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to Jericho. The original Hebrew is clear, describing a the Patriarchal narratives. However, if Israel was an es-
specific site called "the Place of the Head." tablished entity in Canaan already in 1210 BC, as the
Merneptah Stela implies, then the 12th century emer-
"What strikes me as incredibly significant is that this gence theory would be refuted (Bimson 1991). If Is-
would mean Jesus was crucified near the Altar of the rael was well established by the end of the 13th
Sin Sacrifices -- a place that had been the traditional century, it could not have come into being in the mid-
site of the Sin Sacrifice of the Red Heifer for over ten dle of the next century.
centuries," said Martin.
As a result, the Merneptah Stela has been meticulously
"The true place of Golgotha is very critical, because it scrutinized and analyzed by scholars, perhaps more so
proves that Jesus Christ was indeed sacrificed, as the than any text outside the Bible. They are out to deter-
ultimate Sin Sacrifice for the world, at precisely the mine what it "really" says, not that they would want to
same place which was designated by Biblical Law, by force any preconceived notions on the text! Michael G.
tradition and by the ritual custom of the Temple for the Hasel, a doctoral candidate at the University of Ari-
major sin sacrifices to be killed," said Martin, adding, zona, has recently reviewed the various interpretations
"It happened on the Mount of Olives in the Holy City concerning the reference to Israel in the stela. Further-
of Jerusalem. "This evidence was proof positive for all more, he has done an in-depth linguistic study to deter-
His disciples to see... that His prophesy came true -- mine as far as possible the intended meaning of the
He was indeed the Lamb of God!" text.

The discussion of the significance of Israel in the
The Merneptah Stela and Ancient Merneptah Stela revolves around the meaning of two
Israel words: "Israel" and "seed." A number of possibilities
have been suggested, as summarized by Hasel. Scholars
Undoubtedly, the most important mention of Israel have implied that the name Israel could be interpreted
outside the Bible is that in the Merneptah, or "Israel," as Iezreel or Jezreal, the valley to the north of the
stela. Discovered in 1896 in Merneptah's mortuary country. Another idea is that the name has a descriptive
temple in Thebes by Flinders Petrie, the stela is a po- meaning ("the wearers of the side lock") and applies to
etic eulogy to pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled Egypt af- the Libyans. Or, in the time of Merneptah, the name Is-
ter Rameses the Great, ca. 1212-1202 BC. Of rael was a geographic term referring to a territory cor-
significance to Biblical studies is a short section at the responding to Canaan. Hasel discusses the problems
end of the poem describing a campaign to Canaan by associated with each of these interpretations and
Merneptah in the first few years of his reign, ca. 1210 concludes,
BC. One line mentions Israel: "Israel is laid waste, its
seed is not." Here we have the earliest mention of Is- "Israel, identified by the determinative for people, is a
rael outside the Bible and the only mention of Israel in socioethnic unity powerful enough to be mentioned
Egyptian records. along with major city-states that were also neutralized"
(1994:51).
Since the date of the reference to Israel in the Mernep-
tah Stela is during the time of the judges, prior to the Turning to the meaning of the Egyptian word prt,
establishment of the monarchy, it is of crucial impor- "seed," there are only two possibilities, "grain" or "off-
tance to understanding Israel's formative period. For spring." Based on the use of prt in other Egyptian texts,
example, a popular theory among Biblical scholars to- Hasel deduces that it refers to grain. Thus, the phrase
day is that Israel emerged from peoples indigenous to "its seed is not" indicates that Israel's food supply was
Canaan in the mid 12th century BC. If this is true, Bib- no longer in existence. Hasel observes,
lical history and chronology prior to ca. 1150 BC
would have to be jettisoned. Proponents of the "12th "We may perceive Israel within the context and infor-
century emergence theory" maintain that the Israelites mation of the Merneptah stela to be a rural sedentary
did not come into Canaan from outside to conquer the group of agriculturists without its own urban city-state
land around 1400 BC, as the Bible indicates. The emer- support system" (1994:54).
gence scenario would also reject the historicity of the
Wilderness Wanderings, Exodus, Egyptian Sojourn and
This is exactly the picture we have of Israel from the

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