We begin our journey through Jewish history with the first explicit mention of Israel in the historical record: the Merneptah Stele. But on its own, it raises more questions than it answers—why are the Egyptians attacking Israel, and who are these Israelites in the first place?

We turn to ancient accounts—from the Bible and Greek writers—but they don’t fully explain what we see. So instead, we step back and explore the broader world of Bronze Age Canaan and Egypt. As that context comes into focus, the tension between them—and the stage on which Israel first appears—begins to take shape.

Read the episode and bonus content at: https://historyofthejews.substack.com/

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