setting, but Scripture remains the final authority for faith and doctrine.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not confuse archaeological identification with inspired revelation. The site is commonly identified with ancient Dan, but archaeological conclusions should be handled carefully and kept subordinate to the biblical text.",
  "major_views_note": "The identification of Tel Dan with biblical Dan is widely accepted, though archaeological details and site interpretations may vary among scholars.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "This entry concerns biblical geography and archaeology, not a doctrinal claim. It should not be used to build theology beyond what Scripture clearly teaches.",
  "practical_significance": "Tel Dan helps Bible readers picture Israel’s northern border, understand several Old Testament narratives, and appreciate the historical setting of the text.",
  "meta_description": "Tel Dan is the archaeological site commonly identified with ancient Dan in northern Israel, important for biblical geography and history.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/tel-dan/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/tel-dan.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}