Biblical people recognized in the extra-biblical record

[cyberjosh]

This is a reposting of a question I answered in the sticky thread [here] and I figured it could warrant its own topic.

This was in response to the question:

Who are some historical people...that could be in history books...mentioned in the Bible?

I'm not sure how much acclaim in history books they get but in as near chronological order as I can determine here are some of them:

- The Prophet Balaam - (Numbers 22-24; Mentioned in the Dier Alla Inscription several centuries after he lived)
- Pharaoh Shishak I (1 Kings 14:25;2 Chronicles 12:1-12) - the first & earliest Egyptian Pharaoh in Scripture to be mentioned by name
- King David ('House of David' - Mentioned in the Tel Dan Inscription and the Mesha Stele)
- King Mesha of Moab (2 Kings 3; author of the Mesha Stele/Moabite Stone), was subjugated under Omri, King of Israel but staged a rebellion
- King Omri (mentioned in the Mesha Stele - King Ahab's father) - The 'House of Omri' is also referred to in Assyrian Inscriptions
- King Ahab (Mentioned in Assyrian King Shalmanesser III's Kurkh Monolith inscription) - Ahab participated in the historic Battle of Qarqar in 853 B.C. - an event not recorded in the Bible
- Ahab's notorious wife, Queen Jezebel, from Phoenicia is possibly mentioned in a more recent discovery being called the "Jezebel Seal" - a personal seal with the name YZBL (Jezebel) on it. Jezebel's father, Ethbaal a Phoenician King (1 Kings 16:31) is known elsewhere as "Ithobaal" in the annals of Phoenician Kings (see here)
- Many other Israelite Kings are mentioned in contemporary Assyrian and later Babylonian Inscriptions
- Most notably Hezekiah is mentioned in the Taylor Prism/Sennacherib Inscription; Sennacherib's attack on Judah is not only recorded in three separate places in the Old Testament but is also recorded in great detail on the Sennacherib/Taylor Prism - making it one of the most well recorded events in ancient Canaan.
-Taharqah/Tirhakah (2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9) the Egyptian/Nubian Pharaoh who attacked Sennacherib during his campaign in Judah - Statues and Inscriptions on Taharqah have been found (see here)

Earlier Egyptian Pharaohs are hinted at in city and place-names elsewhere in Scripture like Rameses (II) and Merneptah.

This is a very small list compared to what could be written. For a very in depth exploration of how historical the Bible really is, with impeccable references from one of the best Ramesside Egyptologists in the world, read Kenneth Kitchen's On the Reliability of the Old Testament.

God Bless,
~Josh

 

[cyberjosh]

Feel free to add to this list or ask questions about people on it. I did not cover anyone in the New Testament books or the intertestamental Apocrypha (like the Maccabees).

-Josh

 

[RevSRE]

How far back are you going, is this just going to be OT,

 

[Edward]

Enoch.

 

[Radagast]

Here is a picture (from 825 BC) of Jehu, or Jehu's ambassador, offering tribute to Shalmaneser III of Assyria.

 

[Radagast]

King Manasseh (Menasi) of Judah (2 Chronicles 33) is mentioned in the Esarhaddon Prism (673 or 672 BC).

 

[Radagast]

This tablet mentions Ahaz (2 Kings 16:7-9) giving tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III.

 

[Radagast]

And see also this list of artefacts.

 

[Mike]

King Manasseh (Menasi) of Judah (2 Chronicles 33) is mentioned in the Esarhaddon Prism (673 or 672 BC).

This tablet mentions Ahaz (2 Kings 16:7-9) giving tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III.

That is writing etched in those artifacts? Wow. Thank you for sharing. That's amazing stuff!

 

[Jim Parker]

This is a reposting of a question I answered in the sticky thread [here] and I figured it could warrant its own topic.
This was in response to the question:
I'm not sure how much acclaim in history books they get but in as near chronological order as I can determine here are some of them:
- The Prophet Balaam - (Numbers 22-24; Mentioned in the Dier Alla Inscription several centuries after he lived)
- Pharaoh Shishak I (1 Kings 14:25;2 Chronicles 12:1-12) - the first & earliest Egyptian Pharaoh in Scripture to be mentioned by name
- King David ('House of David' - Mentioned in the Tel Dan Inscription and the Mesha Stele)
- King Mesha of Moab (2 Kings 3; author of the Mesha Stele/Moabite Stone), was subjugated under Omri, King of Israel but staged a rebellion
- King Omri (mentioned in the Mesha Stele - King Ahab's father) - The 'House of Omri' is also referred to in Assyrian Inscriptions
- King Ahab (Mentioned in Assyrian King Shalmanesser III's Kurkh Monolith inscription) - Ahab participated in the historic Battle of Qarqar in 853 B.C. - an event not recorded in the Bible
- Ahab's notorious wife, Queen Jezebel, from Phoenicia is possibly mentioned in a more recent discovery being called the "Jezebel Seal" - a personal seal with the name YZBL (Jezebel) on it. Jezebel's father, Ethbaal a Phoenician King (1 Kings 16:31) is known elsewhere as "Ithobaal" in the annals of Phoenician Kings (see here)
- Many other Israelite Kings are mentioned in contemporary Assyrian and later Babylonian Inscriptions
- Most notably Hezekiah is mentioned in the Taylor Prism/Sennacherib Inscription; Sennacherib's attack on Judah is not only recorded in three separate places in the Old Testament but is also recorded in great detail on the Sennacherib/Taylor Prism - making it one of the most well recorded events in ancient Canaan.
-Taharqah/Tirhakah (2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9) the Egyptian/Nubian Pharaoh who attacked Sennacherib during his campaign in Judah - Statues and Inscriptions on Taharqah have been found (see here)

Earlier Egyptian Pharaohs are hinted at in city and place-names elsewhere in Scripture like Rameses (II) and Merneptah.

This is a very small list compared to what could be written. For a very in depth exploration of how historical the Bible really is, with impeccable references from one of the best Ramesside Egyptologists in the world, read Kenneth Kitchen's On the Reliability of the Old Testament.

God Bless,
~Josh

Check this out: http://www.icr.org/article/ebla-its-impact-bible-records/