Final answer:
The earliest biblical figure confirmed by archaeology is King David, living around 1000 BC in the 10th century. While significant figures like Abraham are mentioned with a deduced birth year of around 2150 BCE, the lack of archaeological evidence makes their historical existence uncertain. Enmebaragesi of Kish, mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh and dating around 2100 BCE, is also a key figure confirmed by archaeology.
Step-by-step explanation:
The earliest biblical figure confirmed by archaeology to be historical is King David, and most scholars agree he lived around 1000 BC to the 10th century. Archaeological work and extrabiblical sources have supported many biblical claims during the united monarchy period, which encompassed the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.
This era's historicity has been strengthened by archaeological finds, such as those confirming a conflict with the Philistines — who are also mentioned in Egyptian and other records.
Although figures like Abraham are central to the history of the Hebrews as recorded in the Bible, with deduced birth around 2150 BCE and significant events such as his journey from Ur to Canaan, the absence of archaeological evidence for his existence makes it difficult to confirm him as a historical figure.
Instead, some historians trace the stories of Abraham and his lineage to sources written down much later — between the 10th and 6th centuries BCE.
Enmebaragesi of Kish, whose name appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh, is the earliest king authenticated through archaeological evidence, dating back to approximately 2100 BCE. However, Gilgamesh himself, though legendary, might have been a historical king due to this connection.