THE MOABITE STONE

Bible Miracles: The Moabite Stone

The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, is an inscribed stone set up around 840 BCE by King Mesha of Moab (Modern Jordan). It is the longest Iron Age inscription ever found in the region, constitutes the significant evidence for the Moabite language and history. The stone was discovered intact by Frederick Augustus Klein, an Anglican missionary, at the site of ancient Dibon (now Dhiban, Jordan), in August 1868. News of the finding set off a race between France, Britain, and Germany to acquire the piece. The stele is currently on display in France at the Louvre museum, and Jordan has demanded its return

It’s a black basalt stone that measures about three and a half feet high two feet wide on that stone Misha the King of Moab cut lines of text in about 850 BC Mesha mentions that Omri was the King of Israel who had oppressed Moab during many days but then Misha says he saw his desire upon Omri’s son and upon his house. The Misha stone cites Omri as the King of Israel just as 1-Kings 16:21-28, thus confirming historically accuracy of the Bible.

Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni the son of Ginath for King, and the other half supported Omri. But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni, son of Ginath. So Tibni died, and Omri became king. In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah. He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill. But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him. He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols. As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Omri rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as King. 1-Kings 16:21-28

Furthermore, it mentions Omri’s son Ahab in close connection with the Moabites just as 2-Kings 3:4-6

Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the King of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel.

In addition, both the stele and 2-Kings 3:4-6 lists Mesha as the King of Moab. Also, The Mesha Stele (Moabite Stone) names the Israelite tribe of Gad and the Israelite God Yahweh another validation of the biblical accuracy. This proves that the Bible is a historically accurate book ever penned and hundreds of ancient discoveries verify its accuracy.