27/04/2025
The Merneptah Stele (or Israel Stele) is an engraved stone slab which describes Pharaoh Merneptah’s military victories in 1207 BC The stele itself is dated to the year 1205 BC Renowned British archaeologist Flinders Petrie discovered this two-meter-tall, inscribed granite monument in 1896 at Thebes. It contains the earliest undisputed extra-biblical reference to Israel to date.
The mention of Israel in this 3,200-year-old document suggests, at the time of its inscription, the nation of Israel was an established power and not a nomadic people who had just recently entered the land of Canaan. Before the discovery of the stele, many dated the Exodus much later, but now they are forced to reconcile with the fact that Israel was already an established power in Canaan in 1207BC.
Merneptah was the 13th son of Ramesses ii. Although his life was overshadowed by his father, many Egyptologists suggest that Merneptah was both a co-ruler and the real power behind the throne in the last few years of Ramesses’s life.
His military campaigns are recorded on three separate ancient inscriptions, with the Victory Stele of Merneptah as one of them.
With 25 readable lines written in hieroglyphics, the inscription recounts Merneptah’s conquests of the land of Canaan. Part of the inscription reads:
Canaan is captive with all woe.
Ashkelon is conquered, Gezer seized,
Yanoam made nonexistent;
Israel is laid waste, bare of seed,
Israel, then, must have been a people strong enough for Merneptah to mention them in boasting of his victory. If Israel was some small nomadic tribe just beginning to settle in Canaan, Merneptah wouldn’t have had anything to boast about. Alternatively, if Israel had been established for 200 years, built its own structures and had a stronger military, then his victory would be worth mentioning.
The Pharaohs are dead
Israel is alive!
Am Israel Chai!
עם ישראל חי!