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Imagine unearthing an ancient stone that rewrites history, a stone that holds the earliest known mention of a nation still significant today. The Merneptah Stele. "In 1896, British archaeologist Flinders Petrie made an extraordinary discovery in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Amidst the ruins, he found a large granite slab inscribed with hieroglyphics, a stele commissioned by Pharaoh Merneptah. This ancient artifact, standing over seven feet tall, would soon reveal secrets that had been buried for over three millennia. The stele primarily celebrates Merneptah’s military victories. Pharaoh Merneptah, son of the renowned Ramses II, had a reputation to uphold. His campaigns across Canaan were  recorded on this stele, detailing his triumphs over the Libyans and various Canaanite tribes. The language used is triumphant and boastful, typical of royal inscriptions meant to impress and intimidate. As scholars translated the hieroglyphics, one line stood out. Among the list of defeat

 * Cleopatra (1917): Theda Bara stars as Cleopatra in this silent film.  * Cleopatra (1934): Claudette Colbert portrays Cleopatra in this portrayal that emphasizes her intelligence and political astuteness.