A series of ancient markings in Egyptian mines may contain a message from Moses himself.
Researcher Michael Bar-Ron has proposed that inscriptions dating back 3,800 years include a Hebrew phrase meaning: “This is from Moses”.
The markings were discovered at Serabit el-Khadim on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and are written in the Proto-Sinaitic script, considered amongst the world’s oldest alphabetic writing systems.
Bar-Ron suggests these texts could provide the first ever archaeological evidence of the biblical figure who freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.
The inscriptions were first uncovered in the early 1900s near Mine L, close to the area known as Sinai 357.
These Proto-Sinaitic texts were likely carved by Semitic-speaking labourers during Egypt’s late 12th Dynasty in approximately 1,800 BC.
Bar-Ron dedicated eight years to examining detailed 3D scans and high-resolution photographs of the markings.
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Michael Bar-Ron suggests these texts could provide the first ever archaeological evidence of Moses himself
His research focused on 22 intricate inscriptions from the ancient turquoise mining site, which operated during Pharaoh Amenemhat III’s reign.
The script represents an early version of Northwest Semitic, bearing similarities to biblical Hebrew whilst showing influences from Aramaic.
Bar-Ron utilised resources from Harvard’s Semitic Museum to categorise the inscriptions into five distinct groups based on their content and characteristics.
He has also shed light on religious tensions among the mine workers.
Some carvings honouring the goddess Baʿalat show signs of deliberate defacement by those worshipping El, the deity linked to early Israelite faith.
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The breakthrough find was discovered at Serabit el-Khadim on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula
Bar-Ron told Patterns of Evidence: “We find worshipful inscriptions lauding the idol Ba’alat, with clearly an El or God-serving scribe coming in later and cancelling out certain letters, in an effort to turn the message into a God-serving one. This is ground zero for this conflict.”
The texts contain mentions of slavery, while a burnt temple dedicated to Baʿalat suggests a violent revolution.
References to the “Gate of the Accursed One”, possibly indicating a Pharaoh’s entrance, and a hint at opposition to Egyptian rule.
A second potential reference to “Moshe” appears in adjacent carvings, though its meaning remains ambiguous.
His findings have sparked significant debate amongst scholars, however.
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Bar-Ron found 22 intricate inscriptions from the ancient turquoise mining site, which operated during Pharaoh Amenemhat III’s reign
Dr Thomas Schneider, an Egyptologist at the University of British Columbia, dismissed his findings as “completely unproven and misleading”, cautioning that “arbitrary” letter identifications could misrepresent ancient history.
Bar-Ron’s academic supervisor, Dr Pieter van der Veen, said: “You’re absolutely correct, I read this as well, it is not imagined!”
The controversy stems partly from Proto-Sinaitic’s notoriously challenging nature – with academics struggling to contend with what’s said to be the world’s earliest alphabetic system.
Bar-Ron’s research, which hasn’t undergone peer review, attempts to link these ancient workers to biblical narratives, including potential connections to Joseph, the high-ranking official in Pharaoh’s court described in Genesis.
