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A single determinative carved beside "Israel" upended the map of Canaan
A pharaoh's victory stele lists conquered Canaanite cities - but a carved sign beside "Israel" labels them a people. What does it mean?
A single determinative carved beside "Israel" upended the map of Canaan
In this episode, we lay out the evidence on the Merneptah stele and the circumstances of its discovery to show why one carved sign has driven more than a century of debate. What does that single determinative tell us about who or what "Israel" was in 1208 BCE?
Person: Merneptah
Date: 1208 BCE
Location: Thebes (funerary chapel back of a stele), Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Event: Victory stele…
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