Menachim Named
The Menachim handle.
Archaeologists love it when they can turn up remains of a figure mentioned in ancient history. This does not happen as often as they might wish. Sometimes the best they can hope for is an archaeological find which supports the general picture of a period.
The recent discovery of an old pottery handle in Jerusalem provides that kind of evidence for a little-known king of Israel. The 3,000-year-old handle is inscribed with the name Menachim (or Menahem), which was also the name of an Israelite king near the demise of the Northern Kingdom. Menachim reigned ten years and, according to 1 Kings 15, did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. Nonetheless, he died a natural death and was succeeded by his son Pekahiah.
The importance of the find is that it shows the king’s name was in use during the period for which the Bible records it. In other words, the Bible is not anachronistic in its use of the name.
For more on this story, see Ancient handle with Hebrew text found in Jerusalem.
