Egyptian Execration Texts

During the Middle Kingdom (c. 1900–1800 BCE), Egyptian officials wrote the names of hostile foreign rulers and cities on clay figurines or bowls, then ritually smashed them to magically neutralize the threat. These 'execration texts' mention dozens of Canaanite cities, including Jerusalem, Shechem, and Hazor — places that would later feature prominently in Israelite history. They provide the earliest Egyptian references to many biblical locations.