The Mesha Stone

The Mesha or Moabite Stone, is an ancient Palestinian slab that became the first definite inscribed evidence of an Old Testament event. The slab was discovered in Dibon, Jordan in 1868 by F. A. Klein, a German clergyman. It was a five foot stone recording, in a dialect similar to Hebrew, the events of Moabite and Israelite history. The inscription dates from c. 850 B.C. It was erected by Mesha, king of Moab, and is often styled the Mesha Stone. When Klein attempted to purchase it from the Arabs, it was broken into fragments. Fortunately, most of the pieces were recovered.

It tells of the wars of Mesha - the Moabite, with Omri - king of Israel, and with Omri's successors. It also tells of Mesha's wars with the stones, which parallels biblical history recorded in Second Kings, chapters 1 and 3. Numerous places mentioned in the Old Testament occur on the stele (inscribed monument). Among them are Arnon (Num. 21:13; Deut. 2:24), Ataroth (Num. 32:34), Baal-meon or Beth-baal-meon (Josh. 13:17), Beth-hamoth or Bamoth-baal (Josh. 13:17), Beth-diblathaim (Jer. 48:22), Bezor (Josh. 20:8), Dibon (Num. 32:34), Jahaza (Josh. 13:18), Mebeda (Josh. 13:9), and Nebo (Num. 32:38)."

To date, the stone is displayed in the Louvre in France.