Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment
A piece of Pharaoh Shishak's monument found in the city his list names
Found 1926 — Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago expedition under Clarence S. Fisher (found in the 1925–26 season)
Where Tel Megiddo, Jezreel Valley (Israel)
Dates from c. 925 BCE · Iron Age IIA · Reign of Rechavam (Rehoboam) and Yarovam (Jeroboam I)
Now at Israel Museum, Jerusalem (formerly displayed at the Rockefeller Museum)
Names a biblical person Shishak (Shoshenq I) (cartouche of Shoshenq I)
How Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment was found
Found out of context in a dump of earlier excavation debris on the mound, so its original stratum is unknown. The cartouches of Shoshenq I were identified on it.
What it is
A limestone block about 50 cm thick bearing part of an Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription with the cartouches of Shoshenq I and the phrase 'beloved of Amun'. It was long reconstructed as a piece of a victory stele some 3 m tall; a 2023 restudy suggests it may have been an inscribed architectural element instead.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the only Egyptian royal monument of Shoshenq (Shishak) ever found in Israel, and it comes from Megiddo, a city named on his Karnak list. It confirms that his army really reached the north and left a mark there. Because it was found in a dump, it cannot tell us which destruction layer at Megiddo belongs to his campaign, and that question is tied to the whole low-versus-high chronology debate about Solomon's Megiddo.
The Hebrew word: Meh-gee-DOH
מְגִדּוֹ
מְגִדּוֹ is pronounced Meh-gee-DOH and means Megiddo — fortress city guarding the Jezreel Valley (Strong's H4023).
People this discovery connects to
- Shishak (Shoshenq I) — שִׁישַׁק (Shee-SHAHK) — Egyptian royal name
- Jeroboam — יָרָבְעָם (Yah-rov-AHM) — the people contend
Places
- Megiddo — מְגִדּוֹ (Meh-gee-DOH) — place of troops
Events
Shishak's campaign through Israel
Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment in Scripture
1 Kings 9:15 Megiddo was one of Solomon's fortified cities a generation before Shishak arrived.
1 Kings 11:40 First mention of Shishak in Scripture.
1 Kings 14:25 Shishak's invasion; the fragment is physical proof his forces reached Megiddo.
Questions people ask
What is Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment?
A limestone block about 50 cm thick bearing part of an Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription with the cartouches of Shoshenq I and the phrase 'beloved of Amun'. It was long reconstructed as a piece of a victory stele some 3 m tall; a 2023 restudy suggests it may have been an inscribed architectural element instead.
When was Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment discovered?
It was found in 1926 by Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago expedition under Clarence S. Fisher (found in the 1925–26 season), at Tel Megiddo, Jezreel Valley.
Where is Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment today?
Israel Museum, Jerusalem (formerly displayed at the Rockefeller Museum).
Which Bible verses does Megiddo Shoshenq Stele Fragment relate to?
1 Kings 9:15, 1 Kings 11:40, 1 Kings 14:25.
Related discoveries
- שִׁישַׁקBubastite Portal of Shoshenq I (Shishak)Pharaoh's victory list at Karnak naming towns of Israel and Judah
- מְגִדּוֹMegiddo Stratum II and the Death of JosiahThe fortress where Pharaoh Necho II killed Judah's reforming king on his way to the Euphrates
- עֶבֶד הַמֶּלֶךְSeal of Shema, Servant of JeroboamA roaring lion and the name of a royal official of Jeroboam II, from Megiddo
- מִזְבֵּחַMegiddo Round Altar and Early Bronze TemplesA stepped stone altar and a row of temples in Canaan's oldest sacred area
- פַּרְעֹה נְכֹהMegiddo Area X: Necho's Army and the Death of JosiahA layer of Egyptian and Greek pottery from the time Pharaoh Necho killed King Yoshiyahu (2025)
- אֻרְוֹתMegiddo Pillared StablesRows of stone-pillared buildings for hundreds of horses in Israel's chariot city
Sources
- Fisher, The Excavation of Armageddon (OIC 4, 1929)
- 'The Sheshonq Fragment from Megiddo: A New Interpretation', BASOR 390 (2023)