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Mesha Stele

The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, is an inscribed stele dated around 840 BCE. It preserves a major Canaanite text in the name of King Mesha of Moab, written in a variant of the Phoenician alphabet closely related to Paleo-Hebrew. The inscription describes how Chemosh, the god of Moab, allowed the people to be subjugated by Israel, and how later he helped Mesha throw off Israel’s rule and restore Moab’s lands. It also records Mesha’s building projects. Discovered intact at Dibon in 1868, the stele was later broken into fragments, then reconstructed from the fragments and an earlier squeeze. It is now part of the Louvre Museum collection in Paris.

Mesha Stele, a tall dark stone slab covered in ancient carved script with missing fragments and visible cracks.
The Mesha Stele is shown as a tall, damaged basalt slab inscribed with ancient script.
May 2018 © · Public domain
The Mesha Stele, a dark ancient stone slab with a rounded top covered in carved inscriptions and visible cracks.
The Mesha Stele is shown as a dark, inscribed stone monument with a rounded top and worn, cracked surface.
1896 © · No restrictions
Mesha Stele, a tall inscribed stone stele with a rounded top and a damaged middle section.
The Mesha Stele, shown as a tall carved stone slab with extensive ancient inscriptions and visible damage across the center.
1925 © · Public domain
Detailed line drawing of the Mesha Stele covered in rows of ancient inscription with line numbers and damaged sections
Line drawing of the Mesha Stele, showing the inscription arranged in numbered lines with areas of damage marked.
© · Public domain
Close-up of the Mesha Stele inscription with dark ancient characters on a light stone surface.
Detail of the Mesha Stele showing lines of ancient inscription carved into the stone.
July 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMesha Stele
TypeStele
Alternative nameMoabite Stone
Alternative title in RussianStele of King Mesha

Historical context

Datearound 840 BCE
Historical context9th century BCE Moab under King Mesha, during the conflict with the Kingdom of Israel after the death of Ahab

Creator

Creator / commissionerMesha, king of Moab
Associated rulerKing Mesha of Moab

Physical characteristics

Dimensions124 cm high, 71–79 cm wide, 36 cm thick
ShapeRounded top with slightly tapered sides

Materials

MaterialBlack basalt

Technique

Inscription languageMoabite
Inscription extentProbably more than 35 lines; 34 lines are commonly given
Inscription conditionThe first 30 lines are well preserved, the following lines survive only in fragments, and at least the final two lines are lost
Inscription scriptA Moabite alphabet, an early form of the Phoenician-type Semitic alphabet, closely related to Paleo-Hebrew

Iconography and meaning

Inscription subjectMesha's victories and rebellion against the northern Kingdom of Israel, his dedication to Chemosh, and his building projects
Historical figures mentionedKing Omri of Israel; Ahab; Chemosh
Places conquered or mentionedMedeba, Ataroth, Nebo, Jahaz, and territory associated with the tribe of Gad
PurposeA memorial account of Mesha’s victories and revolt against Israel, and a thanksgiving dedication to Chemosh

Discovery and provenance

Documentation before destructionCharles Simon Clermont-Ganneau obtained a papier-mâché squeeze before the stele was destroyed
DiscovererFrederick Augustus Klein, an Anglican missionary
Discovery siteAncient Dibon (modern Dhiban), Jordan
Discovery dateAugust 1868

History and restoration

DestructionIt was smashed into fragments the year after its discovery by local Arabs, apparently in protest against Ottoman pressure to hand it over
Destroying groupThe Bani Hamida tribe
ReconstructionClermont-Ganneau later recovered many fragments and reassembled the stele using the squeeze

Location and ownership

In collection since1873
Return claimJordan has demanded the stone’s return since 2014
Inventory numberAO5066
Current locationParis, France
Current collectionLouvre Museum

Significance

Historical significanceThe first major epigraphic Canaanite inscription found in the Southern Levant; the longest Iron Age inscription ever found in the region; major evidence for the Moabite language; a cornerstone of Semitic epigraphy and history
ImportanceThe most extensive inscription referring to the kingdom of Israel ('the House of Omri'), and the earliest certain extrabiblical reference to YHWH
Scholarly statusIts authenticity has been disputed, but the vast majority of biblical archaeologists today regard the stele itself as genuine and historical
Biblical comparisonIts story parallels, with some differences, an episode in 2 Kings 3:4–27 and is broadly consistent with biblical accounts
Interpretive controversyThe disputed line 31 has prompted competing readings, including 'House of David' and alternatives such as Balak or Edomite-related reconstructions

Other

Original title in RussianStele of King Mesha
General scholarly conclusionThe stele is presented as confirming biblical data while also illustrating the partiality of historical narratives
Linguistic noteThe inscription’s Moabite is closely related to early Hebrew, with dialectal and orthographic differences as well as many shared features