Judaism · Origins & people
Israel appears in an Egyptian inscription
Late 13th century BCE
An Egyptian victory inscription names Israel among peoples and places in Canaan. It supplies an early external witness to a group called Israel, while leaving its beliefs and institutions largely unexplained. The inscription does not establish a single founding date for Judaism.
Why it matters
Beginners can distinguish material evidence for ancient Israelites from the much longer development of Jewish religion and from the narratives of the Hebrew Bible.
About the date
The range is Merneptah’s reign; the inscription belongs within it.