Stele of Mérenptah

The stele of Mérenptah , also called stele of the Victoire or stele of Israel , was discovered in 1896 by Flinders Petrie in the funerary temple of the Pharaon Mérenptah (in the area thebaine).

The original stele is with the Egyptian Musée of Cairo, while a copy is visible with the temple of Mérenptah. It belongs to a series of monuments set up by the Pharaon through all the country in order to commemorate an significant event which proceeded at the beginning of its reign. Thus, a great inscription of eighty lines on the same subject was engraved with Karnak, a column, carrying a similar text, also baptized column of the Victoire was found in the ruins of the temple of Mérenptah to Héliopolis and other alternatives were also found on steles with Memphis, Athribis and Amada.

Description

This stele of Granit gray, which is 3,18 meters high on 1,61 meter broad and 31 centimetres thickness, was set up initially by Amenhotep {{III}} probably in its own funerary temple, located not far from that of Mérenptah, thirteenth son and successor of Ramsès {{II}}. It used the back of it to make register, at the date of the third day of the third month of Chémou (the summer) of year 5 of its reign, an anthem with its person and commemorate her victorious military countryside of year 5 (towards -1210) in Libya and with the country of Canaan. The scene in top of the stele represents Amon-Re in company of Mout and Khonsou which confers to the sovereign the scimitar victory. Engraved from right to left, the inscription glorifie first of all capacity of the sovereign, victorious of Tjehenou. The various sources make it possible to specify that the victory of Mérenptah is gained over a coalition of the Libya NS (Libou and Machaouach S) with the Peuples of the Sea (Akaouash, Toursha, Rouk, Shardanes and Shakalash). The triumphal song continues with an anthem with peace.

The stele is particularly known to contain, in the final stanza, the first supposed mention of Israel (or rather, of the Jews) except biblical context, it is also the only mention of Israel known in the Egyptian texts.

Text of the stele

The various translations are in agreement on the direction of the text.

A great joy is occurred in Egypt and the jubilation goes up in the cities of the beloved Country. They speak about the victories which Mérenptah gained over Tjehenou. How he is liked, the victorious prince! How it is large the king, among the gods! How it is advised, the Master of the command!
Oh how it is soft to sit down and chatter! Oh! To be able to go to great steps on the way without there being no more fear in the heart of the men. The fortresses are given up, the wells are reopened, accessible from now on to the messengers; the crenels of the rampart are quiet and it is only the sun which wakes up the guetteurs. The gendarmes are laid down and sleep. The scouts are with the fields (going) according to their desire. The cattle, in the countryside, is left in free grazing ground, without shepherd, beam (only also) the flood of the river. More call, more cry in the night: " Halt! See, somebody comes who speaks the language about others hommes." One walks while singing, and one does not hear any more a cry of lamentation. The cities are inhabited again and that which plows for the harvest, it is that which it mangera.
Re turned to Egypt, while was put at the world, thanks to the destiny, its guard, the King de Haute and of Low-Egypt, Baenrê, the Re son, Mérenptah.
The chiefs fall while saying: Salam! Not only one does not raise the head among the Last nines Arcs.
Demolishes is the country of Tjehenou.
Hatti is paisible.
Canaan is stripped of all that it had of mauvais.
Ascalon is emmené.
Gezer is saisie.
Yenoam becomes as if it never had existé.
Israel is destroyed, its seed even is not plus.
Syria became a widow for Égypte.
All the countries are plain; they are in paix.
(Each one of) those which wandered are now bound by the Egypt and Haute king Low, Baenrê, the Re son, Mérenptah, endowed with life, like Re, each jour.

This text should not be read, with our eyes of Westerners, like a simple poem. For the Egyptians, the written text has a magic range: the inscription thus acts on the real-world, as a long time as it remains, conferring on Mérenptah the protective power, conferring on peace softness and to the enemies the impotence. This function is attested by the name even schools which form the scribes: it is in the Écoles of Life , within the houses of life, that the scribes learn, by the magic of the writing, to create the virtual envelopes able to receive the life.

Mention of Israel

The mention of Israel is with the 27e line (before last), in a list of the people of Canaan overcome by Mérenptah. It consists of hiéroglyphes with phonetic value that Flinders Petrie interprets like israr and of hiéroglyphes with value determinative which designate people (the man and the woman) foreign (the stick of jet). It thus is not about the mention of a state nor of a city, but rather of people cananéen which one generally identifies with the proto-Jews.

See too

For the possible correspondences between the text of the stele and the biblical Exodus to see Given archaeological on the Exodus and Brace.

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