▁and ▁their ▁ancest ors , ▁starting ▁from ▁the ▁creation ▁narr ative ▁and ▁con cluding ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century ▁B CE . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁first ▁mention ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁' Is rael ' ▁in ▁arch ae ology ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁B CE , ▁contemporary ▁information ▁on ▁the ▁Israel ite ▁nation ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁century ▁B CE ▁is ▁extremely ▁sparse . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁centuries ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁local ▁Heb rew ▁documents , ▁mostly ▁se als ▁and ▁bul la e , ▁mention ▁bib lic al ▁characters , ▁but ▁more ▁extensive ▁information ▁is ▁available ▁in ▁the ▁royal ▁ins cri ptions ▁from ▁neighbour ing ▁kingdom s , ▁particularly ▁Bab yl on , ▁Ass y ria ▁and ▁Egypt . ▁ ▁De uter oc anon ical s ▁or ▁bib lic al ▁ap oc ry pha ▁▁ ▁The ▁de uter oc anon ▁consists ▁of ▁books ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁books ▁that ▁are ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁Old ▁Testament ▁canon ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁and / or ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁churches , ▁but ▁are ▁not ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁Tan akh , ▁and ▁are ▁regarded ▁as ▁ap oc ry phal ▁by ▁Protest ants . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁Tan akh , ▁which ▁is ▁preserved ▁in ▁Heb rew ▁( with ▁some ▁Ar ama ic ▁parts ), ▁the ▁de uter oc anon ical ▁books ▁are ▁preserved ▁mainly ▁in ▁Ko ine ▁Greek , ▁though ▁Heb rew ▁and ▁Ar ama ic ▁fragments ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁among ▁the ▁Dead ▁Sea ▁Scroll s .