Moabite Stone
Quick Summary
The Moabite Stone is an ancient stela discovered in 1868 that bears a 34-line inscription from Mesha, king of Moab, dating to the mid-9th century BCE. This black basalt stone is the only surviving lengthy written document from Moab and a royal stela from one of Israel's neighbors. The inscription details Mesha's rebellion against Israel and the reconquest of Moabite lands by King Omri of Israel.12
The Moabites were a West-Semitic people who inhabited the region east of the Dead Sea and flourished in the 9th century BCE. Their culture is dated from the late 14th century BCE to 582 BCE, when they were conquered by the Babylonians. The Moabites were closely related to the Israelites, with their ancestral founder, Moab, being a nephew of Abraham. Their national god was Chemosh, similar to how Yahweh was the national God of the Israelites. The Moabite language was dialectally similar to Hebrew, and their religion and culture were closely related to those of the Israelites.2
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Dibon…in 1868 of the so-called Moabite Stone, bearing an inscription of Mesha, king of Moab, about the 9th century bce; its 34-line inscription commemorates a victory over the Israelites that reestablished the independence of Moab.
Read More…in 1868 of the so-called Moabite Stone, bearing an inscription of Mesha, king of Moab, about the 9th century bce; its 34-line inscription commemorates a victory over the Israelites that reestablished the independence of Moab.
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JordanBiblical associations…period is the Mesha (or Moabite) Stone found at Dhībān in 1868, now in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is inscribed in an eastern form of Canaanite, closely akin to Hebrew.
Read More…period is the Mesha (or Moabite) Stone found at Dhībān in 1868, now in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is inscribed in an eastern form of Canaanite, closely akin to Hebrew.
Read More
- Moabite alphabet
The best-known example of the Moabite alphabet is from the Meshaʿ, or Moabite, Stone (Louvre, Paris), which was discovered in 1868 at Dibon, east of the Dead Sea. The stone bears a 34-line inscription of Meshaʿ, king of Moab, dating from the middle of the 9th century bc. Until the…
Read MoreThe best-known example of the Moabite alphabet is from the Meshaʿ, or Moabite, Stone (Louvre, Paris), which was discovered in 1868 at Dibon, east of the Dead Sea. The stone bears a 34-line inscription of Meshaʿ, king of Moab, dating from the middle of the 9th century bc. Until the…
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calligraphyEarly Semitic writingThe so-called Moabite Stone (also in the Louvre), which dates from about 850 bce, has an inscription that is also a famous example of early Semitic writing.
Read MoreThe so-called Moabite Stone (also in the Louvre), which dates from about 850 bce, has an inscription that is also a famous example of early Semitic writing.
Read More