1. Merneptah Stele (aka the Menetaph Stele, aka Israel Stele)

2. Merneptah Stele Dated to 1209/1208 BCE
Inscription by the Ancient Egyptian king Merneptah (reign:1213 to 1203 BC)
Found at Thebes

3. Merneptah Stele
“Canaan is captive with all woe. Ashkelon is conquered, Gezer seized, Yanoam made nonexistent; Israel is wasted, bare of seed.”

4. Merneptah Stele
The determinative accompanying Gezer, Ashkelon and Yanoam indicate they are city-states.
The determinative accompanying Israel indicates it is a foreign people, perhaps a nomadic tribe.

5. Merneptah Stele
Scholarly debate about translation for I.si.ri.ar. Some scholars suggest it doesn’t refer to Israel but Jezreel.
Only known Egyptian reference to the Israelites
Earliest known reference to the Israelites

7. Mesha Stele

8. Mesha Stele
Commemorates the victory of Mesha, a Moabite king, over Omri the king of Israel.
Dated to 840 BCE

9. Tel Dan Stele

10. Tel Dan Stele Aramaic inscription
King of Damascus, Hazael, commemorates a victory over Israel.
The inscription includes the phrase, ‘House of David’.
Dated to 9th or 8th century BCE