Recorded history of the Jewish people begins with the stela carved for Pharaoh Merneptah in Ancient Egypt in 1207 B.C.E. This artifact provides the first evidence of a group called Israel a few years after the legendary Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
In the inscription on this pillar, Merneptah claims military victory over the Canaanite cities Ashkelon, Gezer and Yinoam, as well as a foreign people named Israel.
The Ancient Egyptian Empire lasted for over 3,000 years, and its power and influence was widespread. The Egyptians waged countless wars to maintain and aggrandize their empire. As demonstrated by Merneptahs stela, the Egyptians and the Israelites interacted with one another not only on the battlefield but also in commerce and trade. Additional archaeological artifacts located in this section further demonstrate the interaction of these two groups.
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A People is Born
Historical proof of the interaction of the ancient Egyptians and Israelites is documented through the Exodus story and the stela of Pharoah Merneptah of 1207 B.C.E.
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Israel
Stela
The first evidence of the Jewish people in Israel.
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A Kingdom Arises
The Shoshenq inscription from the Karnak Temple in Thebes built ca. 925 B.C.E. is the first archeological artifact to acknowledge the existence of the kingdom of Israel.
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Shoshenq
Inscription
from the Karnak Temple in Thebes.
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