Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

OK. I think you're talking about this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_stela1.jpg

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Israel_stela1.jpg>Merneptah, as far as I
know is dated as 13th century and not 12th century. In summary, here's the
evidence have.

1) As far back as pre 20th century we have references to Habiru and Shashu
in similar style contexts to as far as 13th century. They are not identified
with a people but are typified as nationless, as nomads, as outlaws.
2) In the 15th century we get letters of complaints from Canaanites writing
in Akkadian to Pharoah's Amenophis III, Amenophis IV (aka Akhenaten) about
nomads skirmishing Canaanite towns and how the King ought to be doing
something about it. Two successor vassals in Canaan continue to mention them
on into the 1300's (14th century). Still no mention of a kingdom of Isreal
3) Soleb temple of Amenophis III has earliest reference to Yhw linking him
the land of the Shashu. This could be a clear reference to Yhwh being the
god of unnamed nomads (oddly having a land to stay in, could this be Goshen?
Could this be Canaan?).
4) Merneptah Stele talks about the Ysrir as a people in a fixed area but in
a context which makes it clear that they are not nations or city states as
such while a number of other city states are clearly identified as such with
the relevant affixes (a throw stick plus three mountains). Ysrir are
identified with a particle for foreigners and a throw stick with a man and a
woman above some vertical lines (i.e. still considered a nomadic people). If
we are to identify the Ysrir with Isreal they are still not large enough or
settled enough in cities for them to be considered city states but a large
semi permanent yet still nomadic group in the Canaan region.
5) Mesha Stele (9th century) clearly relates a victory over 'Omri King of
Isreal'. There is explicit reference to YHWH. A reconstruction of line 31
could indicate a reference to a house of David. This is our first
unambiguous reference to a nation of Isreal with a King and an unambiguous
association with YHWH.

All in all the evidence looks like this. Habiru and Shashu first used as
general terms for nomads, wanderers, outlaws. By Amenophis III's day some
unnamed group or groups of nomads were causing enough trouble in Canaan for
them to write to the King about it and complain. Both Amenophis III and
Amenophis IV (aka Akhenaten got letters of this kind). No clear references
to a nation of Isreal in the times of these Kings. Some time in the days or
after Amenophis III appears the first reference to a non Egyptian god Yhw
who is associated with a group of Shashu who have a land to live in (odd
context for a word used for centuries only of nomads with no permanent land
to live in). Post this period the evidence for a growing Isreal nation in
Canaan increases. First we get the Merneptah Stele with a possible reference
to Isreal labelling them as nomads but yet pretty much permanently resident
in Canaan. Finally, the deal is sealed with an explicit reference to a King
of Isreal named Omri on a stone tablet from a neighbouring nation. Isreal is
explicitly associated with the god YHWH. We also have explicit reference to
a King Omri in 1Kings19 in a timeline that fits the external data.

There seems to be no doubt in the data. We are seeing signs in the data of
growth of a Shashu people associated with a god Yhw from the time of
Amenophis III to a clear witness of a Kingdom of Isreal with a King about 4
centuries later. This data fits well with the chronology and related events
we can glean from the Torah, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings. A nomadic
people introduce Yhw to Egypt, leave Egypt, start causing trouble in Canaan,
grow in size in Canaan but don't really become a Kingdom as such straight
away and then years later become a fully established Kingdom known by its
neighbours as being associated with the god Yhwh.

James Christian

2010/2/12 George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>

> An entity called Israel is mentioned in a stele of Merneptah, dating to
> c.1105 BC. That's our earliest attestation.
>
> GEORGE ATHAS
> Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
> www.moore.edu.au
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