Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone)
King Mesha of Moab's own account of his revolt against Israel
Found 1868 — Frederick Augustus Klein, Anglican missionary, shown the stone by local Bedouin
Where Dhiban (Dibon), Jordan (Jordan)
Dates from c. 840 BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Omri, Ahab, Jehoram; Moab's revolt)
Now at Louvre Museum, Paris (AO 5066)
Names a biblical person Mesha, Omri (possible 'House of David' in line 31 debated)
How Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) was found
Seen intact at Dhiban (biblical Dibon) in August 1868. Charles Clermont-Ganneau obtained a papier-mache 'squeeze' before local people broke the stone in 1869; about two-thirds of the fragments were later recovered and rejoined using the squeeze.
What it is
A smoothed black basalt stele about 1 m tall and 60 cm wide with 34 lines of Moabite, a language very close to Hebrew, in the early Phoenician-style alphabet. Mesha thanks his god Kemosh for freeing Moab from the 'House of Omri' and lists towns he took and rebuilt.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is the longest royal inscription from the world of the Hebrew Bible and names Omri, Israel, YHVH, Moab, Gad and many biblical towns. It matches 2 Kings 3's report that Mesha rebelled after Ahab's death, while telling the story from Moab's side. In 1994 Andre Lemaire read 'House of David' in line 31; a 2019 study by Finkelstein, Na'aman and Romer using new imaging proposed the name 'Balak' instead, and the line remains debated.
The Hebrew word: Ke-MOSH
כְּמוֹשׁ
כְּמוֹשׁ is pronounced Ke-MOSH and means Chemosh, the national god of Moab (Strong's H3645).
People this discovery connects to
- Mesha — מֵישַׁע (May-SHAH) — deliverance
- Omri — עָמְרִי (Om-REE) — my sheaf (uncertain)
Places
- Moab — מוֹאָב (Mo-AHV) — from father
- Dibon — דִּיבוֹן (Dee-VONE) — pining / wasting
Events
Moab's rebellion after Ahab's death · Omride domination of Moab
Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) in Scripture
1 Kings 16:23-24 Omri's rise; the stele says Omri 'oppressed Moab many days' and calls Israel's dynasty the House of Omri.
2 Kings 3:4-5 Names Mesha king of Moab, his sheep tribute, and his rebellion after Ahab's death; the stele is his own version.
Questions people ask
What is Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone)?
A smoothed black basalt stele about 1 m tall and 60 cm wide with 34 lines of Moabite, a language very close to Hebrew, in the early Phoenician-style alphabet. Mesha thanks his god Kemosh for freeing Moab from the 'House of Omri' and lists towns he took and rebuilt.
When was Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) discovered?
It was found in 1868 by Frederick Augustus Klein, Anglican missionary, shown the stone by local Bedouin, at Dhiban (Dibon), Jordan.
Where is Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) today?
Louvre Museum, Paris (AO 5066).
Which Bible verses does Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) relate to?
1 Kings 16:23-24, 2 Kings 3:4-5.
Related discoveries
- מוֹאָבDibon (Tell Dhiban): Mesha's CapitalThe Moabite royal city that produced the Mesha Stele, dug from 1950 to today
- תִּרְצָהTirzah (Tell el-Far'ah North): Omri's First CapitalDe Vaux's excavation of Israel's second capital, with a building project abandoned when Omri moved to Samaria
- שֶׁמֶרSamaria: The Omride Royal AcropolisOmri's new capital and Ahab's palace on the hill he bought from Shemer
- מִנְחָהBlack Obelisk of Shalmaneser IIIJehu of Israel bowing before the Assyrian king — the only known portrait of an Israelite king
- חֶשְׁבּוֹןHeshbon (Tell Hesban)Sihon's capital in Numbers, where a decade of digging found no Late Bronze city
- בֵּית דָּוִדTel Dan SteleAramean victory inscription naming the 'House of David'
Sources
- Louvre collections: Stele de Mesha (AO 5066)
- Finkelstein, Na'aman & Romer, 'Restoring Line 31 in the Mesha Stele', Tel Aviv 46 (2019)
- Wikipedia: Mesha Stele