Archaeology - Proving the Truth of Scripture - Part 14

The Merneptah Stele

The Merneptah Stele was discovered in 1896 by the renowned archaeologist Flinders Petrie in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It was found in Merneptah’s mortuary temple within the ruins of the ancient city. On a granite victory stele from Pharaoh Merneptah, which was carved in the late thirteenth century BC, there’s a line that confirms a nation called Israel as a real nation in the land of Canaan. The Pharoah boasts in this stele that Israel is laid waste—its seed is no more. Clearly this statement proves that the Israelites were not a legend, and neither are they new comers that have come to steal the land of Israel as many today teach. This stele tells a different story. The Israelites were an empire considered worth recording in stone. This piece of history matters because many modern critiques begin with declaring that Israel didn’t exist yet, therefore the Bible accounts must have been invented. The Merneptah Stele doesn’t prove every biblical detail, but it collapses the smug assumption that Scripture describes an imaginary world.

For Christians, the point is even more important. This stele reveals that God indeed acted among real peoples, in real lands, under real empires that kept real records, proving that the Bible is completely accurate. Archaeology again proves that the Bible is true and correct. Stand with assurance upon its promises!