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Source: http://www.livescience.com/55774-ancient-israel.html
Proof of Ancient Israel Beyond the Bible
(Live Science) Owen Jarus - The earliest mention of the word "Israel" comes from an inscription carved on stone erected by the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah, who reigned in 1213-1203 BCE. A ninth century BCE inscription created by a Moabite king discusses the conflict between Israel and Moab. An obelisk in the British Museum claims that an Israeli king named Jehu was forced to pay tribute to Assyrian King Shalmaneser III, who reigned from 859-824 BCE. In 705 BCE, Sennacherib came to the throne of Assyria and, not long afterward, launched a military campaign against the Kingdom of Judah that culminated in the siege of Jerusalem in 701 BCE. Both the Hebrew Bible and cuneiform texts tell of the siege. Nearly a century later, Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II conquered much of Assyria's former empire and laid siege to Jerusalem, taking the city in 587 BCE and destroying the First Temple. Both the Hebrew Bible and cuneiform tablets written at the time tell of the events that took place.