Calcol/Chalcol and KRKR

 There are thousands of extrabiblical literary and archeological corroborations of the Bible. New evidences of persons and places mentioned in the Bible continue to be discovered every year.

There have been suggestions that Chalcol/Calcol, one of David’s wise men mentioned in the Bible, and Kerker (KRKR), who is mentioned in the Megiddo Ivories, may be connected. KRKR can be transliterated as Kulkul.

Calcol/Chalcol was one of David’s wise men and was a brother of Heman, a wise man and musician who was the king’s “seer in the words of God to lift up the horn.” Because Chalcol/Calcol was a brother of Heman, many believe that he was also a musician. David appointed more than 4000 Levite royal musicians and singers.

Artifact A22269 is an Egyptian-style ivory plaque from the Megiddo ivories collection, featuring hieroglyphic inscriptions with prayers for an Egyptian singer named Kerker. This is one of the almost 400 ivories discovered at the site in the 1930’s.

A22269 features Egyptian hieroglyphs with a prayer reading: “[… for the spirit of the singer of] Ptah, south of his wall, [Lord of] 'The Life of Two Lands,' Kerker, the justified”. Kerker appears to have been a female singer who worked in the Temple of the Egyptian deity, Ptah, during the time period of ca 1350-1150 BC/BCE. Her name is spelled out phonetically as KRKR with the symbols for k and r. KRKR can be transliterated as Kulkul.

The plaque was found at the Megiddo archeological site in modern Israel during excavations of the treasury room of a Late Bronze Age palace, from the 12^th Century BC/BCE.

https://isac-idb.uchicago.edu/id/af86a18e-7b0c-40c6-bec4-43f513b7f052 shows an image and description of the plaque. You can click on the image to enlarge it. The plaque is held in the collection of the University of Chicago Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures.

Because of the similarity of the pronunciations of the names of Chalcol/Calcol and KRKR some have suggested that there may have been some sort of familial connection with Chalcol/Calcol being an honorific, serving in a similar way to a modern surname. There are problems with this idea and most commenters believe that there is no connection other than similar sounding names and being therefore totally coincidental.

1. 1. KRKR was a female pagan singer in the Temple of Ptah while Chalcol/Calcol was a male member of the tribe of Judah.

2. 2. KRKR lived in the ca 1350-ca 1150 BC/BCE time period, while Chalcol/Calcol served during the lifetime of King David ca 1000-931 BC/BCE.

1 Chronicles 2:6, 6:33, chapter 25, especially verse 5; 1 Kings 4:31; Psalm 88.

The Israel/United States War With Iran

        Recently, during the current Middle East conflict of the United States and Israel (and now, a growing list of other countries) against the Islamic Revolutionary State of Iran, I have seen numerous people online who believe that this is the beginning of World War Three and that the End Times have begun. One commenter flatly stated that the Rapture would occur in the next few days.

        Christians!!!! Listen to the Bible! Base what you believe on what the Bible says. Read Matthew 24:1-36, Mark 13:33-37, and Acts 1:7. The Rapture may occur in the next few days and it may not. We should not worry and fret about it. What we should do is always be ready, not just during worrisome times.

        There are numerous Christian eschatological (End Times) positions ranging from preterism, amillenialism, premillenialism, to postmillenialism, with all sorts of gradations and combinations of the different interpretations. These various interpretations exist because the Bible does not explicitly spell out what will happen during the End Times.

        Questions for which we will have to wait for answers: When will the rapture occur? Will Jesus return during our lifetimes? Who is the Antichrist? Are any modern countries mentioned in the Bible? Is the Antichrist already alive and active? Which of the Christian eschatological interpretations is correct? Are any of them correct?

        If events do not play out as you have believed that they will, do not reject the faith. Perhaps you, perhaps I, perhaps all the scholars and theologians, have misunderstood what the Bible has said about the End Times. We all start with our own underlying worldviews and, inevitably, our understandings are colored and influenced by those worldviews. Justin Martyr (2nd century) expressed premillenial views but also said "...many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and who are true Christians, think otherwise."

         We really do not know when the End Times will play out, but we do know that to attempt to establish elaborate and highly specific future timelines is forbidden. Jesus told us that.

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Attalia                            Acts 14:25                Antalya, Turkiye

Cenchrae                       Romans 16:1            Kechries, Greece

Harosheth Haggoyim  Judges 4:13               El-Ahwar, Israel

Kir of Moab                 Isaiah 15:1                Al Karak, Jordan                    

Laish/Leshem              Judges 18:29             Tel Dan, Israel

                                      Joshua 19:47

No-Amon/Thebes        Ezekiel 30:16            Luxor/Al Uxxor, Egypt          

                                      Nahum 3:8

On/Awen                      Genesis 46:20           Heliopolis, Egypt

Pi-beseth/Bubastis       Ezekiel 30:17            Tell Basta, Egypt

Sarepta                         1 Kings 17:9              Sarafand, Lebanon

                                      Obadiah 20

Sin/Pelusium                Ezekiel 30:15            Tell el-Farama,Egypt

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Antipatris                   Acts 23:31                   Rosh HaAyin, Israel

Cuthah                       2 Kings 17:24              Tell, Ibrahim, Iraq

Dedan                         Ezekiel 8:13                 Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia

Elim                            Exodus 16:1                Wadi Gharandel, Egypt

Hamath                      2 Samuel 8:9               Hama, Syria

Medeba                      Numbers 21:30            Madaba, Jordan

                                    Joshua 13:9

Noph                           Isaiah 19:13                Memphis, Egypt

Qiryat Arba               Joshua 14:15               Hebron, West Bank

Rhegium                     Acts 28:13                   Reggio Calabria, Italy

Syene                          Ezekiel 29:10, 30:6     Aswan, Egypt

Nationalities of Biblical Persons if They Were Born Today

 

Xerxes/Ahasuerus          Iranian

Sargon of Akkad            Iraqi

Simon of Cyrene            Libyan

Simon Peter                    Israeli

Bartholomew                  Possibly Lebanese

Emperor Claudius         French

Jeremiah                         West Bank Palestinian

Samuel                            Israeli

Emperor Nero                Italian

Emperor Augustus         Italian

Nationalities of Biblical Persons if They Were Born Today

 

Ben-Hadad                         Syrian

Judas Iscariot                    Israeli

Herod the Great                Jordanian

Darius the Mede               Kurdish

Queen of Sheba                Possibly Saudi Arabian

Nebuchadnezzar              Iraqi

Gallio                                Spanish

Luke                                 Syrian

Timothy                           Turkish

Solomon                           Israeli

Nationalities of Biblical Persons if They Were Born Today

 

Jesus                                     West Bank Palestinian

Zechariah                            West Bank Palestinian

Ezekiel                                  Israeli

Lydia of Thyatira               Turkish

Paul                                     Turkish

Silas                                     Greek

Amos                                   West Bank Palestinian

Emperor Tiberius              Italian

Mary Magdalene               Israeli

Barnabas                            Cypriot

Cleopatra is almost modern

I am not sure who first noticed this so I cannot give attribution. The situation points to an important and seemingly contradictory fact. Though the events related in the Bible  seem to have taken place in great antiquity they can also be seen as having been quite recent,

Think about this set of facts. From the creation of the Great Pyramid of Giza to the life of Cleopatra VII there is a time span of roughly 2520 years. From the lifetime of Cleopatra until the invention of the i-phone is a span of about 2063 years.

Neither Khufu (aka: Cheops, ruled 2589 - 2566 BC), who built the Great Pyramid, or Cleopatra VII Philopator (ruled 51 - 30 BC) is mentioned in the Bible but they are not irrelevant to Bible history.  The Egyptians are prominent in the history of Israel and Cleopatra and her lovers were important in the military battles and intrigues which  led to their enemy, Gaius  Octavius (aka: Octavian),  becoming the first Emperor of the Roman Empire, Augustus.

Emperor Augustus seems to have unknowingly set into motion the events which led  to Jesus being born (Luke 2: 1-5}  in Bethlehem (Beit Lahm, West Bank)  rather than his hometown of Nazareth
(Natzrat, Israel).  Many Christians believe that this  was in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy given in Micah 5:2.

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Cleopatra's great-great-great-great-great grandmother, also named Cleopatra,  is mentioned in 1 Maccabees 10:57-58,  part of the Apocrypha, which is not given biblical status by Protestants.

The Names of Isaiah’s Sons

Many Americans researching their ancestry run into ancestors with religion-inspired names like Constance, Faith, Salvation, Perseverance. Piety, Redemption, Prudence, and many others. These are technically called theophoric names, names derived from or related to a god.

Some of the personal theophoric names were quite unwieldy. In one family in my genealogical research, there is a man named Indignation, as in God’s righteous indignation at sin. Not surprisingly, Indignation went by the personal name Ignatious.

Imagine being a Puritan woman with the personal name of Fight-the -Good-Fight-of-Faith or a man named Flee-Fornication.

The Hebrew prophet Isaiah had two sons whose names he said God gave to him for “signs and wonders in Israel.” (Isaiah 8:18) The sons were Shear-Jashub (Isaiah 7:3) and Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:3).

The name Shear-Jashub ((Isaiah 7:3) translates from the Hebrew as “the remnant shall return.” Isaiah carried this son with him when he went to confront King Ahaz of Judah. He told King Ahaz that if he would just trust in God, then God would bless him. Instead, Ahaz asked Tiglath -pileser III, the king of Assyria, for help. The help arrived, but at a great price. Judah was eventually destroyed with only a remnant remaining to return to the land.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13513-shear-jashub

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/464021/jewish/King-Ahaz.htm

The name Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:3) translates loosely from the Hebrew as “hasten to seize the prey and to take away the spoil.” A more literal translation is “spoil speeds prey hastes.” The name is a reference to the impending conquest of Samaria and Damascus by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (734 - 732 BC) and is a warning to Judah, which wwould be conquered later.

http://jaymack.net/isaiah-commentary/Cf-The-Sign-of-Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.asp

Book Comment: Judaism for Everyone and Why the Jews Rejected Jesus

Two books this time: Judaism for Everyone (2002) and Why the Jews Rejected Jesus (2005). These two books are two sides of the same coin and discuss some of the same issues.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the author of eleven books with titles like Kosher Sex, The Rabbi and the Psychic, and The Jewish Guide to Adultery, wrote Judaism for Everyone as an apologetic work  (but, he emphatically points out, not as an evangelistic effort). The secondary title of the book is Renewing Your Life Through the Vibrant Lessons of the Jewish Faith.

David Klinghoffer says that he wrote Why the Jews Rejected Jesus as an explanation to his well-meaning Christian friends who cannot understand why he would reject the free gift of salvation offered by the Gospel.

For both authors the idea reduces down to one point: they do not believe that Jesus fulfilled the requirements for being declared the Messiah. Christians, of course, see the same things, but come to an entirely different interpretation *.

The Jews list these reasons for rejecting Jesus:

1.     Jesus never fought the Romans. * Chrisians say that Rome clearly saw Jesus as a threat.

2.     Jesus did not establish a physical political messianic kingdom.  * Christians say that Jesus established His kingdom in the hearts of His followers, an idea which Jews utterly reject.

3.     A new Temple was not built in Jerusalem.  * Christians say that Jesus Himself is the new Temple and its priest.

4.     The world did not recognize God as Lord.  * Christians say that at the Second Coming every head will bow and every knee will bend in acknowledgement of God.

5.      A New Covenant based on restored commitment to observance of the Law was not given to the Jews. * Christians say that the New Covenant based on Faith in the Saving Grace of Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law.

6.     There was no ingathering of the Jewish exiles.  * Some Christians see the fulfillment of this requirement in the establishment of the modern State of Israel.

The Jews saw the claims of Jesus and His Christian followers to be blasphemous.  Klinghoffer points out that to the Jews, blasphemy is abusing God’s name for a forbidden purpose. Boteach clarifies what the Jews see as that forbidden purpose: He declares that the idea that God can be Human is the ultimate heresy. *Christians, of course, insist that Jesus was fully divine and fully human.

I urge you to read both of these books. Christianity and Judaism have major differences between them.  A Christian, for example, cannot echo Rabbi Boteach in saying, “Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is far more important than waiting for the right motivation.”

Even with the differences, there is agreement on the vast majority of our two worldviews and an understanding of Jewish history, symbolism, and theology is absolutely essential for a proper understanding of Christianity. Jesus was an orthodox Jew.

Also, since God does not change, all of His promises to Israel still stand. He is not finished with the Jews.  The Bible tells us that in the end days “all Israel shall be saved.”

___________________________________________________________________

A general caution: books may give you wonderful new insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are. All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11 NASB

Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a fuzzy fungus growing on it.

A Linguistic Curiosity

There are at least 136 different language groups which are grouped by noticeable and provable similarities in grammar, sound, vocabulary, word order, and the ways in which they express ideas.  The number of known languages exceeds 7000.  All the languages within a particular language group are believed to have been derived from a common ancestor language.

Arabic and Hebrew are sister Semitic languages.  The modern Semitic languages are spoken by at least 470 million worldwide and include Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic, Tigrinya, Syriac, Ge’ez, Maltese, South Arabian. Mahri, Soqriti, Tigre, Inor, Soddo, Harari, Sebat bet Gurage.  Ancient Semitic languages include Akkadian, Phoenician, Ugaritic, Himyaritic, Amorite, and Canaanite.

It is unreasonable to read more into what I am about to show you than that it is merely a linguistic curiosity of dissimilar vocabulary within a language group.  It is though, very odd.

This (חֲמַ֤ס) is the Old Testament word “hamas” which means “violence.”  An example of its use is in Habbakuk 2:17.

The name of the Islamic fundamentalist activist organization, Hamas, is an acronym derived from the Arabic name of the organization, حركة المقاومة الاسلامية (Harakat al-Muqāwama al-Islāmiyya).  The name is "Islamic Resistance Movement". Hamas was founded in 1987 with the aim of liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation and establishing an Islamic state which would include what is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.  They now say they would accept a Palestinian state based on the 1967 pre-war Israeli borders, provided that Palestinian refugees would have the right to return to Israel if they wished and that East Jerusalem would be the new nation's capital.

The actual Arabic word “hamas” means devotion, enthusiasm, fire, or zeal. 

Extrabiblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Mesad Hashavyahu Ostracon

An ostracon is a piece of broken pottery which is used as a writing surface in the same way we would use paper.  The Mesad Hashavyahu Ostracon is a seventh century BC/BCE fragment of a jar which is inscribed with fourteen lines of Hebrew text and contains the earlist known mention of the Sabbath by a non-biblical source.

The Mesad Hasavyahu is the ruins of an ancient fortress built about 630 BC/BCE, during the reign of Josiah, king of Judah.  The ruins are named for the supervisor mentioned in the inscription.  The original name of the fortress is unknown.  The border fortress faced the Philistine city of Ashdod.

The ostracon is currently housed in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.  It was found in 1960 by the archeologist, Joseph Naveh, during the excavation of the fortress' guard house.

"Let my lord, the governor, hear the word of his servant! Your servant is a reaper. Your servant was in Hazar Asam, and your servant reaped, and finished, and he has stored (the grain) during these days before the Sabbath. When your servant had finished the harvest, and had stored (the grain) during these days, Hoshavyahu came, the son of Shobi, and he seized the garment of your servant, when I had finished my harvest. It (is already now some) days (since) he took the garment of your servant. And all my companions can bear witness for me - they who reaped with me in the heat of the harvest - yes, my companions can bear witness for me. Amen! I am innocent from guilt. And he stole my garment! It is for the governor to give back the garment of his servant. So grant him mercy in that you return the garment of your servant and do not be displeased."

http://cojs.org/cojswiki/Mezad_Hashavyahu_Ostracon,_c._630_BCE

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mesad_Hashavyahu_Ostracon_Replica.JPG

http://www.ericlevy.com/Revel/Kings/Naveh%20-%20Excavations%20at%20Masad%20Hashavyahu.PDF

At the Time When David Became King of israel

At the time when David became king of his unified Kingdom of Israel (ca 1000 BC/BCE), this is what was happening in other regions of the world.

The Chavin Culture established a trade network in Peru.

Japan was inhabited by a hunter-gatherer culture.

Agricultural farming began in Kenya.

The Phoenicians invented their alphabet.

Latins began to arrive in Italy.

The Hittite city of Troy (Troy Layer VII at Hisarlik, Turkiye) was destroyed.

The Tamil language appeared in India.

China prospered under King Kang (ruled 1020-999BC/BCE) of the Zhou Dynasty.

Film Comment: Ancient Relic

The general consensus of the internet discussion about Ancient Relic (original title: Das Jesus Video), a German language made for television movie, is that it is rather lackluster and mundane.  The film will nevr win any awards.  It is a competent but obviously low-budget production.

Basically, the plot of Ancient Relic is this: an archeological crew in Israel discovers a previously unknown 2000 year old burial chamber containing a skeleton.  Nothing unusual there.  Then they notice that some of the skeleton’s teeth have modern amalgam fillings.  Then they notice the titanium rod and screws in the leg.  Then they notice the camcorder instruction manual.  Things really heat up when they find the word “Jesus” handwritten on the manual.  This would indicate that a time traveler may have made a videotape of Jesus.

Nefarious types suddenly appear and everyone begins trying to capture the young graduate student who discovered the tomb.  Everyone is convinced that he knows more than he actually does. Bullets fly, chases ensue, people are murdered, and the movie becomes a violent political chase thriller.  The persons pursuing the student are revealed to be associated with the Roman Catholic Church.

In case you think you might actually want to view this film, be aware that this next section contains SPOILERS.

A company owned by the ruthless man who has financed all the mayhem just happens to have also financed time travel research.  When the camcorder itself is actually found, the recording reveals that the graduate student is the time traveler.  The recording also reveals the dessicated corpse of a bearded man, presumed to be Jesus.

The film portrays the Roman Catholic Church as a giant political organization willing to use any means, even murder, to get what it wants.  The film is also a direct denial of the truth of the Resurrection.

On a simple story level, there are numerous plot holes present in this film.  The most glaring question: would a person not be expected to recognize his own handwriting?

Ezekiel 4:9 Cereals

This is not a joke.  There is a breakfast cereal named Ezekiel 4:9.   It is produced in the State of California (USA) by the Food for Life Baking Company.

The cereal is multigrain (wheat, barley, millet, lentils, soybeans, and spelt).  I bought a box of the Ezekiel Almond Cereal to test it.  If you eat this cereal, expect that it will have little inherent taste and will be highly crunchy.  The fiber count is 6 grams per a ½ cup (57 grams) serving.  This is 24% of the recommended daily human fiber intake.  Total fats are 3 grams.  Cholesterol is 0 grams , so this may be an option for those who need to restrict their lipid intake.  The sodium and potassium levels are 190 and 220 milligrams respectively.  The sugars are less than 1 gram but this is counterbalanced by the 38 grams of total carbohydrates.

I personally found the cereal to be mostly inedible by itself but, with added bran flakes and cut fresh strawberries, I could eat it.  It would not be one of my favorites.

The included grains were used mainly to feed cattle; they were used to make bread by people who were extremely poor or during a time of famine.  The Israelites considered it to be a humiliating defilement to be forced to mix these grains together and eat them.

A sarcastic response.  Be warned that it contains vulgarities.

http://www.nobeliefs.com/washingtonnews/EzekielBread.htm

Names in the Bible: Hosea

The name of the Hebrew prophet Hosea (8^th Century BC/BCE, ca. 780-725) is derived from the Hebrew word for “salvation.”  Hosea and his adulterous wife, Gomer, are seen by biblical interpreters as symbolic of Yahweh and Israel.  Just as Gomer ran away to another man, God declared that Israel was chasing after other gods.  The gods were affluence, Canaanite religions, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and magical practices.

Hosea named his daughter Lo-ruhama, meaning “not pitied.”  His son he named Lo-ammi, meaning “not my people.”  Both names expressed God’s displeasure. With Israel.

What happened next is also symbolic of God and Israel.  Hosea brought Gomer back and with love and patience, restored her to her proper place.  He remained true to her in spite of her unfaithfulness.  His love was redemptive.

Christians believe that what is taught of God and Israel speaks also to them, those grafted into the tree.  The relationship between redeemed man and God is seen as an ideal marriage.  Because of our limited ability to understand, God speaks to us in powerful symbols we can understand.

The names Joshua (Hebrew: Yehoshua) and Jesus (Hebrew: Yeshua) are derived from the same word as Hosea/Hoshea and ultimately mean “Yahweh is salvation.” 

Where is Samaria?

The region of Samaria is mentioned repeatedly in the New Testament, but exactly where is Samaria?  The answer is that ancient Samaria corresponds approximately to the northern half of the modern West Bank.  The Hebrew name is Somron or Shomron.

32.1431 N, 35.2606 E

http://www.longitude-latitude-maps.com/city/102_47,Eli,Judea+and+Samaria,Israel

The name of Samaria is derived from Shemer.  Shemer was either an individual, a family, or a tribe from whom King Omri purchased the area about 884 BC.   Omri, the King of Israel, built his capital city here in this wine and oil production area.

The Samaritans are still an identifiable Abrahamic people who claim to practice the original Abrahamic religion.  They insist that Judaism is a later innovation.

The Samaritans built their temple on Mount Gerizim in the Fifth Century BC/BCE.  The Maccabean leader John Hyrcanus destroyed the Samaritan temple in 110 BC/BCE. 

A Financial Company Dedicated to Biblically Responsible Investing

The Timothy Plan was created in 1992 by Arthur Ally as a retirement plan for evangelical pastors.  The plan is now a family of funds which screens investment opportunities for activities inconsistent with a conservative Evangelical Judeo-Christian understanding.  The items for which the plan screens include alcohol, tobacco, abortion, pornography, casino gambling, anti-family entertainment, alternative lifestyles, and anti-Israel bias.  As do all legitimate investment firms, the plan warns that "Investing in a mutual fund may result in loss of principal."

Extrabiblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Mesha Stele

Those who doubt the historicity of the Bible are either ignorant of the archeological record or choose to ignore it.  There are multiple extrabiblical corroborations of biblical statements.  These confirm the accuracy of the Bible’s historical assertions.  The religious interpretation of the information, of course, cannot be “proven.”

Those of faith come to realize that there are other ways of “knowing.”  (I know how “mystical” this sounds, but if the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is true, this is so.)

One of the first extrabiblical eveidences is the Mesha Stele (also known as the Moabite Stone).  The stele was shown to F.A. Klein, a Prussian missionary in Dhiban (the ancient Dibon, Moab) in 1868 by Bedouins.    When the Prussian government tried to purchase it, so did France, and a bidding war erupted.  The locals decided to break the stone into pieces.

There are several modern explanations for breaking the stone.  1. The locals wanted to prevent its removal and they thought a broken stone would be useless.  2.  The locals thought there was a treasure inside since so many people wanted it.  And the most likely explanation, 3. Someone understood the Law of Supply and Demand.  The individual pieces might collectively be of more value than one piece.

A stele is a commemoration or memorial carved or sculpted into an upright pillar, stone, tablet, or slab, often of basalt or marble.  The Mesha Stele was erected 847 BC/BCE in what is now Jordan by Mesha, the king of Moab.  The stele describes how Omri, King of Israel  ( ruled ca 886-874 BC/BCE), and his son Ahab (ruled 873-851 BC/BCE) defeated Moab because the Moabite deity, Chemosh, was angry at his people.  On the stele, Mesha is celebrating his defeat of Ahaziah, on of Ahab’s two sons.

"As for Omri, king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years [lit. days], for Chemosh was angry with his land. And his son followed him and he also said 'I will humble Moab.' In my time he spoke [thus], but I have triumphed over him and over his house, while Israel hath perished forever" (cf. 2 Kings 1:1; 3:4–5)

Moabite is considered by many to have been a dialect of Hebrew and the name of the king, Mesha, may be equivalent to Moshe (“Moses”).

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=mesha+stele&gbv=2&gs_l=hp.3..0l3j0i30l7.2292.5796.0.6261.11.11.0.0.0.0.60.528.11.11.0...0.0.xyqc_p4Q9Nk&sa=X&oi=image_result_group

http://www.jordanjubilee.com/history/mesha.htm

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0014_0_13724.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesha_Stele

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mesha_Stele

Extra-Biblical Evidences of Biblical Persons and/or Events: The Merneptah Stele

The Merneptah Stele is also known as the Israel Stele or the Victory Stele of Merneptah.  A stele (plural: stelae) is an ancient stone or wooden slab put into place for a funeral or as a commerative, usually for the declaration of the deceased's glorious accomplishments.  They were sometimes placed at borders to denote national ownership of a territory.

The Merneptah Stele, dated to about 1205 BC/BCE, declares the glories of the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled from 1213 to 1203 BC/BCE.  The stele lists all the nations conquered by Merneptah, including "Isrir" or "ysri r."  Many believe that this stone, now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, is the earliest known extrabiblical mention of Israel, though an earlier mention, dating to 1400BC/BCE may have been found in 2012 on a random piece of a statue pedestal which for years lay uncataloged and unexamined in the hundreds of fragments held by the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, Germany.

The Merneptah Stele says "Israel is wasted, bare of seed." (Actually, it literally says, "Israel waste (negative) seed/grain his/its.")

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