Was the Bible Right?
c. 840 BCE·Divided Kingdom·Artifact

Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone)

Scripture: 2 Kings 3:4–27

The black basalt Mesha Stele with its Moabite inscription, Louvre
The black basalt Mesha Stele with its Moabite inscription, Louvre · Photo: Tangopaso · Public domain · Source

The claim

2 Kings 3 describes Mesha, king of Moab, rebelling against Israel after the death of Ahab.

What archaeology found

A basalt stele found in 1868 at Dhiban (biblical Dibon), Jordan. Mesha records Moab's oppression by 'Omri king of Israel' and his son, his own revolt, and mentions Yahweh. It was broken apart after discovery, but an earlier paper squeeze allowed reconstruction. It is now in the Louvre. André Lemaire proposed in 1994 that a damaged line reads 'House of David', a reading that remains debated.

Sources

  1. Andrew Dearman (ed.), Studies in the Mesha Inscription and Moab, Scholars Press (1989)
  2. André Lemaire, 'House of David' Restored in Moabite Inscription, Biblical Archaeology Review 20:3 (1994)

Verdict history

  • ConfirmedInitial verdict.