Ancient Israel

Ancient Israel and Judah were two Israelite kingdoms that existed in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. Their history began with the early appearance of the Israelites in Canaan's hill country. The earliest documented mention of "Israel" as a people appears on the Merneptah Stele, an ancient Egyptian inscription dating back to around 1208 BCE. Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Israelite culture evolved from the pre-existing Canaanite civilization. During the Iron Age II period, two Israelite kingdoms emerged, covering much of Canaan: the Kingdom of Israel in the north and the Kingdom of Judah in the south.