For centuries, scholars believed the name YHWH originated with ancient Israel. But archaeological evidence tells a different, more complex story—one where the God of Israel was worshipped by Gentile peoples centuries before the nation of Israel even existed.
"Land of the Shasu of YHW"
Traditional Dating of Moses - According to biblical chronology, Moses would have lived during this period. However, there's a critical problem with the traditional narrative.
Soleb Inscription - Egyptian records mention "Shasu of YHW" in Nubia. This shows YHWH worship already existed among nomadic Semitic groups in the southern Levant.
Merneptah Stele - First mention of "Israel" as a people group in Egyptian records. Notably, YHWH is not mentioned—only the people.
Emergence of Paleo-Hebrew Script - The Hebrew writing system develops. This is 400-500 years AFTER Moses supposedly lived, making it impossible for him to have written in Paleo-Hebrew.
Gezer Calendar - One of the earliest Hebrew inscriptions, showing the script Moses couldn't have used.
If Moses lived in the 15th century BCE (1500-1430), he could not have written in Paleo-Hebrew, which didn't exist yet. He would have used:
Conclusion: The Pentateuch (Torah) was compiled and written centuries after Moses' time, likely between the 10th-6th centuries BCE, drawing from earlier oral and written traditions.
The biblical text itself reveals that Moses encountered YHWH worship among non-Israelites. This is explicitly stated in Exodus, though often overlooked:
Jethro, a Midianite priest, brings sacrifices to YHWH and makes a declaration of faith. This suggests the Midianites already knew YHWH before Moses arrived. Some scholars argue that Jethro may have actually introduced Moses to YHWH worship, not the other way around.
Multiple Old Testament texts describe YHWH as coming from the south—specifically from regions associated with Midian, Edom, and Seir:
Geographic Context: Sinai, Paran, Teman, Seir, and Edom are all located south of Canaan in what was Midianite and Edomite territory. The Bible itself preserves memory of YHWH's southern, non-Israelite origins.
YHWH was originally a deity worshipped by southern pastoral/nomadic groups including the Kenites, Midianites, and possibly Edomites in regions south and east of Canaan.
The Soleb Inscription (~1400 BCE) and similar Egyptian texts reference "Shasu of YHW" in precisely these southern regions, matching both archaeological and biblical evidence.
Early Israelites (or proto-Israelites) adopted YHWH worship through contact with these southern groups, possibly through Moses' Midianite connections or through intermarriage and cultural exchange.
Over centuries, Israel developed YHWH worship into an exclusive monotheism and made it central to their national identity, eventually claiming YHWH as uniquely their God.
The Shasu, Midianites, and Kenites knew and worshipped YHWH centuries before "Israel" appears in the historical record.
According to both archaeology and biblical text, Moses encountered YHWH worship among the Midianites. He learned about YHWH from Gentiles.
The Hebrew script used in early biblical manuscripts didn't exist until 400-500 years after Moses' traditional dates. The Torah was compiled much later from various traditions.
The deity who became the God of Israel was originally worshipped by diverse pastoral groups across the southern Levant.
Unlike many ancient gods tied to specific cities or peoples, YHWH was known across multiple tribal and ethnic groups before becoming associated exclusively with Israel.
These findings have profound implications for how we understand biblical religion:
The "chosen people" concept developed gradually as Israel formed a national identity around YHWH. The relationship wasn't primordial but historically constructed over centuries.
Gentile believers in YHWH have ancient precedent. The God of the Bible was worshipped by non-Israelites from the very beginning—even before Israel existed.
Israel's religion evolved from earlier West Semitic traditions. Monotheism developed gradually from monolatry (worship of one god among many) as YHWH absorbed the attributes of other deities.
The Soleb Inscription remains the oldest confirmed written reference to YHW/YHWH anywhere in the world. At approximately 1400 BCE, it predates any biblical manuscript by centuries, the formation of Israel as a state, and all other YHWH inscriptions.
This Egyptian record, combined with biblical evidence, shows that YHWH was already an established deity of southern Semitic nomads before any Israelite national identity existed. The story of YHWH worship is older, more complex, and more inclusive than traditional narratives suggest.
No older reference to YHW/YHWH has been discovered despite extensive archaeological work across the ancient Near East.