Merneptah Stele
Earliest secure mention of 'Israel' outside the Bible
Found 1896 — W. M. Flinders Petrie, with Wilhelm Spiegelberg reading the text
Where Merneptah's mortuary temple, Thebes (Luxor West Bank) (Egypt)
Dates from c. 1208 BCE · Late Bronze Age IIB (Egyptian 19th Dynasty) · Israel settling in Canaan (late Exodus/early Judges horizon)
Now at Egyptian Museum, Cairo (JE 31408)
Names a biblical person Israel (peoples: names Israel as a people, no individual)
How Merneptah Stele was found
Found in the ruins of Merneptah's mortuary temple in western Thebes. The stone was originally carved for Amenhotep III; Merneptah reused the back for his victory hymn.
What it is
A black granite stele just over 3 meters tall, carved in Egyptian hieroglyphs. Most of the 28 lines celebrate Merneptah's victory over Libya; the last lines list defeated peoples of Canaan, including 'Israel', written with the sign for a people rather than a land.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the oldest undisputed mention of Israel by name. It shows that by about 1208 BCE a people called Israel already existed in Canaan and was worth boasting about in Egypt. It does not describe the Exodus, but it sets a firm latest date for Israel's presence in the land, which matters for every Exodus dating scheme.
The Hebrew word: Yis-rah-EL
יִשְׂרָאֵל
יִשְׂרָאֵל is pronounced Yis-rah-EL and means Israel; the people descended from Yaakov (Jacob) (Strong's H3478).
People this discovery connects to
- Israel — יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yis-rah-EL) — he strives with El / God prevails
Places
- Canaan — כְּנַעַן (ke-NAH-an) — lowland (traditional)
Events
Israel's early settlement in Canaan · Egyptian campaigns in Canaan after the Exodus
Merneptah Stele in Scripture
Genesis 32:28 The naming of Israel; the stele is the first outside witness that a people carried that name. (First mention of Israel.)
Exodus 12:40-41 The end of the sojourn in Egypt; the stele shows Israel in Canaan by about 1208 BCE, the anchor for dating the departure.
Judges 3:1-2 Israel living among hostile nations in Canaan is the setting the stele reflects, with Egypt as one more foreign power in the land.
Questions people ask
What is Merneptah Stele?
A black granite stele just over 3 meters tall, carved in Egyptian hieroglyphs. Most of the 28 lines celebrate Merneptah's victory over Libya; the last lines list defeated peoples of Canaan, including 'Israel', written with the sign for a people rather than a land.
When was Merneptah Stele discovered?
It was found in 1896 by W. M. Flinders Petrie, with Wilhelm Spiegelberg reading the text, at Merneptah's mortuary temple, Thebes (Luxor West Bank).
Where is Merneptah Stele today?
Egyptian Museum, Cairo (JE 31408).
Which Bible verses does Merneptah Stele relate to?
Genesis 32:28, Exodus 12:40-41, Judges 3:1-2.
Related discoveries
- כְּנַעַןBerlin Statue Pedestal ÄM 21687Disputed reading of 'Israel' on a broken name-ring, possibly a century before Merneptah
- פַּרְעֹהMummies of Ramesses II and MerneptahThe two pharaohs most often named as 'Pharaoh of the Exodus', both found in their tombs' aftermath
- לְבֵנָהBrick-making Scene, Tomb of Rekhmire (TT100)Foreign laborers making mudbricks under Egyptian overseers, painted on a vizier's tomb wall
Sources
- Petrie, Six Temples at Thebes (1897)
- Wikipedia: Merneptah Stele