The Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone ) in Madaba

The stele of King Mesha constitutes one of the most important direct accounts of the history of the world that is related in the Bible. The inscription pays tribute to the sovereign, celebrating his great building works and victories over the kingdom of Israel during the reign of Ahab, son of Omri.

The mention of "Israel" is its earliest known written occurrence. Dhiban, ancient Dibon, where the stele was found, was the capital of this kingdom of Moab, located on the left bank of the Dead Sea.

Mesha Stele 2

Kingdom Theban old known brigade Zeban currently located on the main road connecting the city of Amman city of Karak via the town of Madaba known route of the Royal and contain Archeological sites are numerous most important Tel Zeban where archaeological and historical studies that Zeban and villages show of ancient history linked to the state Almaabiah taken by Micha last kings Almwabeyen them his capital of 840 _ 870 BC this is evidenced by the inscription engraved on the famous Obelisk Micha considered later document showing historical importance of the city in that era and civilizations that came out. It also includes a hill Zeban archaeological traces Nabatieh Roman-era bronze and the remnants of a huge wall of 35 m height and has a staircase leads to the top of the hill and several side huge towers in addition to the building of a wall thickness 5.1 cm were found in one of the rooms on the pottery and statues There is also an on-site building Nabataean and Roman fortress old, and you can see this place by visiting Madaba City and Dead Sea Day Tour.

The Mesha Stele in its current location, the brown fragments are pieces of the original stele, whereas the smoother black material is Garneau s reconstruction from the 1870s.

The Mesha Stele was shattered by members of the local populace who objected to its removal, but was later reconstructed. In addition, squeeze(a papier-mâché impression) had been taken of the monument before it was removed. Both the squeeze and the reassembled stele are now in the Louvre Museum.

The Moabite stone is one of the most significant archeological discoveries that has been made regarding the Bible.  It is one of the archeological discoveries that Christian apologists like to cite that "proves the Bible is true".  Discovered in 1868, it is a 9th century B.C. stone monument, erected by King Mesha of the Moabites, who are mentioned many times in the Bible, and are the constant rivals/enemies of the Israelites .  King Mesha erected the stone to commemorate his defeat over Israel, in a revolt against King Omri.  The stone somewhat confirms the historicity of the account of the battle from the Bible from2 Kings 3:4- 27.

The inscription includes three versions of the same text, written in three different cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian(a later form of Akkadian) — Babylonian being a Semitic language. In effect, then, the inscription is to confirm what the Rosetta Stone is to Egyptian hieroglyphs: the document most crucial in the decipherment of a previously lost script.

 

The inscription consists of thirty-four lines containing about 260 words and is well engraved in old Hebrew (Phoenician) characters. It was written about 860B.C. in the name of Mesha, the King of Moab. The translation of the first two-thirds of the inscription is as follows:

"I am Mesha, son of Chemosh . . . (?), King of Moab, the Dibonite. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I became king after my father, and I made this high place for Chemosh in, the high place of deliverance, because he had delivered me from all that attacked me, and because he had made me see my desire upon all my enemies. Omri, King of Israel, oppressed Israel many days because Chemosh was angry with his land; and his son succeeded him, and he also said, I will oppress Moab. In my days he said this, and I saw my desire upon him, and Israel was humbled with everlasting humiliation. Omri had taken possession of the land of Medeba and [his people] occupied it during his days and half the days of his son, forty years; but Chemosh restored it in my days. . . . And the men of Gad had occupied the land of Ataroth for a long time, and the King of Israel had built up Ataroth for himself. And I fought against the city and took it, and I slew all the people from the city, a sight for the eyes of Chemosh and of Moab. . . . And Chemosh said to me, Go, take Nebo against Israel. And I went by night and fought against it from the break of dawn until noon, and I took it and slew all [that were in] it, seven thousand men and boys and women and girls and maid servants; for to Ashtar-Chemosh I had devoted it. And I took from there the vessels of Yahweh and brought them before Chemosh. And the King of Israel had fortified Jahaz and occupied it while he was at war with me, and Chemosh drove him out from before me. And I took of Moab two hundred, all its chiefs, and I attacked Jahaz and took it, in order to add it to Dibon."

In the rest of the inscription Mesha tells of restoring and fortifying cities that rightfully belonged to Moab, of building a palace for himself, and of constructing reservoirs for water.