"The Mesha Stele" or the "Moabite Stone" was by erected by the Biblical King "Mesha", king of Moab, at Dhiban (in modern Jordan) around 840 BC. Scribbled on a three feet tall black basalt rock in Moabite language (very similar to ancient Hebrew), the 34-lined Mesha Stele is one of the longest monumental inscriptions ever found from Israel-Palestine region.
"And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel"( 2 Kings 3:4-5).
Mesha stele is an important discovery in the field of Biblical archaeology due to a couple of reasons. It is the first non-biblical text (and one of the oldest too) or inscription found in modern times using “Yahweh” (YHWH, or Jehovah), as a name for the God of Israel. The name “Israel” is mentioned six times on the stele. It also names Israel’s sixth king Omri and refers to his sons as well. Some identify the stele containing the earliest mention of the "House of David". In addition, the stone validates many places mentioned in the Bible.
The stele was discovered in 1868, in Dhiban (biblical Dibon) by the German missionary F.A. Klein.In 1873,the local Bedouins smashed the stone into pieces, assuming that it contained a treasure after they saw the great interest it aroused among Europeans. They broke the stele into several fragments, burned it and poured water on it. How unfortunate it is after surviving nature's harshness for about 2500 years, this historic inscription meets such a tragic fate in greedy human hands.
Luckily, with the help of an impression of the Stone made by a young Frenchman named Charles Clermont-Ganneau before it was broken, archaeologists were able to reconstruct about two-thirds of the texts inscribed on the stone (613 of the estimated 1000 letters). Around 60 fragments were recovered (38 purchased by Clermont-Ganneau himself) and the stele was reconstructed in Paris. Since 1875, it has been displayed in Louvre Museum, paris.
In the 18th line of the inscription appear the Sacred name, "Yahweh" and the word "Israel". Look for the words in the enlarged snap.
Mesha stele is an important discovery in the field of Biblical archaeology due to a couple of reasons. It is the first non-biblical text (and one of the oldest too) or inscription found in modern times using “Yahweh” (YHWH, or Jehovah), as a name for the God of Israel. The name “Israel” is mentioned six times on the stele. It also names Israel’s sixth king Omri and refers to his sons as well. Some identify the stele containing the earliest mention of the "House of David". In addition, the stone validates many places mentioned in the Bible.
The stele was discovered in 1868, in Dhiban (biblical Dibon) by the German missionary F.A. Klein.In 1873,the local Bedouins smashed the stone into pieces, assuming that it contained a treasure after they saw the great interest it aroused among Europeans. They broke the stele into several fragments, burned it and poured water on it. How unfortunate it is after surviving nature's harshness for about 2500 years, this historic inscription meets such a tragic fate in greedy human hands.
Luckily, with the help of an impression of the Stone made by a young Frenchman named Charles Clermont-Ganneau before it was broken, archaeologists were able to reconstruct about two-thirds of the texts inscribed on the stone (613 of the estimated 1000 letters). Around 60 fragments were recovered (38 purchased by Clermont-Ganneau himself) and the stele was reconstructed in Paris. Since 1875, it has been displayed in Louvre Museum, paris.
In the 18th line of the inscription appear the Sacred name, "Yahweh" and the word "Israel". Look for the words in the enlarged snap.
