The Oldest Known Inscription Referencing the Name of God (YHWH)
Among the most remarkable archaeological discoveries connecting ancient Egypt and early Hebrew history is a pillar at the Temple of Soleb in modern-day Sudan, which contains the oldest known inscription referencing the divine name “YHWH.” This inscription dates to around 1400 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty.
The Temple of Soleb, dedicated to the god Amun-Re, was built by Amenhotep III as part of his vast building projects along the Nile. During excavations in the 1950s, archaeologist Michela Schiff Giorgini uncovered hieroglyphic lists of territories and peoples Egypt claimed to have subdued. Among these inscriptions, one stands out:
“The land of the Shasu of YHWH.”
The Egyptians used the term Shasu to describe nomadic tribes from regions such as southern Canaan, Edom, and Midian. What makes this inscription extraordinary is its reference to YHWH—the personal name of the God later worshiped by Israel—making it the earliest known mention of the divine name outside the Bible.
This discovery aligns remarkably with the biblical timeline of a 15th-century BC Exodus during the reign of Amenhotep II, the predecessor of Amenhotep III. If the Israelites departed Egypt around 1446 BC, as 1 Kings 6:1 indicates, then by Amenhotep III’s reign Egypt would have known of YHWH-worshiping peoples dwelling in the deserts east of Canaan. The reference to the “Shasu of YHWH” thus supports the view that the worship of Israel’s God was already established and recognized in the very regions associated with Moses’ Midianite sojourn and the wilderness wanderings.
The Soleb inscription, therefore, provides a striking archaeological link between Egypt and early Israelite faith—affirming that the name of YHWH was known in the ancient Near East during the very era traditionally connected to the Exodus.
Among the most remarkable archaeological discoveries connecting ancient Egypt and early Hebrew history is a pillar at the Temple of Soleb in modern-day Sudan, which contains the oldest known inscription referencing the divine name “YHWH.” This inscription dates to around 1400 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty.
The Temple of Soleb, dedicated to the god Amun-Re, was built by Amenhotep III as part of his vast building projects along the Nile. During excavations in the 1950s, archaeologist Michela Schiff Giorgini uncovered hieroglyphic lists of territories and peoples Egypt claimed to have subdued. Among these inscriptions, one stands out:
“The land of the Shasu of YHWH.”
The Egyptians used the term Shasu to describe nomadic tribes from regions such as southern Canaan, Edom, and Midian. What makes this inscription extraordinary is its reference to YHWH—the personal name of the God later worshiped by Israel—making it the earliest known mention of the divine name outside the Bible.
This discovery aligns remarkably with the biblical timeline of a 15th-century BC Exodus during the reign of Amenhotep II, the predecessor of Amenhotep III. If the Israelites departed Egypt around 1446 BC, as 1 Kings 6:1 indicates, then by Amenhotep III’s reign Egypt would have known of YHWH-worshiping peoples dwelling in the deserts east of Canaan. The reference to the “Shasu of YHWH” thus supports the view that the worship of Israel’s God was already established and recognized in the very regions associated with Moses’ Midianite sojourn and the wilderness wanderings.
The Soleb inscription, therefore, provides a striking archaeological link between Egypt and early Israelite faith—affirming that the name of YHWH was known in the ancient Near East during the very era traditionally connected to the Exodus.
The Oldest Known Inscription Referencing the Name of God (YHWH)
Among the most remarkable archaeological discoveries connecting ancient Egypt and early Hebrew history is a pillar at the Temple of Soleb in modern-day Sudan, which contains the oldest known inscription referencing the divine name “YHWH.” This inscription dates to around 1400 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty.
The Temple of Soleb, dedicated to the god Amun-Re, was built by Amenhotep III as part of his vast building projects along the Nile. During excavations in the 1950s, archaeologist Michela Schiff Giorgini uncovered hieroglyphic lists of territories and peoples Egypt claimed to have subdued. Among these inscriptions, one stands out:
“The land of the Shasu of YHWH.”
The Egyptians used the term Shasu to describe nomadic tribes from regions such as southern Canaan, Edom, and Midian. What makes this inscription extraordinary is its reference to YHWH—the personal name of the God later worshiped by Israel—making it the earliest known mention of the divine name outside the Bible.
This discovery aligns remarkably with the biblical timeline of a 15th-century BC Exodus during the reign of Amenhotep II, the predecessor of Amenhotep III. If the Israelites departed Egypt around 1446 BC, as 1 Kings 6:1 indicates, then by Amenhotep III’s reign Egypt would have known of YHWH-worshiping peoples dwelling in the deserts east of Canaan. The reference to the “Shasu of YHWH” thus supports the view that the worship of Israel’s God was already established and recognized in the very regions associated with Moses’ Midianite sojourn and the wilderness wanderings.
The Soleb inscription, therefore, provides a striking archaeological link between Egypt and early Israelite faith—affirming that the name of YHWH was known in the ancient Near East during the very era traditionally connected to the Exodus.
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