The First Mention of Israel:  A Passover Special on the Merneptah Stele episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 10, 2025 · 33 MIN

The First Mention of Israel: A Passover Special on the Merneptah Stele

from Jewish History Nerds · host Unpacked

Please fill out this short survey. Go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠unpacked.bio/podsurvey⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to hear from you! Yael and Schwab dive into one of the most fascinating—and oldest—archaeological artifacts ever discovered: the Merneptah Stele. We travel back to 1209 BCE to explore this 3,200-year-old slab of Egyptian granite, which contains the first historical mention of Israel. The episode explores what the Merneptah Stele tells us about ancient Israel, Pharaohs, and the real-world backdrop of the Exodus narrative. Listen to Yael and Schwab's informative and delightful conversation and delve into the sources to enrich your Seder with something that’s older than the Haggadah itself. If you like this show, please rate and write a review wherever you get your podcasts. And be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Click here to see an image of the Merneptah Stele. Click here for a recap and to read some of the sources used in the episode This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews

Please fill out this short survey. Go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠unpacked.bio/podsurvey⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to hear from you! Yael and Schwab dive into one of the most fascinating—and oldest—archaeological artifacts ever discovered: the Merneptah Stele. We travel back to 1209 BCE to explore this 3,200-year-old slab of Egyptian granite, which contains the first historical mention of Israel. The episode explores what the Merneptah Stele tells us about ancient Israel, Pharaohs, and the real-world backdrop of the Exodus narrative. Listen to Yael and Schwab's informative and delightful conversation and delve into the sources to enrich your Seder with something that’s older than the Haggadah itself. If you like this show, please rate and write a review wherever you get your podcasts. And be in touch. Write to us at [email protected]. Click here to see an image of the Merneptah Stele. Click here for a recap and to read some of the sources used in the episode This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a brand of OpenDor Media. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on youtube. ------------------- For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Soulful Jewish Living Stars of David with Elon Gold Unpacking Israeli History Wondering Jews

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The First Mention of Israel: A Passover Special on the Merneptah Stele

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This episode was published on April 10, 2025.

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Please fill out this short survey. Go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠unpacked.bio/podsurvey⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to hear from you! Yael and Schwab dive into one of the most fascinating—and oldest—archaeological artifacts ever discovered: the Merneptah Stele. We travel back to...

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